MERIDIAN, Idaho- Beck, Vin and Kelly helped Just 4 Kicks grasp victory from the Jaws of defeat to remain unbeaten Sunday at the Idaho Soccer Center. The Kicks extinguished the Flaming Pirahnas 9-8 with a furious final two-minutes.
Trailing 8-7 and running low on morale, Vin struck from just right of the box with 1:58 on the clock to tie the score and revitalize the Kicks.
Still the last thing anybody on that field wanted was to end in a tie. The Pirahnas kept pushing the ball with a mix of males and females driving the ball into the attacking third. The Kicks countered with a constant substitution rotation.
With just under a minute the Flamers looked to have the upper hand. Kelly, playing keeper for the full 44 minutes, dive to clear the ball to Jessica. By the time she reached the ball it was hovering outside of the goalie box and a penalty was called. After the referee took 20 seconds to march down the field, place the ball on the spot and explain that the defense could only stand on the goal line (It still doesn't make sense considering we're supposed to be 10 feet from the ball and if we all stand in a straight line we are not all 10 feet from a spot, but I digress).
The Pirahnas' free kick couldn't penetrate the Kicks' wall, they had another chance on the rebound from straight away but Kelly stood tall (ha) and took the shot off her stomach. Someone cleared the ball to Beck waiting on the sideline with 30 seconds to go.
Beck bobbed and weaved his way through the defense, finally cutting to the middle and unloading a shot from the top of the box. Keeping the ball down, he snuck the shot under the reach of the keeper for the game-winner with 20 seconds left.
The Pirahnas pressed on, but didn't get a shot off in the waning seconds as the Kicks celebrated its 7-0 start.
Kelly filled in admirably for Jeanne in front of the net. Don't expect her to volunteer for that role any time soon, though.
"That's the last time I do that," Kelly said. "I've done my time. Jeanne can have it back, oozing ass checks and all."
Still, it was Beck's mad dash to the goal for his second score of the game that stands out as the play of the game.
"I just heard someone yell, '30 seconds!' and knew I had to go," he said. "It feels really good to put the team on top, but this was a group effort. I'm really happy for the squad. They all deserved it. Now we have a couple hours to enjoy it before we get our bodies right and regroup for the next game. The next one is always the toughest one."
It was as big of a group effort as Just 4 Kicks have seen this season. Six males and four females found their way to the ISC for the 9:50 p.m. kick off. By the end the guys figured out how to use the depth to their advantage and the quick spurts could be a key strategy in the final three weeks of the season.
Part of the reason the Kicks found themselves in such an unfamiliar position was because Casey watched a girl roll her ankle. Fat Ref went ahead and called a foul anyway from his customary position 60 yards away from the ball. While homeboy was busy getting butt hurt over Mike's disapproval he failed to tell Vin he was less than the arbitrary 10 feet from the ball. Instead, the ball was kicked and Vin was penalized for being too close.
"It was bullshit," Casey said soon after the game. "That girl just fell. She said so herself. I was trying not to laugh when the (insert air quotes) 'official' blew his whistle."
With Vin in the penalty box, the Kicks played a person down for two minutes. With the power play winding down, the Pirahnas notched the tying goal, getting their first male score of the day.
Insistent on atoning for his two-minute minor, Vin asked for one more minute on the field. He subsequently allowed the go-ahead goal (his words). With less than 6:30 remaining the Kicks faced their latest deficit of the season and the outlook was grim. Despite controlling much of the game, the good guys were not finishing.
After four minutes of more of the same for the Kicks- plenty of good passing without strong shots on goal- Vin broke free to swing the momentum.
Thomas played a key role in the second half. He scored two goals and facilitated the offense that led to Vin's equalizer.
The Pirahnas were able to capitalize on the coed rules more than the Kicks. Just 4 Kicks held an 8-5 advantage in goals scored, but three of the Flaming Pirahnas' were of the female, two-point vairety.
Beck, Vin and Mike all scored in the first half for the guys. Randi added a strike for the Kicks' lone two-pointer which lifted them to a 5-2 lead at the break.
For Mike it was his first goal since the season opener. It wasn't the prettiest thing, using almost every body part imaginable to push a rebound shot over the goal line, but it regained the lead at 3-2.
Surprisingly absent from goal column in the box score were Ike, Tara and Jessica. The aberration can in part be chalked up to the late start time.
For Ike it was due perhaps more to an emphasis on using his left foot (or at least thinking about it) after Thomas explained to him the 'move' that has become affectionately known as 'The Ike,' which is circling any ball no matter where on the field to make it a right-footed shot. Honorary coach Mark Hiemenz described Ike's day more bluntly.
"He couldn't score with a wad of hundreds in a whore house," said Hiemenz, who also dubbed Ike the 'Nigerian Nightranger'.
Hiemenz claims he has more nicknames in store, but they weren't available at press time.
The Kicks will take their perfect record into a match up with Lowes at 9 p.m. next weekend. The Home Improvement Stores are just another team we know nothing about. Lowes took the field after Just 4 Kicks Sunday, so they will be playing on a little less rest.
Idaho Soccer Center, near Franklin and Locust Grove, Jan. 29, 9 p.m., be there as Just 4 Kicks goes for 8-0 and continues its quest for a perfect season.
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