MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The first week of the 2009 6-Man Soccer Season kicked off at Penny Lake here June 17 where Combat Logistics Company 36 Dragons out-scored team Ops 4-2.
It was a hard-fought battle from the opening to the final whistle.
The game never had a clear winner until the end where the Dragons finally put the game away, scoring the final two goals just before the end of play.
Coach and forward James Whiteker was the leading force for the Dragons, constantly riddling Ops goal keeper with goal attempts.
“It was a lot of fun. It was good sportsmanship and good (physical training). There wasn’t a lot of killing each other,” said Whiteker.
The 6-man soccer season rules are mostly the same as regular soccer with only a few exceptions.
One of the major rules that seems to be a bit difficult for the players to get the hang of is the arch that is in front of the goal.
The arch begins on the goal line and surrounds the goal to about ten yards directly in front. Players are not allowed to dribble the ball into the arch to shoot or await a pass inside the arch.
Failure to follow this rule results in a dead ball, and it is turned over to the opposing team, which can result in a goal kick if it was the offense who committed the violation.
However, if it was the defense that committed the violation, the play would result in a penalty kick.
“That arch around the goal is something. You really have to watch it both offensively and defensively,” said Whiteker.
The Dragons did just that as they scored two goals in the first half, one by Whiteker and the second by forward Bryan Morgan, to go into the half with a 2-1 lead.
The second half was much like the first with lots of shots but no goals.
Ops seemed to have come out with more intensity than in the first, taking control of the ball and making the Dragons keeper work for a change.
Even with a more intense defense, the Dragons still managed to get a couple more shots by Ops keeper. Forward Sean Robert Regan put one more in off a quick pass, and Whiteker put in a second to extend their lead.
“We did really good today. Yesterday we got beat 8-0, so 4-2 is a big turnaround,” said Ops player Chad Lyman.
The size of the field is much smaller than a regular soccer field. In fact, it is nearly half the size, which makes for a faster-paced game.
“It’s a smaller field, but it’s an even-playing field. Everyone has to play by the same rules,” said Lyman.
The size of the field and rules are what will make or break a team in this league. The faster a team is and faster they learn how to overcome the new rules the better chance they will have for success.
Games for the intramural 6-man soccer league are held at the Penny Lake soccer field starting at 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.