World Footy News

On Saturday August 1, the small town of Mason Ohio played host to the 2009 49th Parallel Cup, an annual event that matches the USA National Australian Rules Football Team, “Revolution” up against “Northwind”, the Canadian National Australian Rules Football team. The 49th Parallel is the average latitude that marks the border between the US and Canada. It was a football match that eventual saw the US Revolution victorious by 8 goals and leaving the Northwnd think tank scratching their heads on what had possibly gone wrong for football in Canada on that one beautiful August day in the small town Mason. There was loads of national pride riding on the game’s outcome along with an USA vendetta dating back to July 2007 when in a surprise to football fans and to US Footy, Canada beat the US at Vancouver’s Thunderbird Stadium for the first time in the sports 20 year plus North American History. The game got underway and Canada came out of the blocks like an Indy racecar as its midfielders hit Northwind’s Scott Fleming with a perfect pass at full forward, who then put Canada on the scoreboard for a six point lead.

But it was a lead that they would soon give up as the stronger looking Revolution moved into second gear. They began to find space and move the ball more skillfully into their forward fifty giving their forwards in BW Eegles RJ Wheelock and Rob Strange, with Minnesota's Danny Hansen, the best opportunity to kick goals. Persistence in the forward line is something that is required to win football games and it was exactly what the Revolution had on order for the day. After a couple of near misses early on in the first quarter eventually the goals began to come. Not even the strong rucking efforts of Northwind’s in form and very powerful ruckman Manny Matata could swing the game back in Canada’s favor as they went into the first break trailing by nearly 4 goals. The USA 4.4 (28) to Canada 1.1 (7).

The second quarter was much like the first, the Northwind backline seeing more football than they would have liked. The simple mistakes began to increase as Northwind began to overturn the ball without a contest. The Revolution was becoming too strong, too skillful and just too determined to let Canada upset their well planned Mason August holiday. The Revos were led by Nashville's Luke Nemeth who had an outstanding game. The young inexperience and youthful Northwind began to show as they pushed the ball to the flanks and wings rather than going direct to the middle on a smaller ground. At half it was USA 6.8 (44) to 2.2 (14).

As the third quarter begun, it was the Revolution that must have overheard Emile’s half-time encouragement speech as they continued to dominant the game. However, Northwind did offer up the idea for a brief moment that a comeback could be possible. As Northwind’s Jared Postance began a charge from the half backline kicking and hand balling the football through to the forward pocket that eventually resulted in a Gareth Bowley goal. One more from Fleming and Vice Captain Aaron Falcioni lead the motivational charge as he lifted the team. All of a sudden Northwind was back at the contest. Northwind’s onballers Cam Stark and newcomers Robin MacDonald and Justin Oertel playing on the wings and the flanks began to get the upper hand and first use of the football.

However, just as they did in the first quarter the Revolution responded with answers for the Canadian charge and quick pumped in goals that seem to take the wind out of any Canadian late game attempt at a revolution. Tempers then began to overheat as the score began to widen and the Northwind began to acceptable the inevitable. Falcioni received a yellow card and was sent to the sin bin for the remaining part of the third quarter. At the last break it was the USA 10.9 (69) to Canada 4.2 (26).


As the game rolled into the fourth and final quarter and although Canada looked good early in the quarter with Captain Leyhane get his usual number of football possessions and Vancouver newcomer Ash Steier deciding that he had a little bit left and who marked strongly in front of his man in the forward pocket and managed to kick Canada’s fifth goal, it was all too late. And then at the 16th minute mark in the final quarter the Revolution ran the ball down through the centre and eventually into an open goal square where they goaled, that was the sealer, game, set, match! At the end of the day obvious game day statistics told the story. The Revolution had had 23 shots at goal and made the best of them compared with Northwind’s 8 shots at goal. Put simply Canada could not seem to move the football into its forward 50 and when they did they failed to convert. It was a case of a stronger, fitter and more skillfully Revolution.

According to Canadian Head Coach Mark Block, "With 2 ½ working seasons to develop rookies and other new prospects, this year, the Northwind has embarked on a process of development. At times this can be challenging and a bit painful for it seems as though you are taking a step back, but sometimes you need to take a step back if you are to take two steps forward. We injected 12 new players into the line up this years and we are confident that many of them will become the future of the program. The Revolution have also been rebuilding. Their roster looked much faster, younger and more fit than in 2008. They have obviously realized, as we did last year at the IC, that to get to the top tear of International Competition, we need to improve in these 3 areas. To their credit, the Revolution creped in front of us this time.

"The USA provided a great venue for this event. The field was expertly prepared, accommodations were close and we got together for a little camaraderie the evening after the game. I understand this was a dry run for the US Nationals in October. The US has been doing a good job hosting these events in the past few years and seem to established a template for successful tournament management."

REVOLUTION 12.11.83 defeats NORTHWIND 5.3.33

Best

Revolution: Luke Nemeth, Andy Vanica, Noor Jehangir, Wes Edwin, Dan Sarbacker, RJ Wheelock

Northwind: Manny Matata, Aaron Falcioni, Cam Stark, Gareth Bowley, Justin Oertal


Goals

Revolution: Weelock 2, Stange 2, Hansen 2, Jehangir 2, Floyd 1, Jonhs 1, Loring 1, Sarbacker1

Northwind: Flemming 2, Bowley 2, Steier 1


Field Umpires: Brian Dunkin (Canada), Craig Warner (US)

Article courtesy of www.OAFL.ca.

Photos below by Rob Coulburn - http://picasaweb.google.com/OAFLPhoto...evolution#