matching tracksuits

The Boy's first five-versus-five soccer game was tonight. It's a wild variation: no off-sides, no throw-ins on a field a quarter of the size of a regular field. It was a good start for the short season: our boys won 9-3, with the Boy scoring two goals, including a ripper from almost the midfield.

The Boy's team finished the regular season undefeated this evening. It's the best soccer season he's ever experienced, and K and I are relieved he is finally having a great season like L did in volleyball and track.

The Boy's team has had quite the season this year: up to today's game, they had allowed only a single goal. They beat most of their opponents handily. Today was different. They were up 3-0 by the first half, so the coach put in a new goalie. Someone who'd never played goalie before. I suppose the reasoning was that if the other team started scoring, he could make adjustments and put back one of the two boys who usually play in the goal. That seemed unnecessary, though: the boys added three more to the score, invoking the mercy rule, which means they were no longer allowed to score. In the final minutes, though, the goalie made a mistake that left too much room and allowed a shot into a virtually open goal. The boys still won 6-1, but E was a little disappointed: "I wanted to finish the season with only one goal scored against us."

The Boy's team won 6-0.