VETERAN STRIKER POLICH PUT FINAL NAIL IN ODYSSEY WEB COFFIN

The goals: Sergio Vasquez, 48th and 53rd minutes   
                    Mike Polich, 92nd minute

By Pierre d'Estaing, Sports Writer

West Salt Lake, Utah (April 21).-- In a win not as impressive as those before at Storm Mountain Park and at the West Jordan Soccer Complex last fall, Olympique Montreux produced a good enough second half display at Westpointe Park to beat Odyssey Web 3-0.

OM had already enjoyed several chances before Sergio Vasquez scored the first goal of the evening in the 48th minute. After a poor first half, inspired by Nate Murphy and Todd Miller, the Olympians seemed to find their rhythm in the second half.

Early Nerves and Little Control

From the start, Odyssey Web showed more aggressiveness on the ball while the Olympians' early nerves were exposed. It was The Web who took the initiative, not necessarily controlling the flow of the ball in midfield, but doing most of the attack on repeated turnovers, with the Olympians seriously showing impatience. Odyssey Web had two big chances in the space of seven minutes: in the 11th, a forward placed a good close range shot on goal only to see his shot sail over the post, and moments later, Aaron Bruderer, OM's super keeper, was called upon to block a dangerous header. OM, on the other hand, missed a plethora of chances to control its adversary. But things would change in the second half.

It's Getting Hot in Here

Minutes after the second half opened, Miller turned on the style, dribbled past a couple of defenders, took a shot that an Odyssey Web defender stopped with his hand inside the penalty area. Vasquez stepped up to take the penalty and open his Spring 2006 account. Barely two minutes later, with Chad Gilbert double covered all the times, Vasquez scored again, this time eluding his markers to find himself alone in front of the keeper. The marksman made sure to score with a powerful shot to the roof of the net.
Those two goals eased the tension, and from then on, the Olympians started serving up a true footballing treat. After a frankly dull first half, the goalscoring opportunities started flowing thick and fast, with Gilbert, Josh Kimball, Tracy McGuire, Rick Johnson and Murphy all coming close for OM.

Odyssey Web only made a couple of trips in OM territory, but veteran full back and captain Paul Williams and his crew easily canceled the opposition's rather speculative efforts. OM's domination was total. Bruderer who has been in brilliant form lately had a relatively easy time in registering his first official shut out of the season. Miller and Murphy started finding more freedom, while Arthur van Wagenen, Isaac James and Mike Rogers were winning most of the midfield battles. Jeremy Jones and John McQuarrie were as solid as ever in the back, and later on, young defender Kyle Copeland showed he had Olympian blood in his veins as well.

Half Time Thunder

At half time, OM manager Bel-Ami de Montreux presumably ordered his players to play with more confidence and to take the game to the opposition. Since the team played all winter, the machinery should be well oiled. From the restart, Odyssey Web pulled its defensive lines back a few yards to create more space for counter attacks, but that only served to give OM more room to play the ball around.

Murphy was the main playmaker in the middle of the park, and his teammates were often able to string together an amazing number of passes as The Web sat back and waited. The Web's players appeared comfortable playing that way, and often showed a desire to pack practically their whole team inside the penalty area, even while two goals down.

OM in Control

Olympique Montreux's morale was on a high, and there were moments when Odyssey Web seemed to have lost all control of what they were doing. It made wholesale changes in the hope of stirring the team back into a game that was looking more and more like a lost cause. Veteran striker Mike Polich, JT Cracroft and Kimball had further chances to add to Vasquez's brace. In the final minutes, Polich scored the third goal to pull the curtain down.