NM Gladiators 5 - CO Storm 1

5am wake up, eat, drive, warm-up, 8am kickoff!! Let the games begin! We started off as well as could be expected...5-1 versus the team we thought would be our toughest, in-bracket rival. Winning that first game (and scoring some goals, to boot) really relieves alot of pressure...so, phew....until tomorrow when we match up against the NV state champs. The complex is very nice and immediately adjacent to Pearl Harbor. Quite a setting. As Maddie and I watched the second half, we were facing west and it came to both of us that the view was amazingly similar to the view in Bernalillo looking toward the Sandias! I will try to capture the shot tomorrow. The game started (as usual) with both teams coming out strong and getting over the 'first game jitters'. It takes about 20 minutes to settle things down, and after that, the Gladiators were clearly controlling the flow of the game (which doesn't necessarily translate into winnning). We were knocking on the door quite a few times, and CO had a few counters, but we ended up poking one in for the 1-0 lead. That score stood until halftime. In the second half, again, both teams came out strong and aggressive. It settled a bit quicker this half, and we went up 3-0 with only 10 minutes gone in the half. Soon CO scored after we gave the ball away in our half, and the comfy 3 goal cushion was gone, as CO continued to pressure. Once we settled again, and pressured them back, 2 goals (a 3rd was called back on offside) made it a comfortable win without any nail biting. Way to go Gladiators...great start to the tournament. (As expected, Brian did not play today, although he warmed up at probably 70 % speed. He is going to try to get in the game tomorrow. It has to be painful to watch from the sideline) Anyway, today is turning out to be a 'soccer day'...no good adventures. We are co-hosting the team dinner tonight so we had to shop at Costco and are going to start putting it all together soon. I hope Maddie and I can sneak out tomorrow morning and find a new hot spot before the soccer game at 2pm! Aloha for today...the cooking has begun and I gotta run!