Blue Aces U13 team learns their lesson from the U15s defeat last week
Blue Aces' chairperson believes his young side is finally clicking into shape after a 4–0 win against Gtap FC.
The result of Saturday’s clash between Blue Aces and Gtap FC suggests the home team may have found their rhythm.
Blue Aces beat their opponents 4–0 during the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association U13 league fixture at Altrec Sports Complex on August 22.
Club chairperson Mzeke Mafa said the score indicates that his side has learned from the mistakes of their U15 team, who lost 3–4 to Mighty Heroes last week, after handing over the game to their opponents in the second half.
Read more: Blue Aces cruise into Map Games’ hat
Blue Aces had scored three unanswered goals in the first half and went into the break leading, but costly defensive flaws saw them concede four goals in the second half, handing Mighty Heroes the win.
In the aftermath of that defeat, Mafa vowed to correct the issues he had identified on the pitch. He said the lessons would not only apply to his U15 side, but to his U13 players as well. Chief among his concerns was his side’s struggle to move tactically as a unit. He explained that when his players move, they tend to do so simultaneously, leaving their centre-back exposed.
Mighty Heroes exploited this weakness last week. Mafa said he set out this week to correct that issue across both his U13 and U15 divisions.
While the upcoming Sunday’s game against Loyo Stars FC will be the real test of whether the U15s have upped their game, Saturday’s result against Gtap FC was, in his view, a clear sign that his U13s had already absorbed the lessons from the U15’s mistakes. “I tried them and corrected previous mistakes. They were able to focus this week. They were playing the way I wanted them to play.”
Also read: Fluid Blue Aces outclass timid Laz in the Alex Promotional League
Reflecting on the win, Mafa said he believes his younger division is starting to grasp how to move on the field. “That is what they were doing today. Everyone who gains possession of ball, they were raising their head and then, passing the ball.”
The score, according to Mafa, was beyond their expectations. He admitted that, ahead of the game, everyone said that even a draw would have sufficed, but little did they know that the youngsters would show up on the field and collect three points with a clean sheet.
Follow us on our WhatsApp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates!
