Brazilian Beatdown

With goals from each of the Bonetti brothers, United bag Gibos and continue the hunt for the league title

Thousand Oaks, CA – An overcast Memorial Day weekend brought Malibu United Soccer Club back to Wildflower Playfield to take on CSC76 Gibos. The pitch was a big improvement over the dirt patch of the last few weeks, and the United boys looked poised to push on in their quest for the league title. Currently sitting six points behind CSC76 United with a game in hand, United have only to win out their remaining four matches, the last of which will be against the leaders, and their superior goal differential should put them in first place as the season concludes.

United began the match strong, keeping most of the play in their opponent’s half of the field. Gibos, however, came out with their usual energy, and slowly began closing down the loose balls and controlling the middle.

United fielded a solid back line with Chris De La Riva anchoring Gerry Smith, Sam Harris, and Lawrence Whalen. Not much was getting past this group, and that allowed United some room to breathe while building their attack.

The first break would come in the thirty-sixth minute of play when Brazilian striker Gabe Bonetti was delivered a ball down the left flank. Running on to it, he quickly controlled it and turned to see his older brother Luke rushing down the opposite side. With a low pass across the top of the penalty area, the younger Bonetti set his brother up for a right-footed worm-burner that found the far left side of the net to put United up 1-0.

After the halftime break, United had several chances to score, and did so again in dramatic fashion. In the sixtieth minute, Gabe Bonetti received the ball deep in the Gibos end off a knee pass from Lawrence Whalen who had penetrated up from his defensive position. Bonetti collected the ball, then turned and struck a twenty-five foot looping volley that searched its way past the diving goalkeeper to billow the twine.

That 2-0 scoreline would hold until late in the second half when manager David Simpson, playing in a defensive position, found himself stripped of the ball deep in the United end of the field. Simpson tried to clear as his attacker rounded him near the endline, but Simpson caught his legs and the Gibos player flopped to the ground like an empty potato sack. The referee was forced to call a penalty kick, which Gibos converted, making the score 2-1 and ending backup goalkeeper Corey Stamp’s chance for yet another clean sheet.

United held strong for the remainder of the match, and even added a third goal late in the game when Dave Keffer played a through-ball down the right side of the field to Ignacio “Roach” Rodriguez. Rodriguez strode past his defender, and delivered a low, hard pass across the face of the goal into the path of an on-rushing Lawrence Whalen. Whalen stretched his leg to make contact as a defender collapsed onto his back, but that was all he needed. The ball found its way to the inside of the left goalpost, ricocheting into the back of the net to give Whalen his first goal of the season and to put the game out of reach for the Gibos.

The 3-1 score increases United’s goal differential to 32, and brings their point tally to 39. With league leaders CSC76 Gibos at 45 points and a differential of 28, it will be a tight race for the final stretch of the season as United get set for a double-header day against the two Ventura clubs next Sunday.

story by kef
photos by heidi

Redemption!

After struggling for nearly seventy-five minutes against a tenacious Gibos side, United hang on to reclaim lost points and lost pride in a 2-0 victory at Malibu High.

Malibu, CA - The aging team meteorologist gave a favorable report, and it was indeed a warm day in Malibu this Sunday as United prepared to face CSC76 Gibos, the only team in the league to have nicked a point from the leaders.

Midfielder Corey Stamp was finally back in uniform after a five game suspension that, with all the recent cancellations, had seemed to go on forever. Manager James Whalen had his full starting squad with the exception of goalkeeper Sam Mancilla, away due to sponsorship commitments, and defender Josh Langdon, sidelined indefinitely after reports recently surfaced regarding unsanctioned transfer talks with a foreign club. Replacement goalkeeper Paul Herold would receive his second official start, and fan-favorite Ignacio "Roach" Rodriguez was given the captain's armband for the sixth time this season.

Gibos got off to a quick start, immediately putting pressure on United by attacking every loose ball with authority. United had trouble finding their rhythm, and for the first thirty minutes looked as though they may again fall victim to the disciplined CSC squad.

Both sides saw several chances go wanting in the first half, with neither able to convert. The official seemed intent on interrupting the flow of play, and many solid opportunities were choked by the whistle. As the questionable calls mounted, so did the ire of captain Rodriguez, whose vocal dissent soon earned him a yellow card and a notation in the book.

In the thirtieth minute, Gibos pressed forward, and nearly put a point on the board when a high bouncing ball found its way over goalkeeper Herold's outstretched hands. The following shot was placed wide of the net, however, and United stayed in the game.

Late in the first half, striker Ben "Obi Wan" Corrodi worked his usual magic down the left side of the pitch. He cut in toward goal and, after sidestepping a defender, looked certain to score. However, the resulting shot was placed directly at the Gibos goalkeeper who was up to task of collecting it. The half would end at 0-0.

During the break, managers Whalen and Simpson bemoaned the usual ailments and begged the boys to maintain their shape and pass the ball around. Whalen whined about being "wide open" on the wing on several occasions, but was quick to admit that he would probably have blown the opportunity had the ball indeed rolled his way.

After the break, United began to look a bit more like their usual confident selves. the passing began to open up, and the full width of the field was being exploited. Midfielder Frantz Ethienne, back in the lineup after a brief respite, delivered several long crosses into the penalty area that threatened to open a crack in the Gibos defensive line. Striker Gabe Bonetti and midfielder Ignacio Rodriguez connected on several plays to penetrate deeper into the Gibos zone. And, the second half again saw Corrodi taking command of the left side of the pitch. On one of which runs he found the younger Bonetti at the top of the eighteen yard line, but Bonetti's shot sailed wide.

It wasn't until the seventy-fourth minute of play that the deadlock was broken. United had once again penetrated into Gibos territory. Forward Chris Harvey found himself pressured against the left touchline, so he dropped the ball back to an approaching Matt Kawczynski. The reliable midfielder had a moment to take a few looks around before delivering a perfectly shaped cross toward forward Dave Keffer who was sitting unfettered at the top of the penalty area. Keffer struck the ball cleanly with a left-footed volley that soared past the goalkeeper and under the bar. The supporters erupted with cheers, and the on-field celebration was enough to indicate United's relief.

The match then began to open up a bit more, and even the official's calls started leaning in United's direction. In the eightieth, midfielder Rodriguez found himself surrounded in the penalty area and stripped of the ball. But, not before the official spotted a Gibo player pulling on Rodriguez's shirt. His decision was immediate as he ran and pointed to the penalty spot with clinical precision. Gerry Smith converted the kick with no great fanfare, and United were up 2-0.

With less than ten minutes to play, United had only to hold on to their lead, which they did with confidence.

The 2-0 result leaves United one point clear of rivals, Parsians, at the top of the league table with a game in hand. Unfortunately, next weekend will bring another cancellation to interrupt the flow, as Andy Gillespie's Crown & Anchor side have indicated their fear of the leaders by raising the white flag an unprecedented seven days prior to match time. This schedule change will give Parsians a chance to sneak ahead of United on points, but it will most certainly be a temporary adjustment. United will be eager to add to their six match unbeaten streak when the missed games are rescheduled in the future.


story by kef
photos by heidi

Currie's Heat Ignites Gibos Comeback

Despite a lackluster performance, Malibu United manage to collect a point on their home opener, just enough to maintain position at the top of the table

Malibu, CA - United unveiled a shiny new home kit to a capacity crowd on Sunday at Malibu High School. The new uniforms, sporting the logo of the clubs newest sponsor, PC Ask Me, were a hit with players and fans alike. Unfortunately, after ninety minutes on a damp, muddy pitch, the blue and white colors weren't the only things left sullied. CSC76 Gibos were able to put a sloppy end to United's three game winning streak in a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down.

The match started well enough for United. Some early runs looked promising, and they seemed to be passing the ball around and dominating most of the play.

Midway through the first half, forward Dave Keffer threaded a leading pass between two defenders and into the path of striker Gabe Bonetti. Bonetti carried the ball into the right side of the penalty box, but before he could turn toward goal, he was taken down by the defender. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and Bonetti drove the ball solidly past the keeper to put United up 1-0.

A short time later, United again found themselves in the penalty area, but this time it was midfielder Chris Harvey who took the brunt of a hard tackle. The official didn't agree, however, and no foul was called.

At the thirtieth minute, midfielder David Simpson collected a pass midway into Gibos territory. Simpson pushed the ball through to an advancing Luke Bonetti who immediately found striker Ben Corrodi to the left of the goal with a perfectly weighted pass that sliced through the Gibos' back four. Corrodi took a few light touches before burying the ball into the upper netting. United would carry that 2-0 lead into the break.

At the start of the second half, it looked as though United would be gifted another goal when Gabe Bonetti again penetrated into the Gibos' half of the field. With a nifty touch, he beat his defender but was taken down just as he crossed into the area. The official wasn't swayed by calls for another penalty kick, and he placed the ball just outside the area for a free kick. Midfielder Chris Harvey bent the ball around the wall toward the back post and an advancing Gerry Smith, who had moved up from his defensive position. Unfortunately it proved just out of reach for the surly Smith, and United were unable to convert the chance.

Midway through the second half things started to crumble. United looked as though they were satisfied with two goals, and they were unable to make anything of several opportunities. Their play was becoming more and more lazy and disorganized, and as a result, Gibos were able to penetrate deeper into the United half of the field, and more and more balls were rolling their way.

In about the sixtieth minute, Gibos had pushed deep into United territory. And, while trying to clear the ball out of harms way, it instead bounced up and struck defender Gerry Smith in the arm. The official pointed to the penalty spot, and that effectively ended goalkeeper Sam Mancilla's hopes of a fourth straight clean sheet. Gibos would convert the shot and climb to just 2-1 down.

Despite sloppy play and trouble maintaining their shape, United looked as though they might be able to hold onto their remaining lead until the end of the match. However, in the 80th minute things took a dramatic turn for the worse. Chasing a loose ball near the midfield line, defender Kevin Currie went in for a slide tackle and collided with the Gibos midfielder Wicks, one of the few women players in the league. The resulting injury put an end to the game for Wicks but sparked a fever in her Gibos teammates which led to their second goal.

United struggled to answer for the remaining five minutes of play, but were unable to do so. The match finished a 2-2 tie, marking the end of United's winning streak.

Malibu were helped out on Sunday by another CSC team, however, as second place CSC76 Celtics dropped three points to fifth place CSC76 United. As a result, United sits tied with CSC76 Gibos at the top of the table, just barely inching them out with a higher goal differential.

story by kef
photos by heidi