BOSNIA USA, OLYMPIQUE MONTREUX CLASH IN UTAH OPEN CUP FINAL

OLYMPIANS COMPLETE THREE TITLES CRUSADE WITH 3-0 VICTORY

Pierre d'Estaim

Sports Writer

WESTMINSTER COLLEGE, UTAH (October 28, 2006).-Sergio Vasquez scored on a penalty kick in the first half and Todd Miller and Kenny Barton each scored in the second half to help Olympique Montreux overcome a very good Bosnia USA side featuring great players like Branislav Nicolic, Zelico Krsic, Ismel Mukic and the balletic Hermin Sasivarevic.

With this victory, the Olympians accomplished a great feat in winning their third major trophy this year to earn the label “Best Team in Utah.”

Referee Ismael Rodriguez under pressure

This was an enormous game for both teams and they came ready to play. And play they did. The game was very physical. Veteran central referee Ismael Rodriguez indeed had a very busy whistle, trying to keep the match under control. He showed yellow cards at least six times, and ejected one player from each team in the 49th minute, Sergio and Bosnia USA defender Alija Hijdarevic.

The Panthers of Bosnia USA livened up the pace in the first half and threatened the Olympians who looked uncomfortable and excessively cautious with the physical play of their opponents.

Sergio gives the Olympians the lead

OM drew first blood however. In the 11th minute Nate Murphy fed a wide ball to winger Ricky Johnson who outpaced his marker and penetrated the area where he was fouled hard from behind. Referee Ismael had no choice but to award the penalty kick although he surprisingly failed to sanction the guilty player. Sergio stepped up to open the score. 1-0.

Striker Zelico Krsic comes alive

The Panthers did not let that goal affect their resolve. They quickly went on the attack. In the 15th minute, number 10 Branislav found Zelico open at the edge of the area. Zelico unleashed a powerful strike that called for OM keeper Aaron Bruderer to make a miracle save.

Two minutes later, Olympian Chad Gilbert managed to outrun his markers and escape several rough attempts to come face to face with Bosnia USA keeper Ismel Mukic who parried Chad's shot.

Zelico was at it again in the 20th minute. From a smart Hermin pass, the striker dribbled past defender Jeremy Jones and OM keeper Aaron again proved, colorful hair or not, why he is the best shot blocker alive in Utah. The Olympian keeper paid back the faith put in him in tipping Zelico's wicked shot over the bar.

This was followed by Bosnia USA forward Smir Delilbasic's thunderous shot that ricocheted off the near post with Aaron clearly beaten in the 39th minute.

The Olympians forwards did not remain quiet though. In the 42nd minute, Ricky came close to scoring, but a very effective and vigilant Ismel was well positioned to deny the winger.

Two minutes later, Sergio headed the ball to Jake Cavanaugh whose volley was just wide.

The T&T midfield weaponry

After the interval, the Premiership champions and Daynes Challenge Cup winners went to work with a vengeance. Manager Bel-Ami advised to either do what they do best, move the ball to avoid physical punishment and when needed, be as physical.

Bel-Ami also made a tactical change, aligning Todd Miller in midfield with Trinidad international Tiger Fitzpatrick. The strategy paid off quickly. At the 49th minute, Tiger dished the ball to Jake who scored. However, the lineman ruled Jake offside and referee Ismael agreed, canceling the goal.

The Olympians kept attacking. Chad, Todd and Tiger were cruising at will through the Panthers' defense.  But for Ismel's goal-tending heroics, Chad could have turned the game into a rout.

The game was now being played in the Panthers' half of the field with the Olympians trying hard to score the second goal.

It's Miller time!

At the hour mark, the Tiger and Todd combination paid a handsome dividend. Taking the ball from midfield, Tiger faked left, then faked right, went right anyway as his marker stumbled and fell, passed to Todd who beat a defender,  nutmegged a second and audaciously rounded Ismel to slot the ball into the empty net. A beautiful goal it was! 2-0.

A very busy Keeper Ismel Mukic

In the 68th minute, Ricky came close to scoring the third goal. Brave Ismel was there again. Chad followed with two great runs, but again Ismel was always there to deny the marksman.

Bel-Ami sent in Kenny Barton for Todd in the 75th minute. Moments later, Kenny and Tiger combined a series of good passes with winger Jesse Day that put the Bosnian defense on its heels.

The Barton of a maestro

Barely three minutes later, Tiger picked up a pass from defender Mike Rogers and snaked up field misleading his markers, escaped a couple of rough plays to timely pass the ball to Kenny who powered past two defenders and came face to face with Ismel.

Kenny faked a kick and as Ismel vacillated, the midfielder cheekily  rounded him à la Todd Miller to put the ball on target. 3-0.

“Best team in Utah”

The game ended with the Bosnian side making several attempts to attack, but OM captain Paul Williams and the rest of the defense proved to be quite a tall barricade despite Hermin's and Branislav's amazing skills on the ball.

“You guys are the best team in the league this season,” said Utah Soccer Association president Bill Bosgraff, as he handed the Utah Open Cup trophy to the Olympians.

A total of four trophies in 2006

Indeed the Olympians showed courage, consistency, discipline, sacrifice and faith in their manager this season in winning all three available league trophies, the Utah Premiership Championship, the Centennial Daynes Challenge Cup and now the Utah Open Cup Title. A treble in soccer parlance.

It should not be forgotten the side also won the University of Utah full field Indoor League trophy last February. A total of four trophies this football year.

Special thanks for the sacrifices

“Bosnia USA played very well and came close to changing the course of the game a few times. They showed why they are one of the best teams in Utah,“ said Bel-Ami.

“We will be taking sometime off before we start training for the Budweiser Cup in Las Vegas next February. I understand no Utah team has ever won that trophy. We will try to change that. I feel we have the personnel.”

“I am proud of the twenty players I have. I wish I could play all of them 90 minutes in each game, but I can only select the best performing eleven at any particular moment. It has been a very long and fruitful season and all the players have had opportunities. We practiced in all weather; freezing rain and hot summer days and even in the fall early darkness. I did the best I could and I thank the players for their unselfishness and their Olympic performance,” added the manager.

Bel-Ami's humility aside, this was by far the side's most successful year in nearly seven years of existence.

OLYMPIQUE MONTREUX WINS 2006 DAYNES CHALLENGE CUP

CHAD GILBERT RISES TO THE TOP IN 4-1 VICTORY OVER PARK CITY NEWPARK

Pierre d'Estaim
Sports Writer

WEST JORDAN, UT. (October 21, 2006).--Olympique Montreux captured its second straight Daynes Challenge Cup trophy this evening in a 4-1 victory over close rival Park City Newpark at the West Jordan Soccer Complex. Two goals from Tiger Fitzpatrick, a superb finish from Chad Gilbert and a Sergio Vasquez penalty capped a professional performance.

The side had captured the Premiership title two weeks ago, and was aiming to win the century-old Daynes Challenge Cup en route to the showdown against Bosnia USA for the Utah Open Cup title next week.

This OM team has class written all over it. The players know how to play pretty and they can play hard when necessary. Key qualities to have if you want to win three titles in one season in such a competitive league. Park City was as aggressive as always, but Bel-Ami's side proved to be more than a match for its opponents.

A complicated 4-5-1 formation

There were a few changes to the starting line up that Bel-Ami put on the pitch for that all too important game and he made some technical modifications to the team's traditional 4-4-2.  Jake Cavanaugh started on the left wing, making way for marksman Sergio Vasquez to operate on the right side of the field instead of his usual center forward position.

Anticipating Park City's furious aerial game, OM lined up in a 4-5-1 formation featuring hitman Gilbert as the lone striker in front of midfield playmakers Tiger and Nate Murphy followed by Todd Miller as the holding midfielder and the two wide men operating like an accordion to shut down long passes and put numbers in front of the back four. Confusing to explain, but the Olympians executed its operations effectively.

Gilbert shifts to a higher gear

The new look formation was threatening early on as Gilbert slipped behind the defense and placed a good shot on frame in only the 4th minute. The keeper had to dive full length to push the ball out of bound. Cavanaugh was threatening in the air on the subsequent corner.

In the 12th minute, Murphy and Tiger combined well and the Trinidad international made sure to half volley Nate's needle sharp service past the keeper.  1-0.

As the half wore on, Gilbert increased in power. In the 30th minute, the striker beat the Snowmen's defense and buried the ball in the far right corner to put OM ahead 2-0. There was nothing the keeper could do about Gilbert's laser sharp strike.

Nate & Tiger's Great Daynes Show

Right after the restart, Tiger and Nate again combined to make the score 3-0 at the 48th minute. It was vintage Nate stuff. The playmaker served Tiger a Brazilian no-look pass and the in-form Trinidadian did what true predators do best. He latched onto the ball and the staggered keeper was immediately condemned to go get the ball in the back of the cage. 3-0.

Four minutes later, Tiger came close to collecting a hot trick. However, the keeper was able to deviate the shot at the last second.

With the Olympians blitzing through the middle almost at will, the crowd was already thinking that the rout was on when the Snowmen pulled a goal back at the 57th minute.  3-1.

Ser-gol from the spot

After their goal, the Snowmen reinvigorated and went looking for more. The Olympians' defense and keeper Aaron Bruderer rose to the occasion to withstand a flurry of good shots from the very mobile Liam Hanafer and their skillful playmaker Antonio Salvador.

OM got its fourth and last goal in the 85th minute when Kenny Barton was brought down in the penalty area as he was pulling the trigger from a fine Everton do Prado pass. Leading scorer Sergio Vasquez made sure to score from the penalty spot. The score was 4-1.

Like true champions, the Snowmen did not stop playing despite the score. They brazenly pushed forward and looked menacing on a couple of occasions. One was on a Liam freekick that called for Aaron to make a full lunge. Another Liam effort sailed over the crossbar.

Now on for the Treble

The stage is set for the final of the Utah Open Cup at Westminster College next Saturday against Bosnia USA and there is no love lost between the two sides. With two new fine pieces of silverware on the shelves in the trophy room, Captain Paul Williams and his Olympian mates are still very hungry.

“This team plays to win and when a major title is in the outcome, we want it.  Next to the Daynes Challenge Cup, the Utah Open Cup is huge and we definitely want to treble this year,” said the star defender.

As for his expectations next week, manager Bel-Ami acknowledged that the Bosnian side is riding high on the crest of a very successful end of the season and they usually bring a large crowd of fans to support them.

“I expect a very skilful opponent and rowdy audience. While we have a slight psychological hedge on them, they definitely have home field advantage. We will have to be careful and play our best.”

HAVING CLINCHED THE TITLE, OM LOSES LAST LEAGUE GAME

EXCEL'S MATT KEDDINGTON WEIGHS IN: MISSING FACTS

(Read below)

Xcel, 1
Olympique Montreux, 0

By Pierre D'ESTAIM
Sports Writer

KAYSVILLE, UT. (October 14, 2006).-Xcel handed Olympique Montreux its second defeat of the season in the Utah Premiership thanks to a counter attack goal in the 49th minute.

An Xcel striker ran into a speculative long shot and expertly looped the ball over the head of keeper Chad Evans who had wandered much too far off his line.

Since OM had clinched the Premiership title with a 4-2 victory over Park City Newpark last week, manager Bel-Ami wanted to use this game to see different attacking pairings and midfield formations ahead of the Daynes Cup final next Saturday against co-finalist Park City Newpark, and the Utah Open Cup final in a fortnight against Bosnia USA.

Counting backward from 500 to one

Unfortunately for the sport and the fans, Xcel parked a double-decker bus in front of goal and did all it could to waste time. For nearly the whole game, Xcel jam-packed its players inside the penalty box and when the side would get goal kicks, keeper Devin Zimmerman, an OM alum, would count from 500 backward to one before putting the ball into play.

Devin would slowly go get the ball from out of bound, very, very slowly. He'd then walk back even slower to the field. Next he'd blow the dirt off the ball and carefully sweep the grass at the six-yard line before putting the ball down. Then he'd moonwalk 10, 15 yards off the field at a snail's pace, run turtle like to the ball and kick it out of bound. 

Devin did all that crap without any OM field player complaining. The timid ref finally booked him for time wasting at the 80th minute.

Global domination but no goal

OM totally dominated the game from start to finish. Fleet footed frontman Chad Gilbert pierced the steel wall often, but could not find the target.  Midfielders Nate Murphy, Ken Barton and Tiger Fitzpatrick ran past defenders after defenders only to bump into more defenders. Captain Todd Miller pushed forward to help, but to no avail.

When OM strikers Jesse Day, Sergio Vasquez, Mauricio Borba and Ricky Johnson could see enough daylight to take a shot, their efforts lacked accuracy or bounced off defenders or the posts.

The subbing will be rare in the cup finals

“I fiddled a bit with the line up, but I wanted all our men to get a touch as the subbing will be rare in the cup finals. Even without the three points this evening, we are the champions and played like it, manly and not hiding,” said Bel-Ami.

Asked what he thought about Xcel's strategy, Bel-Ami said, “Give them credit. Their chock-a-block strategy worked. Our failure to score early complicated things.”

______________________________________________________________

XCEL PLAYS ONE MAN DOWN FOR MOST OF THE GAME

By Matt Keddington, Xcel Manager

< mattkeddington@hotmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it >

"You seem to have forgotten to mention that Xcel received a red card after 15 minutes of play and played the rest of the game down a player. But I guess you are not into reporting all of the facts. Only the ones that benefit your writing."

Sorry, Matt. We should have mentioned that  very important fact.  We apologize.

P.d'E.

OM TOPS PARK CITY NEWPARK IN EXCITING CLASSICO

Olympique Montreux, 4
Park City Newpark, 2

By Pierre d'Estaim
Sports Writer

PARK CITY, UT. (October 7, 2006).--Tiger Fitzpatrick scored a goal in the second minute to help Olympique Montreux beat Park City Newpark in a pulsating league game this evening.

The Olympian midfielder capped an impressive sequence by taking a hard ground shot that found the back of the net to the surprise of the Snowmen's defense and the keeper.

Undaunted, the Snowmen quickly regrouped behind the leadership of their talisman player Liam Hanafer who created the equalizer merely four minutes after Tiger's goal.

Pedaling backward

The Olympians nearly reclaimed the lead in the 10th minute when Tiger made an excellent pass to Jesse Day who dished the ball to Nate Murphy whose shot missed just wide.

Knowing that a victory or even a tie would guarantee the Olympians their second Premiership title in successive years, Park City was determined to make sure OM would not celebrate in its stadium. To keep the ball from the Olympians' lethal midfield, they smartly played long and high balls from the defense to their speedy forwards.

For several minutes, OM was clearly disorganized and the defense was pedaling backward trying to impede the recurring raids of Liam and company. Keeper Aaron Bruderer was tested often.

Park City's strategy paid off handsomely when they took the lead in the 19th minute. A long ball got passed John McQuarrie and with Jake Cavanaugh slow coming back in support, a Park City player found himself inside the box with just Aaron to beat. He made sure to score with a ground shot to the far corner of the net. The puddle of water and mud in front of goal was no help to the desperately diving Aaron.

Regaining control of the middle

The Snowmen continued to pressure Paul Williams and the rest of the defense as the first half wore on. The Olympians tried to reorganize to slowdown the game and plug up the holes.

Tiger and Ken Barton did just that. With Ken standing as a Claude Makelele in front of the defense, and Tiger slashing through the Snowmen's midfield and making timely passes to the sides, the Snowmen's compact defense opened up just enough for league leading scorer Sergio Vasquez to score his 20th goal of the season.

The marksman benefited from a well-timed Tiger pass in the 35th minute, controlled the ball, outpaced his marker and hit it past the keeper from just outside the penalty area.

The Olympians' midfielders and wingers took the controls for good after Sergio's goal. They were awarded a penalty in the 44th minute. Jeremy Jones coolly converted it to make the score 3-2 at the half.

The Olympians returned to the field for the second half understanding that the forwards had to pressure Park City's back line to derail the accurate long passes. 

The strategy seemed to work as a hurried Park City began to commit turnovers while the Olympians reverted to their trademark quick passing.

In the 54th minute, Mauricio Borba escaped his marker, but shot wide. Three minutes later, he again misled the defense. His bending shot from the left hit the far post with the keeper clearly beaten.

The Snowmen could not find much time to get into a rhythm.

In the 62nd minute, Jake got a great pass through the middle from Jeremy. He went straight in and buried a big shot into the net with beautiful definition. OM was up 4-2.

Park City tried to come back. Liam had a good shot that hit the post in the 77th minute. Aaron was called upon to make a full stretch dive to barely tip the ball out in the 86th.

“That kind of attitude clearly spoils it for me.”

With about two or three minutes to go and the game virtually won, and the Park City defenders playing very physical, thinking ahead to the cup games and wanting to avoid unnecessary injury, Bel-Ami started pulling out some players. One in particular outwardly expressed his disgust for the manager.

“That kind of attitude clearly spoils it for me. There was cause to celebrate before that excessive response to being substituted with the game all but over and the three points in the bag,” said a clearly humiliated Bel-Ami.

“I am here on the sidelines in the cold weather suffering from a very bad cold and a high fever, doing my best to help manage the team, only to be disrespected. That is neither the Olympian attitude, nor a way to react upon winning a championship after a very successful campaign.”

Bel-Ami looked a lonely figure in the cold weather as he picked up the trash left behind after the players had departed.