MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The Orient Tigers defeated top seeded NAFY 5-2 in the intramural soccer season championship game at Penny Lake fields here Aug. 23.
NAFY had taken a loss early in the tournament to Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 6-1, but had rallied from the losers’ bracket for a shot at the title.
For the championship game, NAFY was at full strength and came out strong, aggressively pushing the tempo forward offensively.
Initially the Orient Tigers appeared unable to handle NAFY’s quick transitions and the team struggled to get much offensive action.
For roughly the first 15 minutes, NAFY was firmly controlling the tempo and consistently challenging the Tigers’ defense.
While the Tigers were able to get a few balls down field, NAFY was quick to contain, sending the ball back down the field and continuing the offensive assault.
“We never gave up,” said Tylor Apple, Orient Tigers forward. “We were always fighting.”
Just after the 15 minute mark, NAFY paid for their offensive onslaught.
A quick ball to Yuta Fleming, an Orient Tigers striker, at midfield and the one NAFY defender couldn’t put enough pressure on the fast-footed Fleming.
Fleming fired a cannon past the NAFY keeper, but NAFY’s players weren’t going down without a fight. They responded quickly and scored less than 1 minute after regaining the ball.
Instead of settling back down, the Tigers began applying some offensive pressure of their own.
The Tigers managed to work the ball downfield and just outside the goal box to Alex Barker who knocked one by the keeper.
The Tigers were back in the lead 2-1.
Again, the Tigers continued the pressure and shortly before the half they were rewarded with a corner kick.
Doug Lang, a Tigers defender, dashed forward from his midfield position and blasted the ball over the NAFY keeper’s head.
The half ended with the Tigers up 3-1.
The second half began where the first left off. Initially, the Tigers kept NAFY on its heels and kept the ball on NAFY’s side.
As the minutes ticked by, NAFY became more and more aggressive, ultimately transitioning to a four-man attack and leaving only one defender and the keep in the backfield.
For awhile, this strategy worked well and the Tigers were unable to get any clean breakaways.
Several times the Tigers’ forwards would get down field, but the lone NAFY defender was able to forestall the attempt long enough for additional NAFY players to drop back and contain.
NAFY’s keeper would bomb the ball back down field and NAFY would continue the four-man assault.
Apple, who was heading the Tigers’ offensive response would hang back and attempt to use his body to block the power punts of the NAFY keep.
“I tried it all night because I knew they were going for the long, hard ball,” he said.
Apple’s efforts paid off and he finally managed to block one of the goalie’s punts.
Caught completely off guard the NAFY goalie could do little but watch the ball bounce right back past him and into the net.
With the score 4-1 and less than 10 minutes remaining, NAFY was on the ropes and continued their four-man attack with their fifth playing from midfield.
NAFY managed to score again with a series of throw-ins.
Having worked the ball within scoring range and then getting a throw-in, a cycle repeated itself several times.
A NAFY player would launch the ball into the goal box hoping his teammates would be able to head or kick the ball in.
The Tigers’ keeper would attempt to intercept the throw but come up begging as the ball repeatedly slipped out of his hands and out of bounds again.
Finally, after several of these cycles, NAFY put a shot on net, making it 4-2.
Again NAFY resumed its pressure tactics, but their forward play left them extremely vulnerable to breakaway. Fleming was able to break past midfield and despite NAFY’s attempts to stop him, he tapped one past NAFY’s keeper.
The game would end shortly thereafter, 5-2.
Fleming said NAFY had good passing skills and speed, but it wasn’t enough.
“We play together all the time,” said Fleming. “We passed well this game.”
For the Orient Tigers, this victory was a long-time coming.
In the two years prior, the Tigers had managed second in the tournament.
Takashi Sobue was the selected Most Valuable Tiger’s Player.