MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan – The sky unleashed a seemingly ceaseless downpour on Iwakuni’s Penny Lake Field as Daegu American senior fullback Kay Husler gathered the ball and tried to send it upfield against Korea International.
Up in the air she flew.
Splash!
Husler landed on her back, her uniform covered with water and sand, while the ball flew only scant yards.
"It’s tough," Husler said after Daegu’s 4-0 shutout of the Phoenix on Day 2 of the 2008 Far East High School Girls Class A Soccer Tournament. "You have to think positive, no matter the surface. Puddles, mud, sand, you have to give it 100 percent."
That they did, players, coaches, referees and tournament organizers alike, on Monday as rain drenched Far East tournaments stretching from Yokota Air Base to Okinawa.
Standing water on parts of Kadena High School’s lower field greeted Class AA boys tournament participants, thanks to overnight rain Sunday.
At Iwakuni, rain began around 11 a.m. and finally forced organizers to postpone six matches until Tuesday.
Similar rainfall began Monday night in the Tokyo area and threatened to delay Tuesday play in the Class AA girls tournament at Yokota.
Chief among the complaints were how puddles — visible from one end of Penny Lake to the other — dramatically slowed the pace of the match.
"It takes the speed right out of the game," coach Ed Thompson of defending Class A girls champion Daegu. "The ball hits a puddle and everything comes to a screeching halt. That only benefits slower, physical, heavy kickers who can boot the ball."
"The puddle becomes the best defender on the field. It’s ridiculous," said striker Jon-Jon Green of reigning Class A boys champion E.J. King.
Organizers said there was little they could do except play on. Only five days are allotted for Class AA tournaments and four for Class A, and there’s little wiggle room to make up delayed matches.
"I told the coaches we’re going to play except during lightning and thunder," Class AA girls tournament director Bonnie Seeley said.
"We’re playing. We don’t have a choice," Class A tourney director Mark Lange said. "Even if we get heavy rain, we’re going to do the best we can to get them in."
Despite those efforts, which saw Lange line and reline the field where rain washed away chalk, four Class A boys matches and two girls contests, each bearing impact on playoff seeding, were delayed until Tuesday.
For those playing through the muck, preparation and gearing the mind toward a different style of ball was paramount.
"You try out the field during warmups and see what cuts you can make to keep your balance," Yokota boys coach Tim Pujol said.
"We like to play the ball on the ground, but where there are bad spots on the field, you have to play it in the air more often. You can’t dribble as much so you pass it more."
On the field: All four teams in the Class A girls Pool A finished 1-1-1, but thanks to a superior goal differential, 2006 champion Osan American earned a top seed into the single-elimination playoffs starting Tuesday. Gina Bosworth had three goals.
Yokota’s Tony Presnell had two three-goal games to get off to a flying start in the chase for the Class AA boys Golden Boot award and leading the Panthers to a 2-0 first-day record.
