Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Games for May 1st
Please be at the respective fields at least 30 minutes in advance of Kick Off
Green Briar Over 30s vs Boston Gunners ( 8AM Kick-Off )
Danehy Park (Turf)
160 New Street
Cambridge MA 02138 (Map)
Green Briar FC vs Spiga Midju ( 5:00PM Kick-Off )
Rotch Playground (Turf)
50 Randolph Street
Boston MA 02118 (Map)
Green Briar Over 30s vs Boston Gunners ( 8AM Kick-Off )
Danehy Park (Turf)
160 New Street
Cambridge MA 02138 (Map)
Green Briar FC vs Spiga Midju ( 5:00PM Kick-Off )
Rotch Playground (Turf)
50 Randolph Street
Boston MA 02118 (Map)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Three in a row for the Over O30's
Harvard 0:3 Green Briar FC Over 30's
The Green Briar Over 30's surged to the top of their division with a comprehensive 3:0 win over the previously unbeaten Harvard side. The three goals on the day were a very nice compliment to another clean sheet earned by the stingy Briar defense.
Following a bit of a pattern this season, the Briar made a typically slow start. Disjointed and scrappy play in the middle of the park yielded very little going forward as well as a few nervous moments at the back. The Briar dodged a bullet when Harvard came close with a low shot from the edge of the box.
The best chances for the Briar were not converted in the first half. A quick break down the left saw a low cross behind the Harvard defense find Higgins in space at the back post. He shot wide however after squandering the half step he had gained on his marker.
Later, Kilber-Stearns beat his man on the right and found Hickey. The ensuing cross was met by Stephen McDonagh but he failed to get over the ball and the header sailed over.
The final chance of the half saw Hannick blaze over wildly from a promising free kick position on the edge of the box.
Gary Keane introduced Tom Walsh and David Coen for the second half to try and make the difference and break the stalemate. Play was definitely sharper in the second half as more and more clear chances began to be created.
The first of which fell to Patrick Kelly. A nice run from David Coen led to a cut back from the bi-line to an unmarked Kelly. His side foot effort was wide of the near post as the supporters were sure he'd find the net.
Tom Walsh was next to go close. Running behind the defense he controlled a long ball from Coen brilliantly, only to shoot straight at the keeper. Tom would make amends minutes later however. Good work by team captain McElwain and David Coen on the left found Walsh in front of goal and this time he made no mistake.
The lead was doubled rather fortuitously when a neat exchange between Hall and Coen led to an in-swinging cross from the left. Coen's cross kept sailing towards the back post and when the Harvard keeper misjudged the flight of the ball, it found the top corner.
Quick thinking from a throw-in saw Graham find Coen, who once again had found acres of space. His low driven cross was met by Hickey in the six yard box and he beat his marker to the ball to find a very neat finish.
Holding a comfortable lead, the Briar survived a close call when a long range effort just sailed over from the Harvard striker.
Finally, as time was expiring and the Briar front line was hungry to add to the score, another clear candidate for the 2011 Horse's A$$ award emerged. Kevin Higgins was previously on the short list when he confidently asserted in game 1 that he'd bury a penalty, only to scuff his spot kick and see it easily saved. As game 3 expired, Hickey may have one-up'ed his strike partner.
Mistaking a Lacrosse 20 yard field marking as the half way line, John Hickey confidently held his run in an attempt to remain on-side. As the ball was delivered over the top and the whistle went, he exclaimed "I'm in my own half sure!". He failed to notice that he was more than 15 yards off side and 30 yards inside the Harvard half, a fact that gave great enjoyment to the traveling fan base.
All joking aside, the Over 30's are gelling well in their inaugural season and are looking good after three games.
Line Up: Keane, Glynn, Hannick, Concagh, McElwain(c), Graham, Joyce, Hall, Flannery, Hickey, Higgins. Subs: Gillick, Bagnell, McDonagh, Coen, Walsh, Kilber-Stearns, O'Donnell, Kelly
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Games for Easter Sunday
Please be at the respective fields at least 30 minutes in advance of Kick Off
Harvard vs Green Briar Over 30s ( 9AM Kick-Off )
Tully Land (Grass)
60 Depot Road
Harvard MA 01451 (Map)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
GBFC Trivia Night Thursday April 28th
Green Briar FC would like to invite you to our Trivia Night/Season Kick Off Fundraiser.
What:
Green Briar FC Trivia Night Fundraiser
When:
Thursday April 28th 2011 @ 8:00pm.
Where:
The Green Briar Pub
304 Washington Street
Brighton, MA 02135
(617)789-4100
304 Washington Street
Brighton, MA 02135
(617)789-4100
We hope all club members and alumni will support this event, and extend the invite to as many family and friends as you can. The more participation the better for the night and for the club.
The Green Briar Pub's Kinvara Room will be the venue. The Trivia for the evening will be provided by Stump Trivia. Teams of 4 to 6 players are invited to participate, and individuals will be assigned teams if necessary. Prizes will of course be awarded to the smartest teams.
As this is a club fundraiser, we are asking every trivia participant to donate $10 to the club. All proceeds will help benefit Green Briar FC. We hope to run a raffle on the night also.
RSVP by contacting Michael Graham @ mailto:mjlgraham@yahoo.com
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Green Briar FC's first win of the season
Green Briar FC 3:1 Albania United
The Greens collected their first victory of the season against Albania United at a wind swept Madison Park High School on Sunday afternoon.
This was Albania's season opener and Green Briar looked to make a fast start with the wind in the 1st half and capitalise on any early season rust the Reds might have.
The fast start materialised after 3 minutes when Gary Cassidy slipped a ball through to Braima Samati. The flag stayed down and Samati took one touch to control and one to slot the ball home from 18 yards.
On 10 minutes Albania enjoyed a break away after springing the offside trap. The move was foiled by DelPieri in goal however as he rushed from his line to grasp the ball from the on rushing attacker.
The next significant action was on 20 minutes when Cassidy shot over from the edge of the area when a ricochet fell kindly to him. The lead was doubled on 30 minutes when a driving run from Peter Miller led to him finding Cassidy on the left. Cassidy found Samati expertly once again and the young man from Guinea-Bissau found the finish at the second attempt.
The teams exchanged good chances in the following minutes, O'Connor firing over from the corner of the box and Albania yet again beating the offside only to shoot wide right.
On 40 minutes Albania caught the whole Briar team napping. In organising a wall to defend a free kick at the edge of the box, nobody thought to stand on the ball. The Albania striker took his kick early and found the right side of the net completely unattended. A costly lesson learned.
Taking a 1 goal lead into the half the Briar knew it would be a tough assignment holding that lead in the 2nd against the wind. In meeting the physical demands of this challenge both Davey Coen and Colin Goin picked up yellow cards.
The Greens held out until 74 minutes when Goin was adjudged to have fouled in the box and Albania were awarded a penalty. Confusion reigned after the decision as players were unsure of the call. As John Bavota of Albania stepped up to take the kick a further delay ensued as a tussle on the edge of the box saw an Albania player get red carded. With at least 5 minutes elapsed since the call, Bavota missed the crucial kick.
Green Briar's composure returned after these developments and minutes later they added a third. Brian McGuinness found space down the right and his squaring pass was lifted over the defense first time by Davey Coen to the on rushing Morton. The clinical finish that followed was never in doubt.
As time ticked down on the tie the Briar introduced some timely changes and were unlucky not to add a fourth when a long range effort from Morton smacked the bar. Ultimately the Greens secured the points which push them up to second in the league.
Line Up: DelPieri, Clarke, Goin(YC), Coyne, Hennessy(85'), McGuinness(89'), Coen(YC)(c), P Miller, Cassidy(80'), O'Connor(60'), Samati(88')
Subs: Morton(30'), Kharakozov(10'), Hannick(5'), McCarney(2'), Claus(1')
Unused: Doonan, T Miller, Kumyanika, Rossetti, Lally, Caldwell
The Greens collected their first victory of the season against Albania United at a wind swept Madison Park High School on Sunday afternoon.
This was Albania's season opener and Green Briar looked to make a fast start with the wind in the 1st half and capitalise on any early season rust the Reds might have.
The fast start materialised after 3 minutes when Gary Cassidy slipped a ball through to Braima Samati. The flag stayed down and Samati took one touch to control and one to slot the ball home from 18 yards.
On 10 minutes Albania enjoyed a break away after springing the offside trap. The move was foiled by DelPieri in goal however as he rushed from his line to grasp the ball from the on rushing attacker.
The next significant action was on 20 minutes when Cassidy shot over from the edge of the area when a ricochet fell kindly to him. The lead was doubled on 30 minutes when a driving run from Peter Miller led to him finding Cassidy on the left. Cassidy found Samati expertly once again and the young man from Guinea-Bissau found the finish at the second attempt.
The teams exchanged good chances in the following minutes, O'Connor firing over from the corner of the box and Albania yet again beating the offside only to shoot wide right.
On 40 minutes Albania caught the whole Briar team napping. In organising a wall to defend a free kick at the edge of the box, nobody thought to stand on the ball. The Albania striker took his kick early and found the right side of the net completely unattended. A costly lesson learned.
Taking a 1 goal lead into the half the Briar knew it would be a tough assignment holding that lead in the 2nd against the wind. In meeting the physical demands of this challenge both Davey Coen and Colin Goin picked up yellow cards.
The Greens held out until 74 minutes when Goin was adjudged to have fouled in the box and Albania were awarded a penalty. Confusion reigned after the decision as players were unsure of the call. As John Bavota of Albania stepped up to take the kick a further delay ensued as a tussle on the edge of the box saw an Albania player get red carded. With at least 5 minutes elapsed since the call, Bavota missed the crucial kick.
Green Briar's composure returned after these developments and minutes later they added a third. Brian McGuinness found space down the right and his squaring pass was lifted over the defense first time by Davey Coen to the on rushing Morton. The clinical finish that followed was never in doubt.
As time ticked down on the tie the Briar introduced some timely changes and were unlucky not to add a fourth when a long range effort from Morton smacked the bar. Ultimately the Greens secured the points which push them up to second in the league.
Line Up: DelPieri, Clarke, Goin(YC), Coyne, Hennessy(85'), McGuinness(89'), Coen(YC)(c), P Miller, Cassidy(80'), O'Connor(60'), Samati(88')
Subs: Morton(30'), Kharakozov(10'), Hannick(5'), McCarney(2'), Claus(1')
Unused: Doonan, T Miller, Kumyanika, Rossetti, Lally, Caldwell
Comfortable win for the O30's
Minutemen FC 1:3 Green Briar FC Over 30's
Building on last week's victory the Over Thirties side added three more points to their total in comfortable fashion against Minutemen FC on Sunday morning in Sudbury.
Without the sevices of a dedicated goalkeeper and the ability of John O'Brien up front, some question marks hung over the side before kick off.
The goalkeeping issue was solved by John Hickey and John Flannery, each taking a half between the posts. Up front, a tandem of Higgins and McDonagh was always going to be dangerous.
Hall and O'Connor linked up in the middle to open the scoring as Leo stuck from distance after a nice setup between Joyce and Hall. Further dominance on the field was not converted to goals and we made the turn one goal to the good.
The second half saw Hickey set loose from the shackles of his goalkeeping duty as Gary Keane rung in the changes and moved the big man up front.
His impact was immediate and he succeeded in bringing Gillick and O'Donnell into the play down the right. The latter crossing nicely to Graham who was unmarked in front of goal but the chance came to nothing as he got the header all wrong. Another spurned opportunity saw Hall connect with a driven cross from Hickey only to get his angles wrong and blast wide from close range.
The second goal came from the boot of Hall when he produced a tidy curled finish from 16 yards out, again Hickey making the killer pass. And Hickey would get on the board himself when he dispossessed an idling defender and stabbed the ball home to the keepers right.
Sloppy defending from a corner gifted the Minutemen a lifeline in the tie but a comeback failed to develop. The match was played out comfortably with a few other chances also being created in the process. This win adds to the impressive start by the Over Thirties side, 6 points from 6.
Line Up: Hickey, Glynn, Hannick, Concagh, McElwain(c), O'Donnell, Joyce, O'Connor, Flannery, Hall, McDonagh. Subs: Graham, Higgins, Shursky, Nassar, Gillick
Building on last week's victory the Over Thirties side added three more points to their total in comfortable fashion against Minutemen FC on Sunday morning in Sudbury.
Without the sevices of a dedicated goalkeeper and the ability of John O'Brien up front, some question marks hung over the side before kick off.
The goalkeeping issue was solved by John Hickey and John Flannery, each taking a half between the posts. Up front, a tandem of Higgins and McDonagh was always going to be dangerous.
Hall and O'Connor linked up in the middle to open the scoring as Leo stuck from distance after a nice setup between Joyce and Hall. Further dominance on the field was not converted to goals and we made the turn one goal to the good.
The second half saw Hickey set loose from the shackles of his goalkeeping duty as Gary Keane rung in the changes and moved the big man up front.
His impact was immediate and he succeeded in bringing Gillick and O'Donnell into the play down the right. The latter crossing nicely to Graham who was unmarked in front of goal but the chance came to nothing as he got the header all wrong. Another spurned opportunity saw Hall connect with a driven cross from Hickey only to get his angles wrong and blast wide from close range.
The second goal came from the boot of Hall when he produced a tidy curled finish from 16 yards out, again Hickey making the killer pass. And Hickey would get on the board himself when he dispossessed an idling defender and stabbed the ball home to the keepers right.
Sloppy defending from a corner gifted the Minutemen a lifeline in the tie but a comeback failed to develop. The match was played out comfortably with a few other chances also being created in the process. This win adds to the impressive start by the Over Thirties side, 6 points from 6.
Line Up: Hickey, Glynn, Hannick, Concagh, McElwain(c), O'Donnell, Joyce, O'Connor, Flannery, Hall, McDonagh. Subs: Graham, Higgins, Shursky, Nassar, Gillick
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Games for April 17th
Please be at the respective fields at least 30 minutes in advance of Kick Off
Green Briar Over 30s vs Minutemen FC ( 8AM Kick-Off )
Haskell Field (Grass)
15 Fairbank Road
Sudbury MA 01776 (Map)
Green Briar FC vs Albania United ( 4:00PM Kick-Off )
Madison Park High School Upper Field (Turf)
100 Ruggles Street
Roxbury MA 02120 (Map)
Green Briar Over 30s vs Minutemen FC ( 8AM Kick-Off )
Haskell Field (Grass)
15 Fairbank Road
Sudbury MA 01776 (Map)
Green Briar FC vs Albania United ( 4:00PM Kick-Off )
Madison Park High School Upper Field (Turf)
100 Ruggles Street
Roxbury MA 02120 (Map)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Hard Earned Point Away To Medford
Medford Soccer 2:2 Green Briar FC
Green Briar FC looked to bounce back from last week's poor result with an improved performance away to Medford Soccer on the bumpy surface of Playstead Park.
The wind was a factor yet again as was the temperature for the 5:30pm kick off. The players' hunger to improve was evident from the first kick as some early link up play down the left proved we could play some nice football despite the poor surface. It was good work down the left from Clarke and Cassidy after 5 minutes which led to a low cross beating the Medford defense and finding Samati who shot from point blank range. Somehow the Medford keeper made an instinctual reaction save and turned the ball over.
Two minutes after that chance the Greens conceded a controversial goal. A high free kick was delivered into the box from distance and the ball eluded the grasp of DelPieri in goal under a heavy challenge from two Medford attackers. When everyone at Playstead was expecting a free out, the referee inexplicably awarded the goal after a quick consultation with the lines man.
The players would not let this setback affect their play and they created a deserved equalizer on the 15 minute mark. Tom Caldwell earned a freekick on the edge of the area as he made it difficult for Medford to clear. From just greater than 20 yards out, Gary Cassidy placed a powerful curling shot through a gap in the wall created by Robert Coyne. The ball found the right hand corner and left the keeper rooted to the spot.
As the half progressed two additional good chances followed. Davey Coen headed over from a good quality Clarke corner and Samati created his own space in the box with a cheeky nutmeg of a defender only to sidefoot wide at the near post. The first half had too many careless offsides and silly fouls by the Greens however as Medford tried to slow the high tempo that had been established by Coen and Caldwell in the middle.
Entering the break at 1-1 the Greens felt like they deserved more from their 1st half exploits. Green Briar started the second half unchanged but hoping to tidy up the sloppy fouls and needless offsides. Yet it took only 5 minutes of the second half to fall behind again.
A Medford attacker sprung an untidy attempt of the offside trap and raced away unchallenged from 35 yards out. Coyne was slow in chasing back having suffered a bout of cramp just before the move. DelPieri did all he could to close down the angle but the ball was slotted cooly to the left hand corner of the net.
The first change was made on 55 minutes with Kharakozov coming into left midfield, pushing Cassidy up front and O'Conner to the bench after a good shift. On 60 minutes Tom Caldwell got behind the Medford defense and suffered a nasty collision with the onrushing keeper as he tried a lob from the corner of the box. Such a challenge could have ended up much worse but Tom dusted himself off and got back into the action.
On 65 minutes three new players were introduced in order to freshen up the ideas up front and add more energy in the middle. These changes initially disrupted the rhythm of the Greens as Doonan and Clarke were playing Route 1 football a little too much.
With still plenty of time left in the contest Davey Coen and the newly introduced Brian McGuinness began finding their range of passing. Some composed fullback play from Gary Hennessy allowed for some creativity to develop down the right as he sought to bring Peter Miller and Gary Cassidy into the play a bit more.
Eamonn McCarney added great energy up front aswell, his first contribution being a 25 yard shot that needed to be dealt with by the Medford keeper. These improvements to our play led to a string of corners from the right.
Gary Cassidy's deliveries from these corners were of the highest quality and with Robert Coyne pushed up from the back for the final 10 minutes, something good was bound to happen. A point blank header was stopped on the line and scrambled away from one corner before finally the equalizer was driven home from another corner. And what a strike it was.
A deep corner from Cassidy was only half cleared to the far side of the box. Eamonn McCarney had pulled off the back post and collected the ball. Taking two touches to settle he exploited the space he was given to rifle a shot across the keeper which sent the net bulging as it went in at the far post. At 2-2 and just about 5 minutes remaining the Briar had time for more.
McCarney was unlucky not to earn a freekick on the edge of the box as one of his barrelling runs was halted. Cassidy picked up a cheap yellow card as he pressured a Medford defender who had mis-controlled but was adjudged to have fouled. The final chance fell to Brian McGuinness as he helped a ball goalwards but the shot lacked the venom to cause any problems.
The Green Briar headed home with a well earned come back and a valuable away point. With other results on the day falling the right way, Suchi FC could not build on their win from last week and Lusitanos were not in action, it is still all to play for in the MSSL.
Line Up: DelPieri, Hennessy, Doonan, Coyne, Clarke, Claus(65'), Caldwell(65'), Coen(c), Cassidy(YC), Samati(65'), O'Connor(55')
Subs: Kharakozov(35'), McGuinness(25'), McCarney(25'), P Miller(25')
Unused: Rossetti, Hannick, Goin, T Miller
Green Briar FC looked to bounce back from last week's poor result with an improved performance away to Medford Soccer on the bumpy surface of Playstead Park.
The wind was a factor yet again as was the temperature for the 5:30pm kick off. The players' hunger to improve was evident from the first kick as some early link up play down the left proved we could play some nice football despite the poor surface. It was good work down the left from Clarke and Cassidy after 5 minutes which led to a low cross beating the Medford defense and finding Samati who shot from point blank range. Somehow the Medford keeper made an instinctual reaction save and turned the ball over.
Two minutes after that chance the Greens conceded a controversial goal. A high free kick was delivered into the box from distance and the ball eluded the grasp of DelPieri in goal under a heavy challenge from two Medford attackers. When everyone at Playstead was expecting a free out, the referee inexplicably awarded the goal after a quick consultation with the lines man.
The players would not let this setback affect their play and they created a deserved equalizer on the 15 minute mark. Tom Caldwell earned a freekick on the edge of the area as he made it difficult for Medford to clear. From just greater than 20 yards out, Gary Cassidy placed a powerful curling shot through a gap in the wall created by Robert Coyne. The ball found the right hand corner and left the keeper rooted to the spot.
As the half progressed two additional good chances followed. Davey Coen headed over from a good quality Clarke corner and Samati created his own space in the box with a cheeky nutmeg of a defender only to sidefoot wide at the near post. The first half had too many careless offsides and silly fouls by the Greens however as Medford tried to slow the high tempo that had been established by Coen and Caldwell in the middle.
Entering the break at 1-1 the Greens felt like they deserved more from their 1st half exploits. Green Briar started the second half unchanged but hoping to tidy up the sloppy fouls and needless offsides. Yet it took only 5 minutes of the second half to fall behind again.
A Medford attacker sprung an untidy attempt of the offside trap and raced away unchallenged from 35 yards out. Coyne was slow in chasing back having suffered a bout of cramp just before the move. DelPieri did all he could to close down the angle but the ball was slotted cooly to the left hand corner of the net.
The first change was made on 55 minutes with Kharakozov coming into left midfield, pushing Cassidy up front and O'Conner to the bench after a good shift. On 60 minutes Tom Caldwell got behind the Medford defense and suffered a nasty collision with the onrushing keeper as he tried a lob from the corner of the box. Such a challenge could have ended up much worse but Tom dusted himself off and got back into the action.
On 65 minutes three new players were introduced in order to freshen up the ideas up front and add more energy in the middle. These changes initially disrupted the rhythm of the Greens as Doonan and Clarke were playing Route 1 football a little too much.
With still plenty of time left in the contest Davey Coen and the newly introduced Brian McGuinness began finding their range of passing. Some composed fullback play from Gary Hennessy allowed for some creativity to develop down the right as he sought to bring Peter Miller and Gary Cassidy into the play a bit more.
Eamonn McCarney added great energy up front aswell, his first contribution being a 25 yard shot that needed to be dealt with by the Medford keeper. These improvements to our play led to a string of corners from the right.
Gary Cassidy's deliveries from these corners were of the highest quality and with Robert Coyne pushed up from the back for the final 10 minutes, something good was bound to happen. A point blank header was stopped on the line and scrambled away from one corner before finally the equalizer was driven home from another corner. And what a strike it was.
A deep corner from Cassidy was only half cleared to the far side of the box. Eamonn McCarney had pulled off the back post and collected the ball. Taking two touches to settle he exploited the space he was given to rifle a shot across the keeper which sent the net bulging as it went in at the far post. At 2-2 and just about 5 minutes remaining the Briar had time for more.
McCarney was unlucky not to earn a freekick on the edge of the box as one of his barrelling runs was halted. Cassidy picked up a cheap yellow card as he pressured a Medford defender who had mis-controlled but was adjudged to have fouled. The final chance fell to Brian McGuinness as he helped a ball goalwards but the shot lacked the venom to cause any problems.
The Green Briar headed home with a well earned come back and a valuable away point. With other results on the day falling the right way, Suchi FC could not build on their win from last week and Lusitanos were not in action, it is still all to play for in the MSSL.
Line Up: DelPieri, Hennessy, Doonan, Coyne, Clarke, Claus(65'), Caldwell(65'), Coen(c), Cassidy(YC), Samati(65'), O'Connor(55')
Subs: Kharakozov(35'), McGuinness(25'), McCarney(25'), P Miller(25')
Unused: Rossetti, Hannick, Goin, T Miller
Over 30's begin with a win.
Lexington Eagles 0:1 Green Briar FC Over 30's
A sunny Lincoln Park in Lexington was the venue for the Over 30's campaign opener. Gary Keane's men were eager to get the season rolling and with a panel of 17 players to choose from and plenty of club support, they weren't going to disappoint.
Tom McElwain was chosen to captain the side this season and he led a solid backline of Paul Glynn, John Hickey and Danny Concagh in front of John Knightly in goal. Knightly would have little to do on the day, testiment to the dominance of the defense.
The opening exchanges were scrappy as the players shook off the cob webs of the off season, with some players coming back after a couple of seasons out. The first touch and movement off the ball finally came back as the chances began to be created through Gavin Hall and Leo O'Connor in the middle.
The first noteable chance fell to John O'Brien as he found space in front to control a cross from the right. With one touch to control and one to side foot a volley to the top corner, John was only denied by a late offside call from the referee.
The next piece of action saw Kevin O'Donnell find a spark of pace to get to the by-line and deliver a driven cross. The cross was handled by a defender and a spot kick was awarded. Kevin Higgins stepped up confidently and placed his left foot shot low to the keeper's left only to see it blocked and cleared to safety.
With no score at the half, Gary changed his midfield introducing Brendan Joyce and Connor Hannick. The Briar continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession as the second half unfolded and the defense held firm.
The Lexington Eagles were not happy with the physical nature of the defense's uncompromising challenges as one of their players was lucky not to see red after a retaliation. Kevin O'Donnell was enjoying the space being granted to him down the right and he found another great cross, digging the ball out from the by-line only to see Stephen McDonagh bundle the drilled ball off the cross bar.
Minutes later John O'Brien was unlucky with a spectacular over head effort. John would continue to torment the Eagles defense and the Galway man was unlucky not to open his account for the season when he found the net for a second time, only to be adjudged offside yet again.
With time running out and a Nil-Nil stalemate on the cards, the deadlock was finally broken on 86 minutes when Conor Hannick beat his man down the left and his squaring ball was controlled and smashed home by Leo O'Connor.
Three valuable points in the bag for the Briar as the quest for promotion got off to a promising start.
Line Up: Knightly, Glynn, Hickey, Concagh, McElwain(c), Gillick, Hall, O'Connor, O'Donnell, McDonagh, O'Brien. Subs: Hannick, Joyce, Higgins, Kilber-Stearns, Shursky, Nassar
A sunny Lincoln Park in Lexington was the venue for the Over 30's campaign opener. Gary Keane's men were eager to get the season rolling and with a panel of 17 players to choose from and plenty of club support, they weren't going to disappoint.
Tom McElwain was chosen to captain the side this season and he led a solid backline of Paul Glynn, John Hickey and Danny Concagh in front of John Knightly in goal. Knightly would have little to do on the day, testiment to the dominance of the defense.
The opening exchanges were scrappy as the players shook off the cob webs of the off season, with some players coming back after a couple of seasons out. The first touch and movement off the ball finally came back as the chances began to be created through Gavin Hall and Leo O'Connor in the middle.
The first noteable chance fell to John O'Brien as he found space in front to control a cross from the right. With one touch to control and one to side foot a volley to the top corner, John was only denied by a late offside call from the referee.
The next piece of action saw Kevin O'Donnell find a spark of pace to get to the by-line and deliver a driven cross. The cross was handled by a defender and a spot kick was awarded. Kevin Higgins stepped up confidently and placed his left foot shot low to the keeper's left only to see it blocked and cleared to safety.
With no score at the half, Gary changed his midfield introducing Brendan Joyce and Connor Hannick. The Briar continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession as the second half unfolded and the defense held firm.
The Lexington Eagles were not happy with the physical nature of the defense's uncompromising challenges as one of their players was lucky not to see red after a retaliation. Kevin O'Donnell was enjoying the space being granted to him down the right and he found another great cross, digging the ball out from the by-line only to see Stephen McDonagh bundle the drilled ball off the cross bar.
Minutes later John O'Brien was unlucky with a spectacular over head effort. John would continue to torment the Eagles defense and the Galway man was unlucky not to open his account for the season when he found the net for a second time, only to be adjudged offside yet again.
With time running out and a Nil-Nil stalemate on the cards, the deadlock was finally broken on 86 minutes when Conor Hannick beat his man down the left and his squaring ball was controlled and smashed home by Leo O'Connor.
Three valuable points in the bag for the Briar as the quest for promotion got off to a promising start.
Line Up: Knightly, Glynn, Hickey, Concagh, McElwain(c), Gillick, Hall, O'Connor, O'Donnell, McDonagh, O'Brien. Subs: Hannick, Joyce, Higgins, Kilber-Stearns, Shursky, Nassar
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Games for April 10th
Please be at the respective fields at least 30 minutes in advance of Kick Off
Lexington Eagles vs Green Briar Over 30s ( 8AM Kick-Off )
Lincoln Park Fields (Turf),
120 Lincoln Street,
Lexington MA 02421
Medford Soccer vs Green Briar FC ( 5:30PM Kick-Off )
Playstead Park (Grass),
96 Playstead Street,
Medford MA 02155
Lexington Eagles vs Green Briar Over 30s ( 8AM Kick-Off )
Lincoln Park Fields (Turf),
120 Lincoln Street,
Lexington MA 02421
Medford Soccer vs Green Briar FC ( 5:30PM Kick-Off )
Playstead Park (Grass),
96 Playstead Street,
Medford MA 02155
Monday, April 4, 2011
Trivia Night Fundraiser, Thursday April 28th 8PM
The second annual Trivia night will be held at the Green Briar Pub on Thursday 28th April starting at 8PM. Mark your calendars. The Kinvara Room with its own private bar will serve as the venue for this great night run by Stump Trivia. The event will serve as a Season Kick Off Party, Fundraiser and a celebration of the newly created club. More details to follow.
Champions League Action In Green Briar Pub
The Green Briar Pub will be screening Champions League action this week, live coverage from 2:30PM.
Tuesday
Real Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur
Internationale vs Schalke 04
Wednesday
Chelsea vs Manchester United
Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk
The Green Briar
304 Washington Street
Brighton, MA 02135
(617)789-4100
Tuesday
Real Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur
Internationale vs Schalke 04
Wednesday
Chelsea vs Manchester United
Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk
The Green Briar
304 Washington Street
Brighton, MA 02135
(617)789-4100
2011 Season Begins
Green Briar FC 1:4 Lowell Lusitanos
Our MSSL side were on the wrong end of a 4-1 result on Sunday April 3rd against Lowell Lusitanos as we opened the season with a frustrating loss at Danehy Park in Cambridge. Our pre game preparations could have been better and starting the game without a dedicated goalkeeper made for a tough assignment on the day.
With Brian Claus deputising in goal, we nonetheless fielded a strong side with 5 across the middle. Losing the toss and playing into a stiff breeze that was sweeping across the elevated Danehy Turf field meant extra pressure on the defense in the 1st half. The early going was all Lusitanos, and the Briar defense withstood unrelenting pressure as we failed to establish any rhythm or maintain possession in the middle of the park.
Brian Claus in goal dealt with the pressure well, including an agile save to his right as he tipped over a powerful shot. The deadlock was finally broken after 28 minutes when a Lowell attacker found space down the left for a shot inside the box which found the net.
Shortly afterwards Lusitanos were in again after sloppy play in the middle led to a break away. The Lowell striker skewed his close range shot wide however, after good pressure from the on-rushing keeper. That miss seemed to spur on the Greens as Gary Cassidy and Davey Coen started to get a foot hold in the middle. Our final ball was very poor though, as a number of players squandered possession after finding promising positions.
With time running out in the 1st half, the Green Briar conceded a soft second goal from long range on 42 minutes which was a disappointing way to enter the half time break.
Second half adjustments pushed Leo O'Connor forward and introduced Tom Calwell and Egor Kharakozov into the middle of the park, as we went 4-4-2 with the wind, looking to get back into the contest. As expected, we enjoyed greater possession with the wind at our backs but our endeavours in the final third still remained poor.
Lusitanos spent most of the half defending their goal, but still found time to cash in on a cheap giveaway at the back to make it 3-0 after 60 minutes. The response from the Greens was excellent however, as Cassidy and Caldwell were creating good opportunities down the right hand side. And it was Cassidy who found Leo O'Connor on the edge of the box before Leo dispatched a fine strike to the corner of the net.
Sensing a comback, the Briar pushed men forward and this was to bear fruit as Egor Kharakozov was hauled down in the box with 15 minutes left after a searching freekick from Emmett Doonan. Davey Coen stepped up and placed a fine penalty to the left corner of the net only to see it saved brilliantly by the Lusitanos net minder.
A chance spurned but the Greens kept coming, creating a couple of additional chances as Leo O'Connor was just short of pace to square the ball to an unmarked Cassidy in front of goal and Davey Coen's squaring ball to O'Connor was played just behind the Limerick man.
As time expired, Lowell found time for a fourth as Emmett Doonan and Brian Claus committed the cardinal sin and hesitated 6 yards from goal. The ball bounced and was poked home by the Lusitanos front man.
Overall a disappointing result, but some encouraging signs for games to come, as chances were created and better industry was displayed in the second half.
Line Up: Claus, Hennessy(45'), Lally(YC), Escallon(72'), Clarke, Cassidy, Coen(c), O'Connor, Lumanyika(55'), Samati(45'), Morton
Subs: Caldwell(45' YC) Kharakozov(45') Doonan(35') Hannick(18')
Our MSSL side were on the wrong end of a 4-1 result on Sunday April 3rd against Lowell Lusitanos as we opened the season with a frustrating loss at Danehy Park in Cambridge. Our pre game preparations could have been better and starting the game without a dedicated goalkeeper made for a tough assignment on the day.
With Brian Claus deputising in goal, we nonetheless fielded a strong side with 5 across the middle. Losing the toss and playing into a stiff breeze that was sweeping across the elevated Danehy Turf field meant extra pressure on the defense in the 1st half. The early going was all Lusitanos, and the Briar defense withstood unrelenting pressure as we failed to establish any rhythm or maintain possession in the middle of the park.
Brian Claus in goal dealt with the pressure well, including an agile save to his right as he tipped over a powerful shot. The deadlock was finally broken after 28 minutes when a Lowell attacker found space down the left for a shot inside the box which found the net.
Shortly afterwards Lusitanos were in again after sloppy play in the middle led to a break away. The Lowell striker skewed his close range shot wide however, after good pressure from the on-rushing keeper. That miss seemed to spur on the Greens as Gary Cassidy and Davey Coen started to get a foot hold in the middle. Our final ball was very poor though, as a number of players squandered possession after finding promising positions.
With time running out in the 1st half, the Green Briar conceded a soft second goal from long range on 42 minutes which was a disappointing way to enter the half time break.
Second half adjustments pushed Leo O'Connor forward and introduced Tom Calwell and Egor Kharakozov into the middle of the park, as we went 4-4-2 with the wind, looking to get back into the contest. As expected, we enjoyed greater possession with the wind at our backs but our endeavours in the final third still remained poor.
Lusitanos spent most of the half defending their goal, but still found time to cash in on a cheap giveaway at the back to make it 3-0 after 60 minutes. The response from the Greens was excellent however, as Cassidy and Caldwell were creating good opportunities down the right hand side. And it was Cassidy who found Leo O'Connor on the edge of the box before Leo dispatched a fine strike to the corner of the net.
Sensing a comback, the Briar pushed men forward and this was to bear fruit as Egor Kharakozov was hauled down in the box with 15 minutes left after a searching freekick from Emmett Doonan. Davey Coen stepped up and placed a fine penalty to the left corner of the net only to see it saved brilliantly by the Lusitanos net minder.
A chance spurned but the Greens kept coming, creating a couple of additional chances as Leo O'Connor was just short of pace to square the ball to an unmarked Cassidy in front of goal and Davey Coen's squaring ball to O'Connor was played just behind the Limerick man.
As time expired, Lowell found time for a fourth as Emmett Doonan and Brian Claus committed the cardinal sin and hesitated 6 yards from goal. The ball bounced and was poked home by the Lusitanos front man.
Overall a disappointing result, but some encouraging signs for games to come, as chances were created and better industry was displayed in the second half.
Line Up: Claus, Hennessy(45'), Lally(YC), Escallon(72'), Clarke, Cassidy, Coen(c), O'Connor, Lumanyika(55'), Samati(45'), Morton
Subs: Caldwell(45' YC) Kharakozov(45') Doonan(35') Hannick(18')
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