James the man again as Blues squeak into post-season

West Mifflin 1-0 Century V

Vargo; Kutscher, Pasternak, Gasparovic, Winters; Gauss, Straw, Pcholinski, Lacock; Stinner, James

Substitutes: Mike Hasson, Jeffrey, Wilkinson, Baguet 
Annoying Little Shits That Weren't Playing on the Bench: Baguet

1-0 James (76)
Some Guy-Yellow Card? (67)

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After a nearly worthless performance the day before, the Blues' 2012 season was to be decided just under 24 hours later on an oppressively mucky Monday evening. The 2012 GPSL Championship Division season came down to a final regular season match between your beloved boys in blue and their rivals, Century V. All three meetings between the South Hills powerhouses have been prude Catholic School girl tight - with no team scoring more than one goal in any game. The Blues dropped a close affair last year on one of the most ridiculously lucky goals ever scored. In 2010, they let a 1-0 lead slip late on a set-piece dinker and had to settle for a point. With a playoff berth on the line all involved were prepping for another low-scoring battle - even Matthew Alan, who finally found time in his busy schedule of passing out at country music concerts and running "Tuff Mudders" six days a week and indignantly yammering to the heavens with cries of "Why!? Why!? Why are my knees hurting!?" The Blues faithful all knew why he was there though...to pick up his free jersey. Mooch.

Anyway, the game was a contentious one and early on at least, it looked like the Blues were going to find themselves on the back foot for most of it. Century played soundly, threading together passes up and down the pitch like a team that has had more than zero practices since May 2011. There appeared to be an added level of chippiness given this was the first match-up between the two teams that featured Jason Straw, who made the move up Curry Hollow Road from Century to West Mifflin over the summer. The Whites (heh) are known to be physical, oftentimes too much so, and interspersed between pretty passes were the usual kicks and shoves.

It's a shame that it needs to be brought up again this week but the center ref was absolutely abhorrent. Jason Straw got kicked up and down the pitch all night. Ark James had the back of his shirt pulled so many times I can't believe the thing still fits him. Someone on the sideline got walloped so hard that Cory Winters sacrificed a perfectly good free kick (one of the very few that were called)  so that he could blast into the back of the little shit that committed the offense.

The Blues were lucky Century raided Mike Hasson's boot closet because had they not, the final would almost surely have been 15-1. Chance after chance went begging for the South Park outfit. I can't remember all of the chances Century had, but there were plenty. West Mifflin weren't entirely innocent of blowing good opportunities. I do believe Mike Hasson had a S K Y B O M B and Stinner, having been put off slightly by the defender potentially getting a head to it, just couldn't aim up a perfect cross from James midway through the first half. Instead of thumping it home a la Bacary Sagna against the Tots, it plooped off of his neck and fell to the ground. On top of all of that the Century keeper, himself a rumored WMFC transfer target, had himself a decent game.

With about 15 minutes left, it happened. Either a midfielder or defender released the one pretty good guy (for Century) that has dark hair (you know who I mean) down the left flank. Whoever was playing right back for the Blues at that point got doinkered and the Century forward danced around him and was through on goal. I don't know how it happened exactly but he got a shot off but Vargo got down to it and stopped it. I can't recall if it went out of bounds for a throw or if West Mifflin actually worked the ball up the pitch but it came to Pcholinski (I think) who turned and found Straw, James and Stinner in front of him up against only two defenders. He played a ball to James who took it in stride and slotted the ball coolly into the corner of the net. After the game, Stinner recounted that he heard one of the United defenders mutter "Jesus Christ!" after James scored the goal and that made him joyous on the inside. And just like that the Blues turned a near 0-1 deficit into a 1-0 lead. It made for a nervy final 15 minutes or so, with both squads well aware that a draw would send Century through and the Blues packing but in the end it was James' 8th of the season that pushed West Mifflin back into the GPSL semi-finals.



The game has already happened as I publish this so no comical rally cry to try to get people to come to the game.