left with a few GTL grad students at 9 AM and rode to a gym nearer the center of Metz. Inside were around 70 people, mostly in their 20's, warming up. This is going to be fun, I thought. I started the first game up front, but missed a few open looks and was moved to a more defensive position. We were methodical and disciplined, while many of the other teams had very skilled players, but couldn't quite muster the teamwork necessary to beat us. In the first round, we tied two and won two.
During our second tie, we had a defensive breakdown when two of our players went to chase the ball, and I slid away from my man, to cover another at the near post. A pass was made to the man I had been assigned, who was now wide open and buried a goal. First on the field, then afterward, Mohammed, my teammate threw a hissy fit, blaming me. I explained that I had moved because the near-post man was more of a threat and that two of our teammates had chased the ball, leaving the near-post man unmarked. My team continued to feud, even though the result seemed, and would eventually prove, insignificant. I had to leave the area, so disgusting was the display of frustration and bickering by my teammates. This made me think long and hard about cultural differences and how they might be to blame. In the U.S., everyone plays team sports at some point, learning lessons of teamwork, personal responsibility, and winning and losing as a team. I'm not sure France has the youth team sport infrastructure. Doesn't that affect teamwork in non-sports environments? Imagine a company project setback where everyone instantly points the finger at the first sign of adversity. Maybe blame was their way of trying to improve the team. Maybe it's a cultural difference, and merely that. Or maybe it was just this group or even individual players that were just a bit too competitive.
We played flawlessly the next few games. I was instructed not to make such reckless runs at the goal - to be more defensive-minded. "I'm Dani Alves" I explained partly joking, but I don't think they understood the reference to the equally reckless, but infinitely more effective Barcelona right back.
After group play ended, there was a vote held on how many teams would be allowed into the playoffs. It was a sham - obviously any team that didn't make the playoffs would vote for more teams in the playoffs, and they outnumbered the teams opposing the rule change. So we had an extra game on our slate. In the run through the playoffs, we played some incredibly skilled individuals, but they spent more time moving side to side than at the goal, and they lacked any sort of coherent passing that could penetrate our defense. We won one playoff game on penalty kicks and the next two we wrapped up with early goals. There was no bickering as we celebrated our championship and posed for a zillion pictures with the 2nd and 3rd place teams.
The tournament involved 11 teams and took place on a single field or court. We left at 6:00 PM. So much for studying for thermodynamics.
We had a lot of time to kill. The stands were full of players at the beginning of the day, but the teams were slowly eliminated, and went home.
Champions: R-L Me, Fred, Mohammed, Mallek, and another player we picked up, I can't remember his name, but he was a really good goalie, and won PK's for us
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