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Huddinge IF v Gröndals IK

Location: Källbrinksskolans IP 2

Kick-off: 14:00 (CET) 2nd Oct 2021

It is with great sadness that we bring you this match report. On Saturday we played our last match in the S:t Erik’s Cup. Football is officially over!

At least until next year.

…and then again, there’s also the cup that we’re playing in two weeks.

…and training every week.

…and football every day in school.

…and after school.

Anyway, it is with great sadness that we bring you this match report, but also great happiness (and that’s not because we won’t have to write any more match reports for a while). We are happy because of another great match, and because it’s time to look back at an amazing season, with so much growth and progress made by everyone.

But first, for those of you who didn’t join us at 2pm on Saturday, please imagine spending your half an hour walking (and running) around in circles trying to get to a five-a-side pitch in Huddinge. Even after we could see the pitch, we had to navigate a maze of buildings, winding pathways, and an athletics training area that looked like an exhibit from a run-down zoo. (Imagine a golf driving-range, but for hammer throwing instead, with ripped netting and grass that was last cut in 1999). Oh yes, and then there was the 10m-deep trench surrounding the pitch (no, I am not joking), followed by the hidden entrance to the first fence, and then the tiny hole cut into the second.

So, you could say that we had already achieved an excellent result by all arriving in time to play the match. Gröndal Blue Team were surrounded by falling leaves and healthy numbers of their own supporters as they warmed up before meeting the other team at the half-way line. It was another friendly start, and then we began.

And what an exciting first half, with both teams showing great energy and enthusiasm. There were lots of fast breaks, many of which ended in goals at both ends. Particularly satisfying was the improved ball control from all our kids, which is something we’ve been working on a lot in training, as well as the excellent pressing and tackling, which is something that gets better and better every game.

As the first third ended, the match was delicately poised at 3-3, and Blue Team strode out for the second third full of confidence. In retrospect, perhaps they were a little over-confident, as we soon gave away a couple of goals. This seemed partly due to over-committing in attack, partly due tonot getting back quickly enough, and partly due to a dip in energy (which usually happens at some point in the match). But although Huddinge won this second third 3-0 (to make the total score 6-3), we seemed to be matching their every move, with plenty of breaks into their half, and many very close shots.

And so it was that we entered the final third of the match (the last ever third of football that we will play… at least for a few days), but not before we refuelled with a small chocolate sweet (although please note that we keep the brand anonymous to avoid accusations of product placement). And this seemed to do the trick. The final third had everything that we have been aiming for over the last few weeks. There was plenty of pressing, anticipation, tackling, and all-round tenacity in defence. At the same time, when they had the ball, our kids exhibited copious skill in dribbling and passing. They were putting so much effort into trying to set themselves up – or their teammates – for a shot on goal. In retrospect, it seemed that we had finally got a measure of ‘the occasion’. We had figured out a new opposition, and a new pitch, which was surely the widest pitch we have played on all year. And so it was that we won our final third of football 1-0, but more importantly, there were plenty of smiling and satisfied faces throughout the final third, including at the end of the match.

“Without emotion, football is nothing but a bit of exercise…It is nothing but a small circular object moving through space.”In the 2021 season of S:t Erik’s Cup, we have all learnt something like this (which is a completely made-up quote). And we have learnt other things too, like how satisfying it is when we manage to combine football development with football fun. This is what we’re aiming for. At the same time, we have also learnt how hard it is to remember what happened in a match that we watched intently less than 48 hours ago, so many thanks to those grandparents who helped us piece it together. Clearly, memory has nothing to do with age.

Next up is the Farsta cup, and we hope to see many of you there, but meanwhile thanks for a wonderful season. And roll on the next match! (…on the school pitch, at 8am tomorrow)

/Ben