Exotic Name

First Choice Soccer 0 v Sheffield United U15 2

SuperCup NI

Played at Riada 2, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland

Monday 24 July 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

That is my 195th ground watching a Sheffield United XI. ATACAS. Any Team Any Competition Any Surface.

For those unfamiliar, SuperCup NI is the current incarnation of what used to be known as The Milk Cup. Started in 1983, an annual week long pre season tournament. Based in the North of Northern Ireland. This year, SUFC have entered a team born on or after 1 January 2002. That would be a side U15 at the start of 2017. Teams play each day Mon/Tue/Wed in qualifiers. Every team qualifies for a Semi Final - plate, shield, vase, trophy, etc. Those & the finals are played on Thu/Fri. Today's game was 30 minutes each way.

First Choice Soccer are essentially a brought together, scratch team. It's a travel company. Parents can pay to send their kids over to Ulster from all around the world. They get a week's proper coaching & then get chucked in at the deep end against proper football club academies. In that context I thought they did quite well.

Players are named & numbered on the SuperCup NI website. And their names are read out over the tannoy before & during the game. So, I'm not going to stand on any ceremony. I'm going to say who I think they were. If I've got you wrong. Forgive me lads. That's how the Internet works.

There was a healthy crowd around for a noon kick off on a Monday. I'd estimate at least 120. Including former SUFC Academy Director Nick Cox, who is now at Manchester United. Man U have an U18 side out here playing in a different strand of the competition to the Blades.

Right. Here we go. Sigh. A number of Utd players caught my eye. Including 11 Angelo Capello. Poor fucker. Destined to be dubbed The Exotically Named One. And slagged off for having a Bad Attitude. By people who wouldn't be able to pick him out in an identity parade. Go well fella.

At this level, formations/positions aren't fixed. Angelo set up wide left. Basically, attacking midfielder. Compact. Fast. Neat ball skills. Plus backheels, flicks. He started the game very lively. And also had a good spell in the second half. But, then I felt he was less effective as the half wore on. My notes say he was eventually subbed. He had a major assist in the Blades first goal. Angelo robbed his man on the left, took the ball into the box at pace, and kept his shot down well. The keeper could only beat it out & 9 Ryan Viggars knocked the rebound in.

I was also impressed by SUFC 3 Harrison Foulstone, who Captained. In a scene of things to come for Angelo Capello, Harrison bollocked him in the second half “Ange, look like you want to play football man”. Set up as a conventional left back in a back four. Foulstone was very calm & aware. Noticeably intercepting pass after pass from the FCS boys. When the ball was bunged down his channel, he was good at controlling it & taking it forward. He didn't mind staying forward & putting crosses in. Clearly two footed as well.

United's 2nd goal started down our left (Foulstone & Capello channel). But, was more noticeable for a  powerful clean finish from 10 James Oliver. James started the game very brightly. He had a lovely mazy run into the box early on. I thought he really should have scored. (Although the FCS keeper did very well to block his shot). That was comfortably the best chance in the first half. James had all the heels, flicks & stepovers going on. But, a couple of times his crosses & square balls let him down.

And finally. 9 Ryan Viggars. (He scored the first). Mobile as an up top striker. Bizarrely, one of the things I noticed was how well he closed the keeper down. Got the angles right. But, it illustrated his pace & mobility. He also got a few good defensive headers in at FCS set pieces, etc.

There weren't many clear cut chances at either end. Kurtis England was barely troubled. I felt United got stronger as the game went on. Defenders had the fitness & skills to start bringing the ball out more. The game got more open towards the end as the opposition began to chase it. A good, deserved win to start the tournament.

And, so, to the Beer….

Brewbot. 12 keg lines. Chorlton. Fourpure. Cloudwater, that sort of thing. Long bottle/can list. Wrong time maybe. Both kegs and bottles pulled up way short on NI beers. Way it goes.

Northbound, 08 Kolsch on keg at 5%. (Londonderry). Not quite see through in the glass. So, not Kolsch like. Thin in the mouth. A little bit herby, bordering on mint. Quite refreshing. But, not my favourite style.

The Errigle Inn. Great, great place. But, you have to chuck yourself into the flow. Different bars have different beers on. Standard beers don't seem to be listed on the boards, only rotating (I assume guest) beers. Cask beers all seem to be in one bar. But, the staff in front of you insist they'll be happy to get you any beer from any bar.

Boundary, Sure Why Not, American Pale on keg at 4.1%. (Belfast). Smells lovely, a garden in Summer after it has rained. Tastes superb too. A nice sweetness, maybe peach. Slowly, slowly gives way to a zingy bitterness. Nothing harsh about it. Just grows to full flavour. (Barman claims that is exclusive to The Errigle).

Farmageddon, Oatmeal IPA on keg at 6.4%. (Comber). I was a little disappointed with that. Didn't taste that abv, not bitter enough, fairly thin in the mouth.

507/1070
8