Sun 8 May: AFC Wimbledon 3-2 Teddington Athletic

On a hot day in May, Teddington finished off a fascinating first 11-a-side season with another trip to AFC Wimbledon. A win would mean a fourth-placed finish to match last season’s debut top-flight campaign; anything else would mean fifth.

The only change from the previous game was up top, where Ella Dodd replaced Ale Fairn. So goalkeeper Ruby Rudkin started behind a back four of Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Millie Theobald and Saskia Brewster protected by Amy Hallett, while Emily Coulson and Liz Kriebel patrolled midfield between Ella Bothamley on the right and Phoebe Head on the left. A strong bench of Ale, Emily Bashford, Carla Novakovic, Millie MacEacharn and Sadie Day would all be called into action.

The hosts rustled the net in the second minute from an offside position, but the officials couldn’t save the visitors soon after when the Dons’ first corner produced a goal. As hasn’t always happened, Teddington managed to repel the initial cross but the clearance fell to an unmarked player on the edge of the box who drove low under Ruby.

Teddington shuffled their pack, with Boz and Doddsy rotated for Ale and the increasingly impressive Sadie, who showed some confident touches in what turned out to be a 10-minute cameo cut short by a knock to the hip. She was covered by the solid Macca on the right, and by then Bash was terrifying Wimbledon from the left.

Within a minute of her entrance Bash had torn through the defence but lacked the support needed to finish the chance she’d created – and just before the break she burst through again, but neither she nor the willingly-supporting Ale could convert the chance.

That turned out to be Ale’s last input, her day cut short at the half by a foot injury. She was replaced by Doddsy, while the ill Anna was replaced at right-back by Carla.

Not for the first time, Teddington conceded again from a corner, this one nodded over the line from a yard. Having given themselves a mountain to climb, the visitors picked up their icepicks and crampons and set off: Bash shot just wide of the post, then Doddsy knocked on a falling through-ball with the outside of her right heel before running on to her own flick and firing just wide from the edge of the area.

So it was no real surprise when Teddington reduced the arrears after 11 minutes of the second period. Pushing forward from midfield, Emily laid a great ball to Liz, who used her strength to create space in the inside-right channel, used her guile to cut in our her left foot and used her ability to shoot from the edge of the box, with the goalkeeper only able to parry it into the roof of the net.

Still Teddington came. When Emily couldn’t find space for a shot the ball was recycled through Amy to Doddsy whose shot from the edge was well saved; clearly troubling the Dons defence, the big striker then burst on to a Jelly throw, and with Em and Boz in support she had the confidence to shoot herself – just wide of the far post.

That confidence was well-placed. The very next minute, Doddsy timed her run through the inside-right channel perfectly, latching on to a Jelly through-ball and powering it into the near top corner from the edge of the box.

Teddington had been well on top for 20 minutes, and with 16 minutes to go they scented a first-ever victory over Wimbledon – the only team they’ve played more than once without beating. Sadly, they lost concentration and immediately conceded to an old story: the ball over the top falling into the gap between defence and goalkeeper, gleefully finished by a nippy attacker. Within 30 seconds of the restart Boz was sent through by the same means, but the Wimbledon goalkeeper was rapidly off her line and alert enough to snuffle out the danger.

While continuing to seek improvement, Teddington will always look to play the game the right way. It was almost their undoing when a passing move out of defence was intercepted, but Ruby did well to save the high shot. And with Phoebe back on the pitch, there was a late flurry of chances. First Pheebs received an excellent Amy through-ball but dragged her shot just wide of the near post. Then there followed an exhilarating minute in which Phoebe burst down the left and saw a shot parried, her cross from the rebound just evaded Boz, Carla recycled the Dons’ clearance to Jelly who powered through but Emily was controversially flagged offside.

The only remaining incident of note was an entirely accidental bust nose for Millie, borne with stoical determination and a comical amount of passing up the conk. This season has been anything but a slap in the face for Teddington. True, they finished a place lower than last year; credit for that must go to the welcome newcomers Maidenhead, who have made the division more challenging while remaining thoroughly pleasant on a personal level.

Despite the positional slip, Teddington’s first 11-a-side season wasn’t a regression. The Tampa tour which dominated the agenda for so long, taking an enormous amount of effort and money from helpers too numerous to mention here, will prove to be an enormous aid to the girls’ personal and football development: gaining a new earnestness and interest in self-improvement, they have thrown themselves into multiple training sessions with a genuine desire to improve and enjoy their game. And what could be better than that?

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC (4-1-4-1): Ruby Rudkin; Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster; Amy Hallett; Ella Bothamley, Emily Coulson, Liz Kriebel (1), Phoebe Head; Ella Dodd (1). Subs: Ale Fairn, Emily Bashford, Sadie Day, Millie MacEacharn, Carla Novakovic.

Sun 9 Apr: Teddington Athletic 1-3 AFC Wimbledon

After tropical Tampa it was back to temperate Teddington, but not back to Broom Road. This final home game of the season was staged at NPL, and from next season the girls will play at the club’s newly-leased Udney Park facilities.

Ella Dodd and Carla Novakovic forgot their boots, sending George scurrying back for them and themselves slinking to the bench. The back six was unchanged from recent games but found themselves under the cosh for the first couple of minutes: Ruby Rudkin fumbled a hopeful through-ball and AFC Wimbledon scented blood, shooting from everywhere and hitting the bar twice.

But with three minutes gone it was Teddington who opened the score. Picking up the ball on the edge of the area, Liz Kriebel found Phoebe Head ghosting in from the left. Teddington’s top scorer turned inside onto her favoured right foot, but when that shot was blocked she simply popped the rebound away left-footed.

She nearly bagged a second two minutes later, tearing on to a bouncing through ball but firing just over when pressured by the onrushing goalkeeper. So much for not enjoying playing on the left: Phoebe was, by her own admission, loving the freedom this was giving her.

Pheebs was on the left partly because the management knew she could play there even when she insisted otherwise, but also to accommodate the entirely different right-wing threat of Ella Bothamley. Fun on tour ushered Boz into a central position socially, but her footballing ability has never been in doubt: the only question has been whether to play her up top or wide right. Her crossing is arguably the best at the club, and she demonstrated it once again during a superb Teddington move that demonstrated the best of the girls’ improvements in Florida.

Passing the ball carefully out of defence by moving for each other, the team worked the bak through Emily Coulson to Boz on the right. Hitting the byeline, she sent over a peach of a cross which narrowly missed Ale Fairn’s near-post run and was just behind Phoebe at the back-stick; Pheebs collected and was just about to finish when the big centre-back recovered superbly to knock it behind.

Clearing that corner only left Wimbledon prey to another swift counter-attack, this time rather more straightforward as right-back Anna Kauffmann lofted a ball that was intended for Ale but yet again found Phoebe – who was once more foiled by the big No.16, a quietly superb centre-back. She was having to be, and she looked relieved when Phoebe switched to the right for the last 10 minutes as Carla replaced Boz and Emily Bashford came on for Ale.

All Teddington’s good work had only yielded a one-goal advantage, and that was wiped out with a controversial penalty just before the half-hour. The Dons striker dragged it back, knocked it past her marker and went over the leg. It’s later revealed by the visiting management to be the sixth penalty she’s won that way this season.

Still, the half-time team-talk was positive, as it should be considering Teddington had just had very much the upper hand against the outgoing champions. Doddsy and Boz replaced the breather-taking Liz and Phoebe, but within two minutes the home team were behind when a corner from the left deflected in off the back of a defender who didn’t jump.

Teddington wobbled a while, Wimbledon wandering in behind the defence to force a good save from Ruby. Gradually the home side worked to find a way back into the match, a high-point being an extraordinary Bash dribble: searing at the terrified defence from the halfway line, she turned them inside out three or four times but couldn’t quite find room for a shot. This likeable girl shows immense promise.

For the last 10 minutes Teddington switched to an orthodox 4-4-2, pushing Doddsy up top and sacrificing Amy’s defensive screen for Liz’s forward raids while Phoebe returned to her left-wing beat for Carla. But pushing forward brings risk and it was Wimbledon who scored again, from another avoidable defensive slip – this time an unmarked right-wing runner having the freedom of the 18-yard box to slot home.

With defeat went Teddington’s slim hopes of second or third place. Subsequent results mean that in their final game of the season, at Wimbledon, they need to win to overhaul Maidenhead and match last season’s fourth place. It would be a shame if they didn’t do it, for they are now capable of greater things than at this time last year, and they have much to look forward to.

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rukdin, Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster, Amy Hallett, Ella Bothamley, Liz Kriebel, Emily Coulson, Phoebe Head (1), Ale Fairn. Subs Carla Novakovic, Ella Dodd, Emily Bashford.

This weekend, this month and the future

Udney Park

Teddington Athletic Football Club is very glad to announce that it has exchanged leases to use the Udney Park playing fields in central Teddington. The initial agreement is for 18 months but hopes are high that this will be extended far into the future, and that TAFC will be able to call the 13-acre site home.

Competitive games will start from next season, but first this summer's end-of-season Awards Night should be held there, as we are at liberty to use the clubhouse (pictured). The club will be announcing further plans in due course; the first priority is finding a groundsman...

This week's training

In a change to the usual venue, this Friday's training session will be held at Udney Park, at 4.45pm to 6.15pm. Please can the girls wear their blue tour training tops, blue shorts and blue socks - and bring rain jackets just in case.

This week's match

In another change to the usual venue, Sunday's home game against AFC Wimbledon will be held at the NPL Sports Club (Queen's Rd, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW) at the north side of Bushy Park. 10am kick-off, be there for 9.15am.

Remaining fixtures: the four-way fight

While in Tampa, the league finally confirmed that the November's game at Crystal Palace Reds, for which Teddington couldn't raise sufficient players due to half-term holidays, has been awarded to Palace as a walkover (three points, zero goals). Also, Teddington dropped to third as a result of Wimbledon’s walkover win against South Park, which took the deposed champions into second place above Teddington on goal difference. After drawing 1-1 in Berkshire last Sunday, Maidenhead are a point back, with Abbey Rangers two points behind that. In other words, there’s only three points between second and fifth, and each of the four teams could finish in any of those positions.

The 1-1 draw at Maidenhead was Abbey’s fifth successive winless game (drawing with Maidenhead twice, Wimbledon and Teddington, and losing to Teddington). The Addlestone outfit are struggling to fit in their remaining six league fixtures, and they might have another date to add if they beat second-tier Hampton Youth in this Sunday’s League Cup semi-final. Following that they travel to champions Crystal Palace Reds then face two more league ‘double-headers’, on successive Sundays at Crystal Palace Blues and Wimbledon, before finishing their league campaign at South Park.

Wimbledon are also busy. After travelling to Teddington they have the Surrey County Cup final against second-tier Carshalton, they travel to South Park before that double-header against Abbey and closing home game with Teddington.

After an impressive first season, Maidenhead have a rest this week then play host to South Park and Crystal Palace Reds.

If Teddington won both games against Wimbledon, they would finish above Maidenhead and match last season’s fourth-placed slot; it would also mean that Wimbledon would require at least three points from that Abbey double-header – which might in turn stop Abbey finishing above Teddington…

It’s all to play for, and the management value all parental help in making sure the girls are supported, fuelled and rested for these last two vital games of a groundbreaking season. It could be Teddington's best yet.

Click the image below for fixtures

Tampa Day 10: Twister sisters

Once more unto the breach, if that’s not an unfair description of the Ed Radice complex that has begun to feel like home for the Teddington girls. Their fourth and final game was a 10am kick-off, overcast and muggy but not exactly Mississippi midsummer and not too hot – and by half-time, it would be raining in advance of a gathering storm.

With an early alarm call and a game the previous evening, the players were perhaps understandably a little dopey; Millie T needed a third explanation during a warm-up that was eventually abandoned when the girls couldn’t get to grips with the rondo passing drill.

Even so, it has served them well, they are getting ever better at it – and, importantly, increasingly implementing the skills it teaches into match situations. They are also now self-sufficient in monitoring each other’s pre-match stretches, while today Carla Novakovic led the cardio warm-up with the enthusiasm and experience she has helped to bring to the midweek fitness sessions that have also helped the girls reach a new level.

After coming off the bench to excellent effect in the last couple of games, Carla returned to an otherwise unchanged starting XI: Ruby Rudkin in goal, a back four of Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Millie Theobald and Saskia Brewster protected by Amy Hallett. Ella Dodd and Emily Coulson patrolled the midfield with Phoebe Head wide right and Emily Bashford continuing her education up front; Sadie Day was ill but sat on the bench alongside Millie MacEacharn, Liz Kriebel and Ella Bothamley, with Ale Fairn defying pre-match injury doubts to join them later on.

All players having been briefed that a hooter would sound if lightning was detected to be getting dangerously near, the match kicked off to the atmospheric sound of thunder, the air moist but not yet raining. Having been asked before last night’s match to each set themselves a private personal target, today some of them were given personal improvements to attempt – things that might not come off, but for which they would not be chastised for trying. It’s good to report that all the players involved did so, and usually successfully.

Teddington started on the front foot, with Phoebe playing a nice give-and-go with Doddsy down the right before Anna – always a solid defender, and now increasingly creative – also sent Phoebe scampering away. The winger forced a corner which she pulled back to Jelly, whose cross to the far post found Bash but the shot whistled just over.

As is her right and wont, Phoebe then cut out the middle-girl and had a crack herself, forcing a good save from the goalkeeper,  but as per last night’s game Teddington were working the defence harder than the keeper, having majority possession without creating too many clearcut chances.

There are many weapons in the Teddington armoury and after 21 minutes, Phoebe was replaced by Boz. Soon enough the sub came close too, with Doddsy driving on from midfield and finding her in the inside-right channel, but just as Boz cut inside and shaped to shoot with her left foot she was blocked by a despairing defender. It was the story of the half: Teddington commanding the opponents’ half but generally being halted at the 18-yard line. Not a bad story to tell, all told.

One of the coaching conundrums this season has been how to get more goals from Doddsy and Emily C. Last season they plundered 33 between them, with Doddsy playing a fair few games up front and Em usually tucked into the No.10 slot; since the move to 11-a-side they have generally been selected as central midfielders, working hard for the team but perhaps at the sacrifice of goalscoring potential. But with the back four allowing the full-backs (and occasionally Jelly) to come forward and overload the midfield, the two can now get forward a bit more – and when Carla received a throw-in and cleverly worked the ball to Doddsy, her good friend fired just wide of the near post. There’s goals in them there boots.

And there’s more elsewhere in the team. One direct threat is the pace of Bash up top, and just before the half-hour she produced a little lightning of her own, knocking it past a startled defender and leaving her for dead, then outstripping another before being stopped by a third.

But when Teddington made the breakthrough, just after the half-hour when Liz and Macca replaced Em and Carla, it was through teamwork and passing – entirely fittingly for the tone of the tour. Doddsy’s intelligent diag allowed Boz to force a corner, from which she found Doddsy in the area. The midfielder’s right-foot shot was blocked, but the rebound fell serendipitously for her to fire home left-footed.

This time Teddington tightened up their game management and made it to the impending break without conceding an equaliser. The half-time interval allowed the ref to announce that the thunderstorm – whose leading edge was already dumping plenty of precipitation on the participants – was expected to hit in 15 to 20 minutes, at which point he would abandon rather than delay the game.

It also allowed Teddington to rest Bash, move Boz up top and reintroduce Phoebe, and to encourage Saskia. Unquestionably a brilliant defender – well, almost unquestionably: told she’d played well in the first half, she shrugged “I haven’t done much really” – she also has the ball skills and technical awareness to create problems for the opposition, and she was reminded that the back four allows her (and Anna) the licence to get forward and do just that.

So she did. For the first 10 minutes of the half Teddington got a lot of pleasure down the left, with Sas helping to overload the opposition midfield, and after 44 minutes she was involved in a move which progressed through Doddsy and Boz to Phoebe, who expertly lashed high past the goalkeeper.

Having battled determinedly through illness, Ale then replaced Amy, with Doddsy dropping to the anchor role before being replaced by Em, and Boz having a go in central midfield before flitting back up top when Carla replaced the ailing Ale. It’s that kind of positional fluidity that serves the team well now and should hopefully serve the girls well for a lifetime of football.

The positional experimentation and rolling substitutions – just before the hour Bash and Amy reappeared for Macca and Liz – did hamper Teddington’s rhythm a little; Tampa came into the game more than they had previously, but like their visitors in the first half they struggled to convert possession into penetration or shots. On the one occasion they did get behind the backline, Ruby was quickly onto the scene once she’d been rudely disturbed from gazing directly upwards into the gathering stormclouds. Denying a Dave-started rumour that she was catching raindrops on her tongue, she insisted “I was wondering if I was going to get hit by lightning.”

And indeed on 64 minutes, later than expected but six minutes shy of the full term, the referee responded promptly when a lightning flash was followed rather too promptly by a startling peal of thunder.

All ran to the changing rooms, where Tampa Bay United chief George Fotopoulos thanked all concerned for getting involved. An intelligent and passionate advocate of women’s and girls’ soccer, he has been a superb host; having helped develop the Teddington girls’ football, he explained how he hopes they will continue to evangelise for the beautiful game. He has certainly done his bit to make it so, and not merely by presenting the Teddington team with a trophy later accidentally broken by a horrified Boz.

By that time the team had driven home unscathed through a tornado warning. The storm passed quickly enough for the girls to enjoy a trip to the mall and present a final-night entertainment revue, singing and dancing in teams – well, except Boz, who did her own thing with typical humour and winning self-mockery. The girls have had a wonderful time on a brilliant tour, and are coming home not just better players but better people.

 

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster, Amy Hallett, Phoebe Head (1), Emily Coulson, Ella Dodd (1), Carla Novakovic, Emily Bashford. Subs: Liz Kriebel, Millie MacEacharn, Ella Bothamley, Ale Fairn.

Tampa Day 9: Close but no Cuban cigar

After a baking-hot April Fool’s Day morning around the pool, the third of Teddington’s four games was played on a gorgeous Floridian evening. The opponents this time were Tampa Bay United’s U14 Premier team, the ‘second string’ to the nationally top-rated Elite squad but a state-division top-flight side in their own right, and maintaining the pass-and-move ethos stamped throughout the Tampa club. How much would the visitors have learned from previous encounters?

Liz Kriebel returned to the squad after illness, but with another game in the morning, Ale Fairn wasn’t asked to risk aggravating her troublesome back/shoulder problem. Continuing in the recent 4-1-4-1 formation, Teddington included a couple of new starters who had earned their places with strong substitute appearances: Emily Bashford up front and Millie MacEacharn wide left. Phoebe Head switched to her favoured wide-right slot, with Ella Dodd and Emily Coulson in front of Amy Hallett in midfield and the usual back four of Saskia Brewster, Millie Theobald, Ella Waldron and the increasingly impressive Anna Kauffmann protecting goalkeeper Ruby Rudkin. Liz, Carla Novakovic, Sadie Day and Ella Bothamley made up a strong subs’ bench – and each would be involved.

Teddington started the match as they would go on: impressively. Patiently passing and probing for weaknesses, they had the majority of possession and almost broke through when Phoebe’s cross was inches away from a flying Bash, who is diligently learning the centre-forward ropes and already showing she’s very capable of playing that role. Tampa’s only early chance was ruled out for offside, but Ruby also started as she meant to go on, coming off her line much more quickly to extinguish the threat anyway.  

Before the quarter-hour the visitors started to rotate their squad, with Doddsy and Phoebe given a breather while Liz and Sadie added Teddington’s own American (and half-American) midfield flavo(u)r. At the mid-half water-break, Carla came on for Emily C and Boz for Macca, with Sadie switching to left midfield, which placed her nearer her watching family – although her twin brother got a bit too close for Sadie’s liking in the second half, coming over to annoy the subs’ bench before being shooed away.

Sadie played a full part in a continuing impressive Teddington performance. With the ever-improving Anna stepping out of defence to add overloads, the visitors were starting to play some nice triangles without quite penetrating the defence or troubling the goalkeeper – so on the half-hour, they expedited a pre-planned switch to a back three, with Jelly pushing on into midfield.

Reaching half-time satisfied but not satiated, Teddington continued with the back three but rang the changes, pushing Doddsy up top with Em just behind her, Phoebe on the right and Carla on the left. Jelly and Liz held the midfield, with Amy the insurance in front of the back three. And for the next quarter of the game, Teddington were dominant.

Within a minute, they’d had their first shot on target, Liz following up at the edge of the area with a solid effort. Then Doddsy, having been beaten to a through-ball by a centre-back who’d nipped in front of her, executed instant revenge by doing the same back, expertly laying off for Phoebe to tear down the line and cross to Em, whose shot was pushed onto the bar. A minute later, Em was in the right place again but her shot was deflected to Carla, who shot wide.

It wasn’t just that Teddington were now creating genuine chances; they were genuinely creative. Carla – playing in her sixth different position of the tour, having already done well in central midfield, defensive midfield, left midfield, left-back and (almost unbelievably, considering she’s three foot nowt) centre-back – combined well on the left wing with Doddsy and Em, playing those Tampa-like triangles, then recycling through the anchoring Amy to Jelly to Phoebe to find Doddsy on the edge for a shot desperately deflected.

So it was no surprise when Teddington took the lead 10 minutes into the second half, and again it was delightful football. Having been pinned back down their right side by Carla, Doddsy and Em, Tampa were happy to clear it 30 yards out – but there was Amy again, tidying up with a five-yard diagonal ball to Jelly, who did the same to find Phoebe. A one-two with her friend and skipper sent Pheebs through on goal, where she instantly hammered into the bottom corner.

Tampa might have equalised within a minute when the otherwise superb Millie T fell over in possession, John Stones-style, but Ruby roared off her line and panicked the striker into shooting over. A minute before the water break, Liz suffered a nosebleed so Carla tucked inside and Bash re-emerged on the left, immediately linking up well with Doddsy and feeding Jelly, who took her time and went for the top corner but saw her shot well saved by the goalkeeper. Once again Jelly had done almost everything right and been unlucky to be denied, as she had been by the woodwork in the second game shortly before the decisive third goal.

So it was, to quote baseball legend Yogi Berra, “deja vu all over again” when Tampa went up the other end and scored. With the last attack of the third quarter, the home side worked their way along Teddington’s back three probing for an opening – and with the visitors’ midfield not sufficiently helping out, they found one, breaking through the inside-left channel to fire high past Ruby.

Shuffling their players but maintaining the 3-4-3, Teddington rested Amy and brought on Boz (alternating with Bash on the left and up top, with Doddsy in a midfield anchored by Carla). And to give them their due, Tampa had the better of the final quarter, pushing up their wide players to get around the defence: twice Ruby had to be very alert to dash out of her six-yard box and block-tackle a striker. Giving it the death-or-glory, Teddington stuck to their attacking guns and could have won it with four minute remaining but Jelly, fed by Phoebe and Doddsy, despaired to see another good shot well saved by the goalkeeper.

So it was honours even, and perhaps it’s revealing that Teddington felt a tinge of disappointment as they shared empanadas (reflecting the Tampa area’s strong Cuban heritage) with their affable opponents and their welcoming parents. It says that the fast-learning visitors are earning the right to live with their vaunted hosts by applying their new knowledge, but must remember to keep doing all those simple things which any team must commit to muscle memory – digging back, covering for each other, working hard.

If they can do that – and find a way to balance the defensive diligence which has seen them concede just 15 goals in the last 14 league games with the attacking élan they displayed for much of this game – then they will have a good chance, not just in tomorrow’s tour closer, but in the two remaining league games against top-four rivals AFC Wimbledon.  

TEDDINGTON ATHLETIC Ruby Rudkin, Anna Kauffmann, Ella Waldron, Millie Theobald, Saskia Brewster, Amy Hallett, Phoebe Head (1), Emily Coulson, Ella Dodd, Millie MacEacharn, Emily Bashford. Subs: Carla Novakovic, Liz Kriebel, Sadie Day, Ella Bothamley.

Tampa Day 8: Busch rangers

A second day of rest and relaxation for the girls, with a trip to Busch Gardens, a "venerable amusement park" founded in 1959 by the folks who brought you Budweiser. Cheers!

The girls were predictably fearless in their choice of thrills, taking full advantage of their express passes to enjoy rides like Falcon's Fury, which dropped them 335 feet face-down in five seconds. Your reporter stood making notes.

The girls stuck together in groups of five or six and came together for lunch...

...and eventually returned to the team vans.

Then it was off to Applebee's for an all-American evening meal, followed by milkshakes paid for by Anna's tie-dyed T-shirt business. (Waitress: "Your girls are absolutely wonderful.")

Then there's only one thing to do: jump out of the vans, dump your stuff by the pool and...

Tampa Day 7: Beach to their own

Throughout the planning and admin for this USA trip, Teddington Athletic have been keen to insist that it is not a holiday, but a football tour. The focus is upon education and experience, rather than simple fun in the sun.

That said, today we went to the beach.

Even professional footballers have their downtime and their team-bonding, and after their excellent exertions the previous night, the girls did indeed have fun in the sun on Clearwater Beach. Under clear skies and on white-gold sand, these fine young folks had a great time, ate ice creams, laughed – a lot – and rode inflatable bananas atop the eponymous clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Tomorrow, they get some more fun with a trip to Busch Gardens, before an evening training session to prepare for two consecutive matchdays. Let's hope they enjoy those just as much.

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.

Tampa Day 5: Education, education, education

The Tampa tour was always intended as educational, and today the girls went to college. Eckerd College, to be precise, nestled at the mouth of Tampa Bay near the four-mile Sunshine Skyway bridge.

There their host was a professor of football, if such a thing existed: Danielle Fotopoulos, the 1999 World Cup winner and all-time NCAA Division 1 record goalscorer, who is now head coach of the Eckerd women’s soccer team.

Danielle showed the girls round her place of work, and it’s not a bad place to earn a living. Situated on the Gulf coast, with its own beaches and dock, Eckerd is idyllic – but Danielle was quick to demolish any preconceptions of athletes sailing through college barely troubled by academia. Anyone who goes to college, even on a soccer scholarship, is thoroughly monitored for grades and attendance.

Indeed, Danielle was insistent that she won’t even consider enrolling someone who isn’t excelling academically (meaning, after a little wrangling through the US/UK grading differences, B+ at least – in core subjects like English and "math"). Parents will be glad to know that any pie-sky ideas of ignoring study to become a famous footballer will have been squarely knocked out by Danielle’s firm but fair words.

Showing the girls around for 90 minutes, Danielle was generous with her time and patient with the queries, from the straightforward “What’s a sophomore?” to knottier questions about finances and combining motherhood with a professional career. Those Teddington girls – and there are a few of them – who might fancy pursuing this academic avenue have now had a glimpse into a possible future – and a clearer idea of what is required.

One requirement is a constant commitment to improving as players, so an afternoon with Mrs Fotopoulos was followed by an evening with Mr Fotopoulos. Having watched the game on Saturday, George had a few suggestions for the girls' training, so it was back to the Ed Radice complex – thankfully in the cooler early evening.

Overriding more minor language barriers – cleats are boots and pennies are bibs, that sort of thing – Tampa Bay United's Director of Coaching gave the girls a simple but important training session built around switching the point of attack.

Firm but friendly, George also stopped training a couple of times to introduce various coaches who were arriving to tutor some of the 9,000-odd kids under TBU's umbrella – coaches like Martin Grammatica, whose eight successful placekicks helped Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the 2002 Super Bowl.

Hopefully the girls will learn from the advice kindly given by Mr and Mrs Fotopoulos. The first evidence may come tomorrow, when Teddington take on Tampa's U13 Elite – but maybe the effects will be much longer-lasting.

Tampa Day 4: To the ball game

After the exertions of Saturday, a much quieter and easier Easter Sunday. The girls’ day started with a Pilates warm-up, hosted by chaperones Jacqs and Lisa from a plan derived by Narelle at Body Tailored Pilates. The girls’ physical fitness has come along impressively in the last couple of months, with specialised running training and Pilates sessions every week giving them the strength to give them confidence on the ball.

Next there was a team meeting on a few matters: a quick warning about the perils of off-target golf-balls and encroaching alligators, then a considered debrief on the previous day’s defeat against Tampa Bay United. The tone was upbeat: these were very good opponents, Teddington have learnt lessons and on Tuesday will get another chance to measure themselves against Tampa’s U13 Elite team.

But today was a whole different ball game. Specifically baseball. The tour party was off to the George M Steinbrenner ballpark, home of the Tampa Yankees and spring-training home of their parent club, the mighty New York Yankees.

The Yanks and their visitors the Minnesota Twins whiffed a fair few balls behind the foul lines, and though nobody in the crowd seemed able to catch the ball, their eye was certainly caught by the Teddington players and coaches in their matching tie-dye T-shirts, made by the right-back Anna Kauffmann to raise money for the tour. 

The girls’ chaperone Amy turned increasingly American as the innings (or is it inning?) wore on, culminating in impressive solo renditions of God Bless America and Take Me Out To The Ball Game. For their part the girls were somewhat nonplussed with baseball (although to be fair spring training is the equivalent of a football pre-season friendly), but happily joined in with the scoffing of hot dogs.

And Ruby, who had spent the entire game screaming for the players to throw her a ball, was (along with Doddsy) presented with one on the way out. So that’s good.