Fourth-year Varsity Blues striker Nordo Gooden can run like the wind. This past weekend, the Kingston, Jamaica native left his opponents in the dust.
Gooden accounted for all three goals scored by the Varsity Blues men’s soccer team on the weekend. The Blues overmatched the Laurentian Voyageurs 2-0, and the Nipissing Lakers 1-0 on October 16 and 17 at Varsity Centre. Goalkeepers John Smits and Maximir Luburic both earned shutouts, as the Varsity Blues improved to a league best 10-1-2. The Blues have secured thetop spot in the East division, and guaranteed themselves a first round bye and home field advantage in the quarter-finals of the 2009 OUA playoffs. “We clinched our team goal of the year, which is ‘finish in first in our division,’” said Gooden. “We went out gunning for the win.”
The nationally ranked Varsity Blues were in playoff form on Friday and Saturday, dominating on the field over the Voyageurs and Lakers. The combination of veteran forward Gooden and Toronto native Alexander Raphael was more than opposing defenders could handle. The pair led an aggressive and speedy offensive attack, which consistently pushed their opponents deep into their own zone.
Alongside this stunning offensive display was a solid performance by the Blues defence, who controlled the momentum of the game from the back end. On neither day could the opposing team effectively penetrate the Varsity Blues defence, nor was it able to contain the Blues quick-moving offense.
“We don’t change our preparation; it’s always been the same,” said assistant coach Tom Lazarou, after Friday’s game. “And we showed it today. We played faster than they did, it’s a bigger field than they’re used to, and I think that makes a big difference in our play.”
The speed of Toronto’s game resulted in the Blues’ first goal Friday afternoon, at the 33rd minute. Raphael set up Gooden on a pass and play. Gooden, turned away on numerous chances earlier in the game, would not be denied, as he tipped the ball into the open side of the goal. A sprinting Gooden scored a second goal on a long pass from a Blues defender. After the ball went by Laurentian goalkeeper Scott Cliff, the Voyageurs were visibly deflated for the remainder of the game.
Saturday evening’s game saw much of the same fire from the Blues. A fierce offensive strategy and constant pressure resulted in the game’s first and only goal, scored early. Gooden started the play on a long ball to Raphael in the 15th minute of the first half. He scored on a set-up from Seung Bok Lee, who made no mistake in finding Gooden in the clear, for a beautiful finish in front of the Nipissing net. The goal put Gooden in sole possession of second place for the OUA’s leading goal scorers, ahead of third-ranked Raphael.
“It’s always fun playing with [Raphael],” said Gooden with a grin. “We want to be first and second in the OUA, so we always look for each other and set each other up. It is friendly competition, and it keeps us both going.”
Though the Blues team was considerably faster than Laurentian, this skill was nearly to a fault. A number of possessions throughout the game were conceded, as a result of an offside called against the Blues. While assistant coach Tom Lazarou agreed that surrendering possessions is not ideal, he noted that none of these concessions were of a particularly dangerous nature.
“It would be really nice to keep it and not lose the ball, absolutely,” admitted Lazarou. “But when you lose possession in their third of the park, that’s not bad. It’s only when you lose it in our third of the park that’s a concern.” Lazarou went on to add, “I thought we did well as a group. Yes, there were a few turnovers, but they didn’t hurt us.”
“I’ve got to take some risks going up front,” explained Gooden, when asked about the off-sides in Friday’s game. “I try to use my speed as much as I can. So I’m always looking to play off the last defender’s shoulder. Sometimes I get caught offside, sometimes I have a breakaway. But I try to incorporate my style into the way our coach wants us to play.”
On the strength of their speed and overall game, the gambles made this past weekend by the Blues appeared to be risks worth taking.
