Tuesday Night: Cherry Bombs 1 vs FC Olympia 2
Pride at Lents Park did not disappoint: vendors with Pride stickers, rainbow jewelry, flags and more lined the concourse before the match. Despite being 6 games into the season, fans were still buying new merch, adorning their fresh cherry blossom inspired scarves and pink and black kits.
Sarah Kennedy, CEO of planned parenthood Columbia Willamette and employees attended Tuesday night’s game. Sarah took the pitch with her kids before the first whistle blew and received a resounding applause from the fans who clearly stand behind the team sponsor.
The first half left a lot to be desired from the Cherry Bombs as they were on the back foot and were highlighting skill on their defense because of the relentless attack from FC Olympia. It couldn't have been more poignant that the first goal came from FC Olympia near the close of the first half. In the 42nd minute, FC Olympia took the lead on their third consecutive corner. The ball came into the box and there were three shots blocked before one went in. There was a save from keeper Cameron, a save from a defender, and a successful shot on goal.
51' the Cherry Bombs were fouled outside the box and the ref called advantage as play resumed and then #14 was fouled inside of the box. Initially, the ref called for a penalty kick, but as players were setting up, he showed a caution card to FC Olympia and had CBFC take a set piece from where the first foul occurred. It's unclear what happened there, but my understanding is that the call should have stood as a PK.
73' FC Olympia 1, Cherry Bombs 1, Cherry Bombs counter attack from their defensive half and drive the ball into the attacking third. KG Malefo brings it home to tie up the match with a one touch stunning shot from just inside the box.
88' FC Olympia 2, Cherry Bombs 1, FC Olympia clutch their win with a top bins banger inside the box.
The Cherry Bombs were forced to be much more of a defensive minded team the first half and really turned that around the second half. With such a short season, it's hard to know what's making the most impact: coaching advice, team bonding, or the atmosphere at Lents Park. Regardless of what's pushing the season along, this team is finding their footing and putting on a great performance for an invested crowd. The second half was filled with cohesive attacking play and opportunities on goal that had the stadium fired up.
Sunday Afternoon: Cherry Bombs 0 vs Salmon Bay FC 1
The Sunday afternoon game was reminiscent of the World Cup matches: full of hydration breaks, or cooling breaks, as some commentators are calling them. With the pitch temperature over 100°F and outside temperatures around 96°F, the players were given two hydration breaks per half. Yet, even those breaks didn't seem like enough as the players were finding any opportunity to walk and preserve their energy. For most of the first half, Salmon Bay FC kept possession and the Cherry Bombs had to work hard to get any opportunity to counter into their attacking half. Salmon Bay FC was breaking all of the lines but still unable to put one away.
53' Salmon Bay 1, Cherry Bombs 0 Salmon Bay FC with a shot that went off of the crossbar, flew high and came down right at the goal like to be kicked in a scored by Ginny Lackey
The game proved uneventful for both teams honestly, and although Salmon Bay had more possession overall, they still did not have an overwhelming amount of shots for how much they owned the pitch. The Cherry Bombs could not find a rhythm or gain any sort of meaningful possession throughout the midfield. Their play looked lackluster, a possible side effect of the heat.
Players to Watch
#42 Carolyn Ruoff continues to put in a shift match after match. Her ability to read the space in the middle to find open passing lanes is something to admire. I highly recommend just watching her for 5 straight minutes and you'll understand why she's a top player for Cherry Bombs FC.
#14 Kgotlelelo "KG" Malefo is one to watch up front. She continues to fly past defenders and drive into the box, creating the most opportunities for Cherry Bombs FC to put one on frame.
#8 Lillie French is another player similar to Ruoff, not a breakout start who's scoring goals or creating assists. However, French has proved to be integral to the composure of the team and often seems to be in direct communication with head coach, Janine Szpara.
Catch the next match on Friday, June 19th at 7pm at Lents Park against Snohomish United.
