Soccer

Officials let play get out of hand as game is marred by injuries

By RICHARD A. ROSS

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY - Make no mistake about it. Soccer is a contact sport, which pits players against each other, often at full speed, and injuries are sometimes a part of the equation.

But unlike football that involves intended bodily contact, the object in soccer is to play the ball, not the player.

That said, it is the duty of officials to keep the game in check and to issue cards as often as necessary to prevent reckless play that can lead to serious injuries.

Unfortunately, that was not the case in the September 15 league opener between Eldred and Livingston Manor. Officials limited their calls to questions of possession and noted an occasional push, but the contact on the field steadily escalated and injuries resulted.

At four times during the game, action was stopped as coaches tended to injured players. Two young women were sent to the hospital, one resulting from a collision just inside of Eldred’s box that sent Manor forward Jackie Trotti to Catskill Regional Medical Center with a knee injury.

The other happened late in the game as Eldred’s Sara Bisland moved in to play the ball. She was knocked from behind, lost her balance and fell forward onto the rising knee of a Manor player, who was going for the ball as well. Bisland’s head snapped back and she fell to the turf. EMT’s from Livingston Manor’s Volunteer Ambulance Corps immobilized her neck with a collar and strapped her to a backboard for transportation to the hospital.

For Bisland’s parents and grandparents, who were in attendance, it was a scary moment. Bisland’s sister Elizabeth, known affectionately as “Boo,” died unexpectedly on August 4, 2004.

Fortunately, Sara’s injury was limited to a severe neck strain and, given her spunkiness and fight, she’ll probably be back in the thick of it before too long.

Players were warned: “The next person who plays a player instead of the ball will be carded.” One yellow card was finally issued as time nearly expired.

Several players from both teams displayed unnecessary roughness during the game, but the responsibility lies at the feet of the officials.

From the opening whistle, the Lady Wildcats wasted little time in pressuring Eldred’s defense as Trotti got off the game’s first shot that went wide. After a good rush the other way by Eldred, the ball was turned back by Manor’s Rose Curtis and sent forward where Jessi Simmons picked up a nice ball from Colleen Casey and drove it by Eldred keeper Rachel Smith with only 2:52 gone by.

Noting the difference in the flow when her players were active and moving and the reverse scenario, Eldred coach Jolene Porter implored her players to become more active.

Eldred had its chances, including a nice breakout by Jessica Bisland, but the Lady Yellow Jackets had trouble finishing.

Manor’s Val Tcimpidis fired one point blank, but it bounced off Smith’s legs and sailed out of bounds.

Livingston Manor was getting its share of attempts from forward Valentina Babich. One of her early shots was aimed for the top of the net but sailed high instead.

Eldred’s Christina Watts used her speed advantage and had a good angle, but delayed a second too late to get off the potential game-tying goal.

The two teams went back and forth. With little stoppage in the midfield, the ball was being played at alternating ends. Manor got good crosses, including a beauty from Simmons to Babich. But they, too, had trouble finishing.

On an Eldred goal kick, Trotti fronted the ball and held it in. She promptly booted it in with 36:42 gone by to give the Lady Wildcats a 2-0 lead. That was the score as the first half expired.

Eldred came out with more intensity in the second half. Using a series of chip passes that went from Sara to Jessica Bisland and then on to Paulina Renggli, they were on the attack. Renggli was pushed down just outside of the box and fired a direct kick that sailed wide right. As Manor rushed the ball up the other end, Trotti was injured in the box. As an Eldred player moved in to make contact with the ball, Trotti toppled head-over-heels, injured her knee and left the game.

With 29:21 remaining in the half, Eldred’s Sam Allesandra reacted quickly to a rebounded shot and scored to make it 2-1.

Rough play continued and soon it was Babich on the turf. She got back up and returned to the fray to score Manor’s next goal at 24:00 remaining on a stellar assist from Casey to make it 3-1.

Eldred had trouble clearing and Manor kept up the heat.

“We have to push up,” implored Porter. Instead, Manor’s Desirae Dutcher scored her first-ever goal on a direct kick with 15:00 remaining to make it 4-1.

Sara Bisland was hurt shortly thereafter and action was halted as everyone waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Simmons recorded the game’s final goal with 30 seconds to go on an assist from Babich to ice the 5-1 win for Manor 1-1 (1-0 OCIAA). Eldred (1-3 0-1 OCIAA) was unable to build on the 6-3 win over Roscoe this week.

Smith had 12 saves for Eldred. Bionca Colton recorded eight saves for Livingston Manor.

Manor coach Shirlee Davis was as dismayed as Porter was about the game’s overly rough tenor and the tepid officiating. Still, she was pleased by her team’s good crosses, their increased ability to make and meet passes and their hustle.

“They get better with every game,” she said.