It was Golden’s final home game, Golden’s and D’Evelyn’s final regular season game, and Golden’s senior night on the soccer pitch at North Area Athletic Complex Thursday night. Now the last time I shot Golden Soccer, it was one of the worst games I had ever seen. This one was not starting off good for me. I set up where I normally shoot from, on the end line. This position gives me good light, and keeps the side ref out of my way, and very rarely do players come near me. I can shoot corner kicks from this location and shots on goal. In USA Soccer, MLS, and NCAA you can shoot from the top of the box on the sidelines, to the corner, and from the corner to about 10 feet from the side of the goal. Almost no one shoots the sidelines because players warm up there, and officials run up and down in front of you. So I really did not want to shoot from this location, but the sideline official told me to move and was not going to answer any of my questions on why, especially when the lead Jeffco Soccer official (I think he is just a senior CHSAA official who happens to do a lot of Jeffco games) told me that he would prefer me shooting from the end lines, but this idiot wants me on the sideline. And he purposely got in my way most of the evening. I shoot with both eyes open so I can see with my off camera eye, and more than once I would see him look over his shoulder at me when I was shooting and he would side step until he was directly between me and the play. When a player almost ran me over I just glared at him and said it would not have happened if you let me shoot from where I was originally set, like I have for the last 5 soccer games I have shot here. He started yelling at a player for something and ran off like he did not hear me. The other two officials seemed cool, but this guy was an idiot, and he had no idea what was onside or offside. More than once a ball was kicked, with a player onside by at least two players and 5 yards, but when he reached the ball first, well he must have been off side…Out of about 6 offsides calls, maybe 2 of them were really offsides.
OK rant over.
Golden still was not playing to the level I think they can play, but D’Evelyn was not really offering them much of a problem.
Unfortunately, in the first half, one of Golden’s goals, I was set just perfect to capture the shot and the goalie, until the ref stopped right in front of me. He was not even close to being where the offsides line would have been. So, I missed out on the scoring and any goal saves.
Thankfully, the weather was warmer than the day before, and the air was clear. So lighting was really nice, and it was just a beautiful evening. D’Evelyn looked like they also knew how to play good soccer, but just were not following through or were either making to hard a touch on the ball, or not hard enough and Golden would capitalize on that.
I think most of what I am going to end up talking about is the officials, so lets just post images instead…..
This last photo I edited a little more, to enhance the shadows and sunlight coming through the stands at the stadium. I really like trying to find interesting light, and if this game would have gone an hour longer, I could have had some really cool lighting shots….
