Tampa Day 6: Cupcakes in the rain

The day started with more Pilates courtesy of Lisa and Jacqs, followed by a brief but brutal game of American Football. The girls then relaxed round the resort ahead of what the evening would bring: the tour’s second fixture.

The weather was once again interesting. Whereas Saturday’s game was played in 85-degree searing sun, this match was preceded by an afternoon-long thunderstorm which dumped so much rain that the venue was changed from the grass fields of Monroe School to the artificial turf of the Ed Radice complex. It’s almost become a home from home; as if to make the girls even more at home, the temperature for the 7.30pm kick-off was a noticeably cooler 67 degrees, and after a beautiful Floridian sunset, much of the game was played in more rain – warmer than British precipitation but just as moist.

Teddington were boosted before the game when Saskia Brewster recovered from a slight illness, while Amy Hallett declared herself over the ankle injury she’d picked up in a Walmart aisle. (Thankfully, she didn’t get a two-for-one deal.) The only player unavailable was Liz Kriebel, still recovering from a high temperature but well enough to attend.

There was one change to the starting line-up, with Ella Bothamley rewarded for her impressive substitute showing (and superb assist) by being placed on the right-wing. Phoebe Head switched to the left, with Carla Novakovic – who had been the designated stand-in for either Saskia or Amy – dropping to the bench and fully expected, correctly as it turned out, to play a major part in the game.

Teddington started the brighter. Popping the ball around in the sort of triangles that pleased the watching George Fotopoulos, they had the majority of early possession and the first shot on target when Phoebe found Emily Coulson for a well-saved seventh-minute effort. Pressed in midfield, Tampa only sporadically threatened with the odd through-ball mopped up by Ruby Rudkin.

After 15 minutes Boz came off, deciding she’d rather wear boots than trainers – a curiously delayed decision considering the girls had been playing on the turf for well over an hour before kick-off. Sadie Day came on for her own 15-minute spell, ended when she decided she was starving hungry. Obviously right-wingers are a strange breed.

They can be effective, though. In the 22nd minute, Tampa’s broke the deadlock. Those Fotopoulian passing triangles pulled poor Carla, on for Sas, into no-girl’s-land and the winger broke clear to fire past Ruby, rooted to her line.

Affected by the concession, Ruby spilled a cross a couple of minutes later but Millie Theobald, dependable as ever, was on hand the scoop it clear – and the next chance fell to Teddington, when Phoebe again created a chance for Em to test the keeper.

With Sadie subbed off with a rumbling stomach, Millie MacEacharn emerged and Phoebe switched back her normal stamping ground of the right wing. She wasn’t entirely happy on the left but it’s a role worth persevering with: she could score plenty of goals cutting in from the flank onto her lethal right foot, and it will make space for Boz’s superb right-wing crosses – such as the one converted by left-winger Phoebe at the weekend.

Positional flexibility is a boon to player and team alike, and the latest tactical wheeze was unveiled at half-time. Emily Bashford has all the physical attributes – pace, determination, energy, fearlessness – to be an excellent central striker. When she was told this during the first half, and that she would be coming on not in her usual wide position but through the middle, she shyly smiled, thanked the coach and quietly asked where she should stand.

Luckily, she had a great role model to watch in Ale Fairn. Troubled by a wrist problem (exacerbated by falling off a bed – another for the Unusual Injuries file) and then a back strain picked up during the game, the No.7 didn’t have her finest half-hour, but as usual her footballing brain was exemplary.

If Ale is the silent assassin, ghosting through defences, Bash presents a different problem. Utterly fearless and fiercely determined, she immediately worried the home defence and was involved in three passing moves in the first five minutes after the break. Sadly, this promising (re)start was somewhat undermined by Tampa doubling the difference when a runner broke through the Teddington backline and found herself free in the six-yard box to smash past Ruby.

Again, Teddington refused to be cowed. In what was now pouring rain, Millie MacEacharn continued to impress with her stoic efforts on the left, helping Saskia – back on for Amy, with Carla slotting effectively into defensive midfield – to thwart Tampa’s dangerous right-sider.

On the opposite flank, Teddington were creating their own danger, with Em and Phoebe regularly linking up and the latter’s deflected shot forcing a corner. But the visitors came closest through an unusual outlet. With Ella Dodd having once again poured her efforts into the midfield marathon, she was given a breather by switching places with Jelly. And the captain was desperately unlucky not to halve the deficit on the hour.

The chance came at the business end of an excellent Teddington move which started with Carla feeding Em, who drove forward and found Boz (back on for Macca) whose lay-off set up the skipper; despite being just inside the area she had the presence of mind to take a touch and aim a curling shot toward the far corner, so perfectly placed that it bounced off the woodwork.

With only two goals since her club joined the top division, poor old Jelly has hit the woodwork at least twice as many times, and has of course spent many games in goal and defence. It will be interesting to see what happens if Teddington can find a way to free her to cause damage further forward; perhaps it will come through that positional flexibility, with Doddsy again looking comfortable in the back-line too, at one point expertly blocking a through-ball with a mid-air heel-flick. Like her skipper, Doddsy is a danger to the opposition, but if the two girls can cover for each other in this way, it can only benefit them and their team.

Doddsy can also be a very effective front-runner, but just as Teddington were preparing to throw her up there – reverting to a back three, another flexibility bonus – Tampa made the game safe with their third, a speculative effort from the edge of the area which flew through Ruby’s despairing hands.

Beaten but not downhearted, Teddington can be proud of themselves. Against yet more excellent opposition – who at one point totted up an 18-pass move trying to get away from the visitors’ pressing – they played a full part in a good game, working hard without the ball and using it intelligently in possession. Several players, including Anna Kauffmann, Carla and Bash, arguably gave their best performance yet in a Teddington shirt.

As the girls befriended their opponents over cupcakes – and Dave chatted with his opposite number Adrian Bush, whose U17 team last year became national champions – the lessons Teddington are learning from this trip will do them well in future, when the rain and the welcome may not be quite so warm.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster, Amy Hallett, Ella Bothamley, Emily Coulson, Ella Dodd, Phoebe Head, Ale Fairn. Subs Carla Novakovic, Millie MacEacharn, Sadie Day, Emily Bashford.