Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player

4 Goals in 4 matches in 4 days earned Tim Harbison the "Golden Boot" award.  Tim has consistently distinguished himself as a player with a winning mentality and the skills to deliver.
Peter Cho was selected as the overall most valuable player for his relentless work ethic, leadership and quality.

Leo finishing

Although Leo scored our consolation goal in the 4th match in 4 days, he was awarded the Man of the Match for more than his finishing.  He, like James Perry, showed the kind of team spirit we needed to compete in this format.  Adapting to various positions as needed and working relentlessly proved to be the outstanding quality the team wanted to acknowledge at the end of the final game.  Well done to everyone who adjusted positions and tactics for the sake of the team, and congratulations to Leo for a well deserved bit of recognition!

Captains: Isaiah Minick and Cory Cole

The team vote had Isaiah Minick and Cory Cole tied as man of the match for the win on Thursday. The two worked along side one another in midfield breaking up the attack of Konla FC and driving the attack of FC Saints. Isaiah was given the armband for the first half of Friday's game and Cory wore it for the second half. Both young men showed the coach they took the honor seriously by leading in a courageous effort against the outstanding Ezra team.

A higher level

One of the goals of this trip was to expose the boys to the next level of soccer excellence.  That was embodied by the consistently outstanding play of the Ezra Centre.  An academy run by Koreans has produced the leading footballers in Laos.  Not only are they disciplined in every facet of the game, they are also gracious hosts and admirable sportsmen.  Many of the players are Christians who dedicate their abilities to honor God.  They are exactly the combination of character and quality we are looking to emulate.
A 6-0 loss showed we have a distance to cover, but the scoreline doesn't adequately show how well the Saints played.  It was another hard working performance.

Peter Cho 'man of the match' chosen as captain

Our opening match was captained by Peter Taesin Cho.  Based on votes from the players after the first match, he was recognized as the man of the match as well.  For that he was given the armband to captain the Saints for their second game.
The challenge for Peter was to find a way to help his players step up for one another.  The men with our team talked with him about his own experiences of working to earn 3rd dan in Tae Kwon Do, Korean martial arts.  As a boy he had learned about working hard and performing even when you didn't feel up to it.  For some of the other players, they needed a little toughening up.  Though it didn't seem necessary for Peter to use his Tae Kwon Do skills to 'encourage' the lads, it was appropriate for him to realize he did have lessons he had learned which he could help others learn.
Peter had given a devotional to the team from the example of the Hebrew teens recorded in Daniel who showed courage under great pressure.  They were tempted to make excuses, but would not and did not.  In an obviously less dramatic but related way, the Saints players had the opportunity to face up to the issues of the heat, national level competition and the dizzying environment of playing in a national stadium.
Cho took time, particularly with the defense, to talk specifically about the need to function as a unit.  If the back four have three players working hard, but one loses focus, the team is vulnerable.  With the level of quality we are facing we learned quickly that vulnerabilities translate to goals conceded.
Sore and unsure, the team lined up to face the opposition for their second game with a very different mindset.  Up by 3 goals at half-time and conceding none in the remaining play, Peter's leadership proved effective.

game 2 slideshow

Saints march to victory

The second half collapse against Ezra left the Saints with some tough questions to face. Coach Cole challenged the boys to look at themselves individually and as a team and to decide if they had more to offer than what they gave in that defeat. Throughout the hot day the players were clearly affected by the need for introspection. They watched film from the game, talked, and reflected on their own.

When the game finally started, again in withering heat, they quickly showed that they had found an answer, and it was positive. With forceful purposefulness they assertive themselves on every loose ball, working hard to maintain possession, and determined to move forward as a unit, marching toward the goal. By halftime their steady forward advances had netted the ball three times, twice from Tim Harbison, and a smooth finish from Jonathon Shin after a dazzling bit of work by Mann who unselfishly dished it off.

Every player figured in the match, with constant adjustments tactically and with consideration for health with 2 matches to go and heat exhaustion a constant concern. With determination and grit the team saw out the second half response and walked away with heads held high.