2021 Pub League Semi Finals

As the summer wanes on, Pub League starts to wind up. The Irish Rover and Man Shave tied for the teams with the top points, which Bayer Ear Clinic and Talnua tied for 3^rd. To give the underdogs a chance at the title, the semi-finals have the top and bottom scoring teams face off to see where the chips may fall. We’ve seen teams that have struggled during the regular season win the championships, so nothing is set in stone until the final whistle is blown.

Bayer Ear Clinic (5-14) v. The Irish Rover (9-10)

Bayer took a forfeit since they had less than seven of their roster able to make it out. They picked up a few players from Man Shave and Talnua to still hold a match against The Rover.

While The Rover still ended up scoring more goals, Bayer was strong on points. Much of those are owed to passing and communication.

Ryan Coon proved to be a break-out goalkeeper for the Rover — blocking some laser shots and strange bounces. It is safe to say, had he not been in goal, the score may have been closer. Another key player for The Rover was Tyler, who was able to catch some high balls and round up loose ones, and put them in the net.

Talnua (6-10) v. Man Shave (5-16)

Man Shave showed up strong with enough to play 13-a-side. Talnua picked up some players from Bayer and The Rover to match.

The middle of the field is where much of the points were decided. If either team did not reset for a puck out and cover their player, the ball was won and turned into a point of a goal. With a full field, passing became a key factor. With less room to run and make space, picking open teammates and delivering precise passes proved fruitful.

Man Shave remained slightly ahead through both halves. In the second half, Talnua scored some lucky quick goals, but Man Shave beat them on points from a distance.