Day Two Report - Part 3... 4....

As posted earlier, Australia's second game for the Championships was against the USA.

As posted earlier USA 21 def Aust 7.

So how did the game play out? Well lets credit where it is due, the USA is VERY good at this level. The U19 team is currently undefeated after something like 37 games. Okay since the U19s is not held all the time and there is only 6 or 7 games per championships then it is clearly not the same kids in that team for each win. However it does give you a vague idea of the quality brought to and expected from this group. They are very fit, they are very fast, and like Canada - who I will discuss in a later post - they are the sort of team you do not turn your back on.

USA scored the first four goals to lead 4 to 2 at quarter time. Aggressive Australian second quarter brought us to a competitive and respectful USA 7 Aust 4 at half time. While the collected spectators mused theories of an upset and the USA players showed concern at the fight being shown by Australia I wrote the following.

half time 7 to 4 down. They got a bit of a run on us at the start of the game, killing us out of center and getting a few fast goals on us. We settled down a lot more and got some good couple goals. We seem to be having a more physical game then they would like which probably plays in our favour as we seem to have put them off their game a bit.

Still the Iroquois kept with them and then got run away from in the last 5 mins so never turn your back on a yank.

Then the US came back after the break an scored eight goals in the third quarter.

Like I said you do not turn your back on teams of this sort of skill level. Teams like this notice a small mistake you haven't even realised you just made and know instantly they will now be scoring a goal within the next 12 seconds. Failing random luck there is rarely anything the other team can do about this as most of the time they do not even notice they are in trouble to start making corrections. Similar theory as to why I believe England is not a more skilled team then us. During today's England Australia game there were several occasions where either clear mistakes were made by Australia or a favourable situations developed and goals should have been scored. England in this situation did not score - although in their credit many times neither did we - so hence they are not a more skilled or dangerous side. USA, Canada and to an extent Iroquois score lots of fast goals not because they get lucky but because they very good sides and they get that way as their playing pool draws from the highly coached high school and collage grades that Australia sporting club based culture is going to always going to struggle to match.

Disappointment and frustration maybe at losing this game but no absolutely no shame.