Day 5 - match 2

Pre-match preparation was unconventional: a snorkeling trip to a remote island on the Party Catamaran. 

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The trip was an opportunity for some of the dads to remind themselves their sons are also in the Bahamas.

Carl had traded his son for some of the local liquor and was in a particularly cheerful mood.

 

  Captain Christian led the way into the deep unknown fearlessly and with typical gravitas.... 

...while the team lined up confidently in 1-1-1-1-1-1 formation behind him....

The reef life was spectacular.  We saw jacks, parrot fish, trigger fish, wrasse, pipe fish, manta rays......





.....lion fish, moray eels.....

... baracuda, great white shark, sunken treasure, mermaids, nuclear submarines.....

Expecting it to be too hot for match shirts later today, the boys decided to spray paint their position numbers on their bare backs.

 

The dads enjoyed a hotly contested game of beach volleyball while the boys prepared some additional football (a.k.a. soccer) set moves in the sea, so they would be ready in case this evening's field might be waterlogged again:

 Just enough time for a trip photo (with one additional "Dad" at center back (Nick), from the boat):

 

On the way back, our boat's captain pointed out houses owned by Oprah Winfrey, the former Mrs Tiger Woods, Eddie Murphy, Chuck Norris.... and GQ Magazine's Mr August made a celebrity appearance on board:

 

 Quick shower to freshen up at the hotel, then it was off to the soccer field in high spirits.

 

The fans began to arrive long before kick-off....

 The packed traveling fans section of the bleachers waited nervously for the game to start. 

  

 

The opposition, the U17 Bahama National team, looked athletic and determined.

 

 The local team was strong and skilled.  Several players train in the US. They took an early lead and it took determined defense by Madison to prevent further loss. 

 

 Madison started to take charge and played well, attacking quickly down both wings and through the center, and dominated for long periods of the first half.  Madison had some good counter-attacks and Christian scored with a sensational strike from outside the penalty box after 25 minutes.

 

 

 However the Bahamas were very fast on their counter-attacks and added a second goal a few minutes later.  Although Madison continued to look the stronger team for much of the first half, at half time it was still 2-1 to the home team.

 

 

In the second half, the Bahamians' strength, speed and agility, together with the heat and exertion, began to take their toll on the Madison players, and the Bahamian team gradually gained the upper hand.  The Bahamas had a large bench of substitutes and used fresh legs to advantage, while in this friendly match and with limited substitutes, Madison played several players out of their normal position.  Despite at times frantic defense, including some great saves by Nick Nelson in goal, the Bahamas were able to score further goals as the game played out, for a final score of 6-1.  However Madison had shown great determination and total effort from every player, against very strong opposition, and had played very well as a team.