goption Brian's blog

Arcadia vs. Pasadena

My game today was Pasadena at Arcadia, Boys Varsity. An important league rivalry. The center referee schedule for the game was late, and after fifteen minutes the AD for Arcadia asked us to start the game using a two-man system.

About fifteen minutes in an Arcadia player broke for goal with the Pasadena sideline screaming for an offside call. I let the play continue, because the player wasn't in an offside position when the ball was last player by his teammate, and the attack resulted in a goal. The PHS coach is known to complain, loudly and often, and it seemed prudent to give him a gentle warning.

About 25 minutes into the first half, the center referee arrived and took over the game. He's a great ref - good feeling for the game, superior positioning, excellent fitness, and a lot of experience. He managed the game perfectly - including sending off an Arcadia player for taunting. After a breakaway, the AHS player got to the six-yard box uncontested, stopped the ball on the goal line, got down on his hands and knees and headed the ball into the goal. I explained things to the Arcadia sideline - it's an automatic send-off in NFHS soccer, with almost no discretion allowed. If the center ref had only issued a caution, he would have had control problems the rest of the game. It was just the right call.

All in all, it was a fun game to work. Arcadia held on for a comfortable 4-2 win after conceding some late goals once the result had been determined.

Soccer in Riverside

Cold. Very, very cold.

Bob Shonborn convinced me to go out to Riverside to work the Section All Star playoffs on Saturday. The first game was at 9:00am, meaning we had to be there by 8:30, meaning we had to leave no later than 7:25. I grabbed some food on the way, and did a high speed run in Jeremy's car, and made it to the referee tent at 8:28am - not bad, if I say so myself.

Bob centered the first game, a GU-12. We took a break, then Nelson did a GU-14 game at 11:00, and I did a BU-14 game at 12:00. The temperature was in the 40's the whole time, with 20+ mph winds and the occassional rain shower, just to make it fun. Running around made it fun, though.

Mayfield Senior vs. FSHA – GJV

The first game of the new season was a Girls JV between Mayfield Senior and Flintridge Sacred Heart, at Arroyo South in So. Pasadena. I was Senior Referee, with Thomas Chavez as Junior.

FSHA won 1-0, but dominated the game. Mayfield's coach was happy for the moral victory &mdash he mentioned that they had lost this game last year 6-0. I felt good running around, and was only out of position a couple of times when the keeper made longer punts than I had anticipated. All-in-all, a good start to the season. I was glad I'd put in the time walking the hills over the last few weeks.

AYSO Section 1 All Star Playoffs

I drove out to Riverside again today, but got a couple of nice games out of it. At 10:00am, Tom Rios centered a 0-0 draw in GU-14 that was better then the score might indicate. At 12 noon, I centered a BU-14 game that ended 4-0, but was a lot closer than that. The losing team played with no subs, due to an important no-show and an injury earlier in the day.

Unless Sam needs some refereeing help for her spring team, these may have been my last games for a while.

AYSO Section 1 League Playoffs

To help out the cause, I volunteered to referee a couple of games in Riverside today. Dan Labrado, Bob Shonborn, and I represented Region 98, assigned to a GU-10 game at 9:00am and a BU-10 game at 10:00am. Bob ran the center for the GU-10 game, and Dan insisted that I do the center for the BU-10 game, since he was staying all day and assumed he'd get his chance at a center later in the day.

The games were well played, and well refereed (if I say so myself). After the GU-10 game, a mom came up to us an complimented us on the refereeing. After the BU-10 game, a dad tracked us down in the referee tent and complimented us again. Very gratifying.

I wound up with a sore back, but was otherwise unscathed.

A day of exercise

I originally volunteered to do one game of the AYSO Section All Star playoff games at 9:00am this morning, but as these things always pan out, I wound up doing 3 games, and didn't get home until after 3:30pm. All in all, it was fun, but I should have worn a hat in the midday sun.

Monrovia @ So. Pasadena – GV and GJV

Before the GV game at 3:30, I decided once and for all that I'll wear a hat if I'm looking into the sun. It's better for my eyes, and it lets me see the game much better. My partner was Raymundo Prisco, a top notch referee with a low-key but effective style.

On the surface I expected So. Pas to dominate the varsity game, but Monrovia was able to control the overall flow. There were no major controversies, and only a few peeps from the Monrovia coaching staff on my side of the field.

I felt pretty good throughout the day, but by half-time of the JV game I was dogging it a little. Raymundo had lots of energy and covered deep into my half when play dictated.

Mark Keppel at Duarte – Boys V

I felt crummy. I had the endings of a migraine after taking an Imitrex at 1:15, heartburn from an overly agressive lunch, dead legs and a sore back. The game was anti-climactic, with Duarte scoring early and often for a 5-0 win. Before the game I had some weird handshake thing with one of the JV refs, a great referee that I've done playoff games with, but I can't remember his name.

Before the game, I got the registration and insurance on the V-Star all settled, returned some things to JCPenney, and hit both Chicks and Sports Chalet for some new referee shoes. No success on the shoes, but the rest of it felt productive. After the game, I did my monthly clean-up of the file drawer, and finished up the laundry.

La Salle at So. Pasadena – Girls JV

2-1 So. Pasadena. Adriana might have deserved a PK, but I thought the defender got to the ball first.

Duarte vs. Ontario Christian – Boys JV

3-1 to OCHS. With 2 minutes left in the game, a couple of players went up to for a high ball and knocked heads - the OCHS player came down spouting blood from a cut above his right eyebrow. The Duarte staff helped an OCHS mom bandage it up. The mom said she'd take him home and have his mom decide where to go to get it stitched up.

Manual Arts vs. Hamilton – Boys V/JV

A fun game at Manual Arts High, right by the Coliseum in downtown LA. The varsity game was spirited, in the Latin style, on a very muddy field. Manual Arts led 4-0 at half time, and finished up with a 6-3 win. Alberto and I gave out 3 cautions.

The JV game was held back by the lack of light, but the kids seemed to have fun, and game finished a 1-1 draw.

Girls V – Immaculate Heart vs. Mayfield

It took me 15 minutes to find the teams, who'd been banished to field 1 at the Glendale Sports Complex, but I still got there 10 minutes before game time. Al Guevara had the same problem, and we started 5 minutes late.

IH took the lead on a PK midway through the first half, and generally dominated play. Mayfield adjusted at the break, and came on strong to score twice, for a 2-1 win.

Girls F/S – Arcadia vs. Northwoods (Irvine)

My partner made a snippy comment about my apparent tardiness during the pre-game, but turned out to be a pretty nice guy - a grad student, formerly from Arizona and Oregon, and new to this area. Northwoods dominated play, but couldn't convert, and the game ended in a scoreless draw.

Don Bosco Boys JV vs. Don Bosco FS

The bus arrived 40 minutes late, so we ran two 20 minute halves.