The third great game in a row (5-5 vs. KPV, 0-0 vs IK Myran), but today we had very bad luck. The result does not do the game justice. Our game looked good and I will check the video material and try to compile a video clip which proves that we played really nice football.

The difference (not only) today was that PeFF scored 4 goals after 4 mistakes while we were not able to put the ball into the net, despite plenty of attacks. Let's have a look at the happenings of this game. Some pictures are added at the bottom. A videoclip hopefully will come soon.

Lineup:

Oona M
Oosa - Kiia - Sofia - Leonna (Milja)
Ronja - Jemina - Piitu - Siiri
Ilona
Pinja

3. First chance for PeFF after Kiia and Jemina hesitate to go to the ball. A striker runs alone towards the goal, but shoots the ball next to the right post.

9. Our tactical lines move very well from left to right. From forth to back is still improvement possible, but it looks better and better with every game. How this shows is mainly that the opponents don't get through to our goal anymore that often. In the first half of the season we usually would get 10 goals or more. Now, out of the game (own constructed goals except punishing our mistakes or kicking high balls): zero during the last 4 games. Not bad.

10. Twice in a row a very nice short, direct pass combination forwards in the central area including a final pass to a striker. However, both times without a finish. Nonetheless: this is football to my eyes. Seeing a good passing combination can be more satisfying than a goal.

11. Leonna wins the ball in the defense and forwards it to Pinja. She continues with a pass down the right wing. Ronja gets the ball and quickly shoots from 20 meters - above the goal. Very nice and quick counter attack.

13. Awesome through pass from Siiri to Pinja between two defenders. Pinja with a body trick and then she is in front of the goal. She shoots to the left corner, but the tall keeper jumps and fetches the ball.

14. Leonna is out with a leg injury. Milja comes in. Piitu moves to the defense, Ilona to the midfield and Milja to the 10-position.

15. Ronja plays a genius pass behind the defense. Pinja moves up, gets the ball and wins a 1v2. She looks up, sees the shooting opportunity, uses it - and misses the left post oh-so-slightly. Brilliant football. No luck.

16. Milja breaks through the defense, but is heavily blocked in the penalty area. The fans yell "penalty", but the game continues.

17. PeFF currently doesn't have a reply to our offensive power. It feels really good to see how we now finally unleash our football potential and that the training is paying off. And we're not even training that much. How far do you want to go?

18. A striker moves between our central defense which moved both on one line and made a breakthrough easy. She runs up to 3 meters in front of the goal, but then shoots directly to the waiting Oona.

24. The game still looks quite nice. Compared to the first game in Pedersöre, it's a difference like night and day.

25. A fantastic attack on the right wing. Oosa dribbles forward, then passes to Ilona. She looks up and sees a spot for a through pass to Ronja. Ronja moves up and tricks her opponent. In the penalty area, she decides for a shot to the right corner - where the keeper is waiting and securing the ball. We have to start rewarding us for such great attacks. With a goal.

28. Pinja with her third strike. Again a good shot and again a good safe from the PeFF-keeper.

29. A fast counter attack for PeFF. Oona rushes out of her goal and wins a 1v1 situation at the penalty area line. Risky, but it worked.

32. A terrific attack leads to our 1-0. There was a bit of luck involved when a ball bounced back to us (video of the goal to follow), but overall, the idea of football presented in our attack was more than lovely: PeFF attacked on our right wing. We secured the ball and then it started: Oosa passed the ball to Sofia in the central defense. She forwards it to Piitu in the left defense. Her pass to the left wing to Siiri is intercepted, but the ball bounces back to Ilona who forwards the ball to Siiri who is moving to the right space at the right time. With the head, she puts the ball forward to herself and finishes with a shot to the left inner post from where the ball drops behind the goalline. Really nice.

36. And now begins the unlucky phase and memories to the first come up where we had the same situation several times, leading to goals. Things like the following happen in junior football. As I keep saying: mistakes are no problem before adult football. Everything helps us learn. It's just sad that we don't get the deserved rewards for our playing. But then it has to be reward enough if we know that we're doing the right things. Well, the goal. We had the ball in our lines, but then an easy pass from the keeper went straight to the opponent. Piitu was able to slide into the shot, so that it was a corner. The corner flew into the penalty area and bounced from one head to another to another until eventually a striker got it 3 meters in front of the goal and she headed the ball into the net, 1-1. At this point, this goal came completely out of the blue. Too bad.

40. And it gets worse. Seconds before halftime, our keeper passes again directly to an opponent. Crossball. A striker is alone in the penalty are, 1-2. A feeling like running with your head directly at a stone wall. Ouch.

At half-time, we were confident to come back and turn this game around again. Our game looked good, we got our chances. All we needed to do was score. But then, Murphy's Law hit us with full effect again: Everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Or, to say it with 1990s German striker Jürgen Wegman: "First you don't have luck. And then you get unlucky."

42. The defense runs under a long ball, our keeper hesitates to come out, a striker lobs the ball under the crossbar: 1-3. A neck-breaker early in the second half.

47. We keep on playing nonetheless. Oosa shows a terrific performance today, and she is only 2005-born. She wins a 1v2 situation on the left wing and passes to Jemina. She tricks one opponent and shoots - the keeper paries.

49. Piitu dares a run forward and plays a double pass with Pinja before attempting a shot at the goal. She doesn't hit it properly, so the ball bounces out of the field. Nice run though.

50. Dreampass from Siiri to Ronja on the right wing. With power, she leaves her opponents behind and enters the penalty area. And then her last touch before the shot puts the ball too far away. The keeper quickly reacts and grabs the ball from Ronja's feet.

51. Jemina sends Oosa down the left wing. She dances around three opponents, enters the penalty area and shoots - at the left outside of the net. It remains like that: We just don't put the ball into the net. Not only not today, but the whole summer. Same with the Edari team. We will work on this for 2019. I want to see a lot of goals and happy faces next season!

54. We slowly start to run out of power. Our new tactical system demands much more running than before, so it is no surprise that it doesn't work for 80 minutes yet. We will also work on this. Step by step. PeFF gets now better in the game again. Kiia saves an attack (corner).

56. All good (or here: bad) things are three, as a German saying goes. A pass from our keeper directly to the opponent, quick striker reaction, shot, 1-4. Gotta give it to the opponent: They left us no chance to correct our mistakes and showed no mercy in front of our goal. There is a German word for it, but it's too colloqial. I couldn't find a proper English or Finnish translation. But that adjective describes PeFF's cleverness very well.

61. Third corner for Peff.

62. Here is another sign what the difference was today: The PeFF-keeper passes the ball towards Siiri and has the chance to kick the ball into the empty goal. But she decides to dribble into the penalty area - where a defender steals the ball from her foot.

67. We try to get another scoring chance, but nothing noteworthy happens anymore.

68. Counter attack for PeFF. Shot from 18 meters to the right corner. Oona jumps and puts the ball next to the post. Corner.

73. Pinja has a power surge. In our half she grabs the ball and then runs all the way up to the penalty area, leaving everyone behind like there would be no tomorrow! And then she shoots to the left corner. And again misses the post oh-so-slightly. That's really some tough luck for her today. Everything done right, but no goal nonetheless.

74. Piitu is on the attack again and brings a pass from the left into the penalty area. Pinja does a spin shot to the right corner, the keeper dives - and buries the ball under her body.

75. One more chance for Pinja, but a defender jumps into her shot and distracts the ball. It bounces back to the center where Oosa does a direct attempt from about 20 meters to the goal. The keeper paries.

79. Last corner for PeFF.

After the game, the PeFF-coaches showed great sportsmanship and congratulated us for our good game. That felt good to hear and I thank them for their friendly feedback. In a way, I'd rather lose 1-4 against a team with sportsmanship than drawing against a team whose leaders don't acknowledge that your team did a good job and assume that if they don't win, it automatically means that they played bad. There are always two teams on the field! Congratulations to PeFF for being the necessary tic smarter than us today and scoring the goals merciless when you got the chances. We try our best to we win the next game against you, though. ;-)