Lessons in pressure lacrosse - Day 4

Okay lets start with talking about the 'big game' - USA v Canada.

I think this is best summed up by quoting from my notes and txt messages.

First, what I wrote about 10 mins in.

Canada scores and nearly 500 fans sitting under the sound shell stand roar in delight.

Canada v USA game mid afternoon day 4. Three mins into the second quarter and Canada lead 3 to 2. Both these teams look very fit and very professional and there do not seem to be nearly any unforced errors from either side. This is very slick and very fast lacrosse with the pure talent on show as USA just takes the ball from behind their goal to score at the other end.

Actually to say 500 fans I was talking about the Canadians sitting in the main stand. Add in everyone else in the grounds and I would say there would have been about 2000 people watching this game live.

So the game progresses. It is intense. Canada starts to get some momentum and in the third are scoring rapidly and powerfully. I txt home to my Team TV sidekicks still in Melbourne.

Canada have put a 7 goal lead on USA at 3 qu and dont look like slowing. Pretty intense

At the time a pretty safe and fair call. No to mention a subtle 'I'm in Canada and you're not' poke but I never said I was THAT nice a guy :D

Twenty five minutes later another txt.

Overtime! Canada blew their lead!

History, the match dvd and the memories of 2000 fans will show that USA came from behind to force a 15 to 15 result before going on to win 16 to 15 in extra time. If anyone ever wants an example on how to play pressure lacrosse this is an example. They managed to go into the last quarter facing down what anyone would assume was a comfortable Canadian lead and set themselves the task of scoring goals. Take into consideration the last 5 goals were scored in about the last six minutes of the quarter. I myself remember standing watching in the back corner of the ground thinking "that's a goal a minute, all Canada has to go is get some possession and slow it all down".

It didn't happen. Canada did get possession and the USA told them they wanted their ball back. With a five goal lead and some five minutes to play it was the Canadians who were under the pressure here and the USA forced errors.

With the safety of being Australian, I of course had the detachment of being neutral and so avoided the best and worse of the emotions of this game but if anyone had assumed these 10 days were going to be dull kiddie lacrosse then they only have to look at this game to see otherwise.