CentreOfExcellence_001

Hampshire CofE First Pre-Season Match

A match report outlining the Hampshire Centre of Excellence's, first pre-season match against Tennessee ODP.

Hampshire U15’s first game was an enjoyable game played in exhausting conditions.

The match against Tennessee ODP began in 30c heat to which the referees (following the same procedure as The World Cup) provided the girls with a drinks break after 20 minutes of play in each half.

The game commenced and both teams comfortably passed the ball around. Hampshire dominated possession in attack, but failed to score. Tennessee also emphasised good possession attacking down their right side. Both teams showed signs of weariness, but the break which followed allowed time for quick recovery. Tennessee (coming back with strength) was close to breaking down Hampshire’s defence on several occasions but was unable to score.

Early in the second half, there was forced pressure from the Tennessee forwards creating opportunities for their centre forward; the first shot was saved by Kayla but unfortunately she was unable to prevent the follow up.

The rest of the second half proved to be more equal between the teams due to the exhausting heat; this impacted on both teams’ performance and players encouraged passing as a way of coping with the duration. In the moments that followed, Hampshire showcased good attacks moving down the left which almost resulted in a goal, but this opportunity was also a miss.

Overall, Hampshire FA Girls' Centre of Excellence played good, flowing football and played well as a team despite the fact the girls had never played together before. The game was friendly and fair; both teams showed respect to the other and emphasised the positive ethos of football. At the end of the game, shirts were exchanged between the teams, again emphasising their continued respect.

Show your support for the Hampshire Girls Centre of Excellence and support your County FA. You can follow us on Twitter for updates: @HampCOfEGirls