Roy of the Rovers - Total Football - Part 11

8/20/2019 Roy of the Rovers - Total Football - Part 11

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Roy of the Rovers – Total FootballPart 11

Johnny Twist was sent off for a professional foul on Jamie Marshall - angering Eastoke manager

Danny Nokes

Melchester Rovers see off League One opponents

Cleary scores first Rovers goal

Burgess and Jacobs pick up injuries

Eastoke centre-back !ist sent off

Lucas Cleary struck his first Melchester Rovers goal !ith a brilliant free-kick to

help secure a League Cup se"i-final place !ith a !in at #$-"an Eastoke%

Harry Jacobs put the Premier League leaders in front and Cleary made it 2-0. Robert Fabien

gae !asto"e hope# but Johnny $%ist %as harshly sent off before Jamie &arshall %rapped

up ictory.


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&elchester centre-bac" &i"e 'urgess suffered a head in(ury and %inger Harry Jacobs

hobbled off# but neither %as a serious problem# boss Johan )eegrun said.

!asto"e centre-bac" $%ist had a night to forget# haing gien the ball a%ay before Jacobs

e*changed passes %ith +re% Po%ell and drilled a perfectly-placed shot into the corner of the

net for &elchester,s 2rd-minute opener. 'ut the defender %as unluc"y to be sent off seen

minutes after Fabien had pulled them bac" into the match. Referee James reen ruled that

$%ist had committed a professional foul by dragging bac" &arshall# although there %as no

clear appeal from the for%ard - to the e*tent that it loo"ed at first as if "eeper Leo Forte had

been penalised for handling the ball as he slid outside of his penalty area.

&igh five'

&elchester Roers are loo"ing to %in the League Cup for a fifth time# haing lifted

the trophy in /1# /34# /31 and 2002

$he red card destroyed !asto"e,s momentum (ust as they %ere threatening to drag

themseles bac" into the match. 5nd any hopes of a reial %ere ended %hen &arshall

slammed in the rebound from eight yards after Forte had parried +e Loon,s shot.

6ntied %or"ed hard in the opening 20 minutes to hold off a strong &elchester side# %ith

Po%ell retained in a line-up sho%ing si* changes to the one that beat Redsto"e 2-0 in the

Premier League on )aturday.

Jacobs, opener roc"ed +anny 7o"es8 League 9ne promotion hopefuls# though# and the

isitors could hae gone further in front as Cleary fired an effort straight at Forte and 7ic"

$homas bloc"ed a +ic"son shot.

$he match %as held up for seeral minutes at the end of the first half as 'urgess %as

"noc"ed to the ground in a collision %ith his goal"eeper &ar" &c+ermott as Roers

defended a corner. $he :rish defender needed lengthy treatment on the pitch before he %as

;anteied off.

League Cup se"i-finalists

)hefton 6nited Melchester Rovers

Molton (nited or Everpool Portdean or $ynecaster


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!asto"e sho%ed fight after the brea"# %ith 'arry 'radley only denied by a combination of

&c+ermott and 'illy )pin" after Jude :yala had set him up. $heir tas" %as made harder as

Roers doubled their lead %hen left-bac" Cleary bent a beautiful 2: really thought it %as going

to be a grandstand finish# and %e,e been robbed. :t,s a coming together - &arshall fouling

$%ist# and $%ist coming across &arshall. &arshall,s appealing for Leo Forte,s handball. ?e

can,t beliee it,s against $%isty. $he linesman gae it# not the referee. Ho% he sa% that# :

don,t "no%. : thin" he got it %rong. ?e,ll thin" about an appeal.>

Harry Jacobs' drive gave Melchester Rovers a 23rd-minute lead - his first goal of the season


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Johnny Twist was adjudged to have denied Jamie Marshall a clear goalscoring chance

Jamie Marshall wrapped up victory for Rovers by scoring with eight minutes to go


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* * *

Roy Race and his son, Rocky, were indoors watching the review of the League

Cup quarter-nal on Orbital ports! "he rest of the fa#ily, $el and young Roy,

%iana and %eclan were in the garden playing in the snow! Rocky&s house on the

outskirts of 'alti#ore, o( Route ), was the perfect +#erican suburban drea#

ho#e! et a#ongst the woodlands, with auent neighbours, apple pies andcookies, Rocky and his wife eanette loved showing o( their lives! .esterday they


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held a street party, despite the snow! /veryone wrapped up war#, Rocky had

hired twenty patio heaters to keep o( the #inus te#peratures and the whole

neighbourhood dined on barbecued steaks and burgers! Rocky and his father

cooked, what an occasion0 Roy could fully understand why his son had no desire

to take up o(ers of #anage#ent in /ngland!

eanette had planned a week of festivities in the lead up to the $L Cup 1inal

that unday, today, 2ednesday, was for fa#ily only! 3n the #orning she had

taught her girls and young Roy how to bake traditional $aryland cookies, those

were eaten war# on a walk around the block! Little hands in #ittens threw

snowballs at world fa#ous footballers and a tea# of snow#en guarded the front

yard! "he kids dressed the snow#en in blue and white 'alti#ore 'ullets hats and

scarves before another enor#ous #eal was served, this ti#e a roast turkey big

enough to feed an entire football tea# and still have enough for half-ti#e

sandwiches!

Roy was #ore than i#pressed with the hospitality, but as usual his #ind was

never far away fro# football and $elchester Rovers! 42e #ade a #eal of that,

didn&t we, son56 he asked, referring to Rovers& three-one win over their League

One opponents! 43 never played a weakened side, but 3 guess that&s the way now!

/ven with 2e#bley, a trophy and /uropean qualication in sight, eegrun left

out Cheetha#, Luik and %e Loon! 3 not sure it works, all this rotation, if he

played his best side they should have won easily! 'y playing only half a tea#, it

#ade the #atch twice as di7cult0 now %rew 8owell, Carruthers, Cleary and

8iedra have played a tough #atch, e9pelling a lot of energy, before the crucial

ga#e versus 2alford on aturday:6

43 get what you&re saying, %ad:6 Rocky replied, 43 think too #any #anagers

e9pect to use cup #atches to try out players! ;ow there&s no reserve football, it&s

either loan the# out and lose control over their progress or leave the# in the

s where the standard is so #uch lower! ;o-one throws in youngsters like

you used to, sink or swi#, if you&re good enough you&re old enough! $anagers

right through football aren&t given ti#e0 they have to win, get pro#oted, qualify

for the Cha#pions League or ?ust survive in the 8re#ier League! + good cup run

won&t save a #anager fro# the sack nowadays: /ven nishing one place higher

in the 8re#ier is worth #illions:6

4o they sacrice the do#estic cups:6 Roy shouted, 4+sk a player, any player 3

#anaged whether he would trade a winner&s #edal, fought for at 2e#bley

tadiu#, for nishing seventh rather than si9teenth! 3 know what the answer

would be:6

%eclan had ?ust reappeared fro# the garden as heavy snow began to fall again,

48layers think short ter# now, Roy! 8eople say we aren&t loyal any #ore, but

neither are clubs! Look at what happened to #e this su##er: 3 gave over ten

years service to $elchester Rovers and eegrun co#es in and withdraws the

o(er you #ade #e, without even seeing #e train, let alone play! o if nishing


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seventh rather than fteenth gets the club another ten #illion in pri@e #oney

and that #oney goes on giving #e a better contract, 3&ll #iss out on 2e#bley,

thank you very #uch:6

;ot every player could have a career as long and as glittering as the great Roy

Race! /ven Rocky, with all his talent, considered his own playing career a failure0one 8re#ier League title in =, two 1!+! Cups, in >AAB with Rovers and >AA)

with $elboro& and the == League Cup! +ll Rocky&s trophies were won before his

twenty-fth birthday, he did not even consider playing successes with the 'ullets

as worth co#paring to his father&s honours!

4%ec&s right %ad: 'ut so#e of us would give our #edals back ?ust to have

played at the top a bit longer! 3#agine what would have happened to #e if 3

wasn&t the son of Roy Race5 2hen 3 was su(ering in?ury after in?ury, if 3&d had to

worry about contracts or being released, 3&d have probably been nished #uch

earlier! 3&d have had to train harder, rush #y recoveries! 3 was lucky, one withyour wealth, %ad, and two that 3 knew you would never release #e fro# the

Rovers! 8ak oon wasn&t so lucky, was he56

Roy never liked being re#inded of the 'oat 'oy& fro# Dietna#, 4%o we have to

talk about hi#, son5 2e&re having such a great week, let&s not sour it:6 Rocky

shook his head, 43t&s i#portant, %ad, it will really help #e, when 3 have to #ake

tough calls like that!6 o Roy e9plained to %eclan the story of 8ak oon!

48ak arrived as an orphan, a refugee fro# Dietna# during their crisis! Ee was an

incredibly gifted footballer and #ade his rst-tea# debut, #ore out of necessitythan anything! 3t was the start of the >AFGHF) season, we were short on players,

obviously after the 'asran %isaster! Rob Richards and 3 were the only forwards

left in the squad, 8ak was a left-winger, so was in! +nd what an i#pact he #ade,

scoring on his debut against %eans 8ark, the crowd adored hi#!

4"hat year we won the League Cup I 3 don&t think 8ak will be giving his #edal

back:6 Rocky interrupted, 4;o, but that&s because he&s sold all his #edals:6

%eclan looked pu@@led, 48lease, Roy, Carry on:6

4+nyway, 8ak was one of the rst na#es on #y tea#-sheet! Ee was quick, skilful,took a good corner and popped up with crucial goals! 'ut his best asset was his

crossing, he laid on #any goals for #e in the >AF)HFF season when we won the

League and only narrowly #issed out on the double! Ee beca#e even #ore

e(ective when 3 signed +ndy $acLaren to play as a target #an! 3n >AFAHA, big

+ndy headed in #any of 8ak&s crosses as 3 switched to J-J-=!6 Roy hesitated! 4Ko

on, %ad, this is the di7cult part6

43n $arch >AA, during a nor#al training session, 8ak turned ohnny %e9ter, as

he sprinted away, his ha#string went! Ee #issed that season&s 1!+! Cup 1inal win

over 2eston Dilla:6 Roy got up and walked to the kitchen area, showing his story

was over! Rocky leapt out of his chair, 4%ad: 3 don&t believe you:6 %eclan, let out


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a roar of laughter, 4"hat&s the story5 + ha#string in?ury costs a guy with a

League Cup win and a League title an 1!+! Cup winner&s #edal: Rocky you crack

#e up, brother:6

4;o, that&s not the end of the story, it #ight be to %ad, but it wasn&t for 8ak

oon:6 Rocky nished o( the story bluntly, 48ak never started another ga#e offootball! /very ti#e he was close, the ha#string snapped again! Ee developed

associated in?uries in his calf and +chilles, the #an can&t walk any#ore: Ee sold

all his #edals and no-one&s seen hi# since the auction: %ad doesn&t care though,

he&s ?ust another footballer to hi#:6

eanette shued in fro# the cold, she had heard Rocky&s shouting and worried

that his fa#ous te#per was getting the better of hi#! 4Rocky, darling, have

another beer:6 he passed hi# a bottle, top o(, 4.ou know you and your father

aren&t to talk soccer, it&s not good for either of you:6 he was ?oking, but so

Rocky&s relationship with his father had always been strained, 4"oo #uchfootball6 is what his late #other would say and she was right!


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@ @ @


11/14

L.A. Bullets Win MLS Cup 2012: Carlos

Figueroa, Matt Thatcher Score Goals In

Win Over Sharks

Baltimore, MY. — Rocky Race stood on the podium with his three sons, an oversized Union

Jack knotted around his Baltimore Bullets tracksuit. With a practiced lift and a broad smile,

he raised the sparkling silver cup over his head to a raucous ovation amid a confetti blizzard.

Race wrapped up his second MLS title Saturday,

with Carlos Figueroa's tiebreaking goal on a

penalty kick in the 65th minute propelling the

Bullets to a 3-1 victory over the Springfield

Sharks in the MLS Cup.

Chip Sullivan tied it in the 61st minute with a long

header for the Bullets, who defended their title in

pulsating championship game. For the secondstraight year, Race raised a trophy that stands as

evidence of the 38-year-old Englishman's indelible impact on American soccer since arrival

in MLS ten years ago.

"It's been a successful few years here, and now that we've won the second one, it's even

more satisfying," Race said. "I just hope people have enjoyed me playing here. It's what I

always hope for when I step on the field."

With a stirring second-half surge capped by Matt Thatcher's goal on another penalty kick in

injury time, Baltimore won its fourth MLS Cup, tying Boston Braves for the league record.

The Bullets also gave an appropriate farewell to Carlos Figueroa, who will play elsewhere in

the new year before eventually returning to MLS as Bullets assistant coach. With rumors

linking him everywhere from Sydney to Paris to the EPL, he hasn't disclosed his immediate

plans beyond a Christmas vacation in Florida.


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Baltimore will miss Figueroa, but the Latin American soccer icon is going out at an apex for

MLS' highest-profile franchise.

"Carlos has just been amazing. I just hope our performances have brought a bit of interest to

the game (in America)," Race said. "If that's the single thing we've done, then great. But I

think the foundations are there now in this league. It's a 20-year-old league, and the

foundations are great. It will continue to grow."

After Kevin Kante put Springfield ahead in the 44th minute, Race’s high-scoring Bullets

systematically broke down the defense of the Sharks.

While Sullivan got the equalizer on a cagey play by MLS' top defender last season, Thatcherplayed another stellar attacking game for Baltimore before earning his own penalty kick when

Springfield's Clark Stevens knocked him down in the box.

Figueroa redeemed himself for missing an open net in the 13th minute by burying his penalty

kick after a handball in the box by Springfield's Matt Albany. The Honduaras national team

star, won his record-tying fifth MLS title while scoring his fifth career MLS Cup goal and the

record 22nd goal of his postseason career.

"It's unbelievable," Figueroa said. "In football, to do again and again is really hard to do. ...

For me, this better (than last year). We could enjoy it more!"

After Thatcher's goal clinched it, Figueroa left the game to a raucous standing ovation from

the packed stadium amid chants of "Thank

you, Carlos! Thank you, Rocky!"

Race hugged Figueroa and just about

everybody on the Bullets bench before the

game ended moments later.

Race streamed onto the field with his squad

and waved thanks at the fans before he was

joined by his nephew and two daughters, all

clad in Bullets jerseys.


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"Today was always going to be an emotional day for myself, win or lose," said Race, "It was

great to have all the family here, a little emotional, but I enjoyed the win today."

The pregame rain cleared long enough for Race’s latest trophy. He arrived in Baltimore in

2006 from Melchester Rovers with designs on changing the American perception of the

world's most popular game. The league has grown steadily during his tenure, with most MLS

franchises on sound financial footing and in excellent stadiums, although the sport's

popularity and TV ratings haven't matched the other American pastimes.

Race was wildly cheered by many of the same diehard Bullets supporters who once booed

him during an injury-riddled start to his Bullets career.

Baltimore, of course, started as heavy favourites, on the back of their “Invincible” year. While

Springfield seemed stuck as a supporting

player in the Bullets' story, despite its rally from

the Eastern Conference's last playoff seed to

the championship match.

"You have to be proud of what we've

accomplished," Springfield captain Brad Davis

said. "It isn't easy to get to this game, and this

is the fourth time in seven years. It's a credit to

this group of guys."

After winning the title last year on a beauty of a goal, Baltimore nearly had another storybook

score in the 13th minute when Sullivan launched a long, high pass to a sprinting Thatcher,

who slipped behind the defense and centered it perfectly for Figueroa.

But he inexplicably pushed his shot inches wide of the post, leaving him with both hands on

his head while the stadium released the usual post-goal confetti anyway.

"When you're in a moment like that, you feel like you let the team down," Race said. "I spoke

with Carlos at halftime. In what’s probably his last MLS game, I took a few minutes at

halftime, and told him to forget because you can't change it."


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The Sharks improved their pressure late in the first half, and Wes Nett's long pass eventually

set up Kante's impressive near-post goal past Allan Tinn.

Kante leaped the corner flag in celebration of a rare score for the forward, the Sierra

Leonean who joined the Sharks last season and managed just four goals this year.

But with Thatcher and Figueroa leading the second-half charge, the Bullets finally broke

through when Sullivan stuck around the box after a failed setpiece and managed to bounce a

looping header past Stevens. Sullivan's delayed return from injury this season sparked the

Bullets' late-season surge.

"At the beginning of the season, I didn't see myself getting back to this level," said Sullivan,named the game's MVP.

Albany was then called for a handball in the box in the 65th minute after an extended

defensive scramble by the Sharks. It was another high-profile mistake by the Sharks Captain

and U.S. national team player whose turnover led to Mexico's first goal in the Americans' 2-1

elimination loss at the Gold Cup last summer.

"When the penalty came, I was shaking, not like me," Figueroa said. "I was scared. But you

have to go, and every one of my guys said, ‘Forget about it. Keep going.'"

After Figueroa scored, Springfield frantically pressed for an equalizer in the final minutes, but

Tinn and his defense repeatedly denied the Sharks. After Stevens wrapped his hand around

Thatcher's thigh to stop a chance in the box, Thatcher confidently ended it with his sixth goal

of a spectacular six-game playoff run in what is sure to be the US international’s last MLS

season before a move to Europe.

"Being successful doesn't come easy," Race said. "You have to work at it. I tell my children

every single day that if you want to be successful, it's hard graft. It doesn't come easy, and I

think we proved that this year."

Storky Knight

NEXT – Declan faces his old club!

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Roy of the Rovers - Total Football - Part 11