Third Time Unlucky

Wankas FC suffered their third straight defeat of the season on Sunday at the hands of Achievers. Playing with only 11 men, and occasionally reduced to 10 for short periods due to knocks throughout the game, WFC showed heart and resilience as they repeatedly absorbed the Achievers attack and played a smart, ball-control counter. WFC defended in numbers, did much better to keep the ball once possession was won, and managed several quickfire forays up the other end. But once again a lack of additional personnel would be their undoing. Confidently closing out the half 0-0, fatigue ultimately set in and led to players being caught in possession and offering up off-the-mark passes. Forced to defend in numbers inside their own box, a deflected shot would end up at the feet of an Achievers attacker who volleyed home. At 1-0, though, WFC continued to mount counter-attacks as the game opened up. But a failure to convert their occasional opportunities led to breaks the other way. A long swerving and dipping shot managed to squeeze under the crossbar to make it 2-0, and that seemed to really take the remaining wind out of the WFC sails. A late, ragged third goal inflated the scoreline to 3-0, but the WFC players on the field did themselves proud. If the remainder of the roster shows the same heart and confidence as displayed by those on Sunday, victories will soon arrive for WFC.

Special thanks to stand-in goalkeeper Jeff Schroeder, who had several terrific saves and deputized ably.

WFC Lose 2nd in a Row

WFC continued their struggling start to the Fall 2009 season with a second successive defeat that owes as much to a surprising lack of depth as anything else. The players in attendance worked hard for 90 minutes, but they had little to show for their efforts. After some strong efforts and a few desperate moments of defending, the game was tied 0-0 at the half and poised delicately. Unfortunately, ISC AmaBhubesi were able to elevate their game more quickly than the Wankas, and after a few sustained attacks their breakthrough finally came. What appeared initially to be an innocuous through-ball grounder managed to elude both Aaron Gordon and Jeff Graham before finding an unmarked attacker at the back post. WFC tried to bounce back, and it should be noted that they did indeed have a few opportunities to climb back into the game. However, some "interesting" officiating decisions (which affected both teams, to be fair) culminated in a soft second yellow for their stand-in midfielder, which further limited WFC options. The scoreline soon ballooned to 3-0 as the tiring force of WFC began to budge against the continuous AmaBhubesi attacks. Ross Kenyon had the best opportunity to bring WFC back into the game, but as he raced clear of the offside trap and approached the goalie, his shooting boots let him down and his shot spooned just high and wide. A late concession from a set-piece due to Aaron's poor instructions and switching made the final scoreline 4-0.

WFC should eventually see many of their absentees returning, and this will hopefully go a long way toward them showing a more flowing and energetic side. No team can hope to play 90 minutes of defensive, counter-attacking football with only a couple subs, so the return of the missing is highly anticipated.

WFC will try to right their ship next Sunday (9/27, 1:00pm) at Lawrence Park versus Achievers. Please come out and support the yellow-and-black!

Long Opening Day for WFC

Wankas FC had an inauspicious beginning to their Fall 2009 campaign as they dropped their season opener at their new Kuntz home field 5-1. And truth be told, were it not for the acrobatics of Jeff Graham the scoreline could have been far worse. Much of the game was played in the WFC end, and their overall performance was reflected in the margin of the loss.

WFC were on the back foot from the opening kick, mustering only a few early-game forays into the ISC Falcons half. A surprising number of absences contributed greatly to the outcome, but a failure to communicate and mark among the midfield and defence was the real culprit. Midfielders failed to track runs, and defenders were beaten too easily on the dribble. At the other end, what few chances were created were not taken with sharpness and poise. This was a team loss, with only the goalkeeper able to claim the high ground.

The WFC goal did come through some good movement. Coming at 3-0, it provided a little life to a team looking devoid of creativity. A short throw on the left sideline came back to Aaron Gordon, who served an in-swinger that was nicely brought under control by Jan Krueger. Jan rounded the goalie only to see his shot carom off the post. However, it came straight back to Jan who showed further poise in settling and picking out a pass to Andy Hughes who side-footed home.

A return of several players should go a long way toward giving WFC a more balanced side, as well as some breathers for a team that did indeed work hard for little return on their new, big pitch. WFC were second best for the majority of the game, but they have proven resilient in the past and have 7 more games to look forward to.

Game 2 is next Sunday (9/20) at ISC/German Park, versus AmaBhubesi at 2pm.

Scoring: Andy Hughes (Krueger)

Fall Season Sees Old Faces, New Home Field for Yellow & Black Attack

The Fall 2009 schedule has been published, and it is favorable to the old-look Wankas. Returning a majority of previous players, WFC will take up residence at Kuntz soccer facility on W 16th Street, downtown Indy. They will open the season by hosting ISC Falcons on Sunday, September 13.

WFC played a pre-season practice game against UB40 Inter, a previously O-40 team that has moved back to the Open division. As expected after the summer layoff, both teams played some disjointed football with a few interspersed moments of quality play and movement. After going down 2-0 in the first half, WFC rebounded through fill-in Simon Katner and Aaron Gordon before Brett Sommers pounced on a defensive error to grab the winner. Very little can be gleaned from the pre-season efforts, but it was good to see a majority of players getting some practice in. Better fitness will be key for the ball-control offense to work for the Wankas, as Kuntz is a much larger and smoother playing surface than the other Indy league fields.

The schedule is posted at the bottom of the page. Check back often for updates and results!