Goal scorers are born, not made
Posted 01:05 p.m., May 10, 2008
You can teach players to be a lot of things on the pitch!
You can teach them to be better passers. You can teach them to have better touch with the ball. You can teach them to be better with the ball at their feet and better dribblers. You can teach them to be better defenders.
But one thing you can’t teach a player to be is to be a better goal-scorer. You’re either a goal scorer or you’re not. Those kinds of players are just born with a gift. Sure, a coach can teach a player to know where to be and how to read the play and get in better position to score goals, but putting the ball in the net takes skill that certain players just have or don’t have. And I’m not talking about the guys who score a goal here or there during a season. I’m talking about the kind of player that will score eight, 10, 12-plus goals a season on a consistent basis.
Randi Patterson is just such a player. Paul Conway, the Charleston Battery’s all-time leading scorer, was another goal scorer. (Despite having scored 18 goals over the last two seasons, I wouldn’t classify Stephen Armstrong as a pure “goal scorer”. He’s certainly a player that can put the ball in the net, but like Ben Hollingsworth, I would say that goal scoring was not his purpose in life on the pitch. Both were just good all-around players.)
Patterson had two goals last night in the Battery’s 3-1 win over Miami FC and by all accounts could have had a couple more. He has three goals in his last two games and it’s no coincidence that the Battery has won both games. After watching him play at UNC Greensboro for several years against the College of Charleston, I felt like Patterson could be a difference maker for the Battery this season. After a slow start in the first couple of games, Patterson is doing just that. He’s not the fastest guy, the most skilled guy or that fantastic in the air.
Patterson is simply put – a goal scorer. If he doesn’t put up double-digit goals this season I will be surprised.
The Battery started the season off at 0-1-2, but has now put themselves right back near the top of the USL First Division standings with two straight wins at home. The Battery could very easily be 3-0 at home, if not for a late goal by Seattle. And they’ve done this without Armstrong, the team’s leading scorer from a year ago, on the field. As stated before, Stephen is nursing an ankle injury and will not be back in the lineup for a couple of weeks.
Once he’s back, this team has a chance to be among the best in the USL First Division.
If you want to see highlights of past Battery matches you can go to http://usl.playonsports.tv/. You have to pay to watch, but the highlights, along with play-by-play commentary, are TV quality and well worth the small price of admission. Unfortunately, last night’s win over Miami FC is not among the highlights because the game was broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel.
See you on the Pitch,
APM
Comments
Posted by Mikey on May 10 at 6:24 p.m.
Great match last night, and Patterson sure is coming into his own. great guy off the field and has his head in the right place watch this interview with him about when he got his first call up to the Trinidadian team
http://youtube.com/watch?v=HMAfYp9E9VQ
nice stuff
Posted by ambulance4robben on May 10 at 10:23 p.m.
It was a great game! The Battery displayed fitness through to the end of the game that Miami was not able to match.
It appeared early in the game that Miami was the more fit. Their counterattacks were quick. Their men moved forward very, very quickly. In contrast, the Battery seemed, well,slow...however, in the end it was clear that they had paced themselves throughout the match so they could maintain control in the final minutes of the game. Miami, at the end of the game, were clearly the more tired of the two teams. So many times teams concede goals in stoppage time, or in the last 10 minutes due to fitness. The defense runs out of steam, and the opposing forwards are able to get away. I am pleased with what the Battery are doing. As the weather gets hotter, they will need to continue pacing themselves to avoid heat exhaustion, as well as maintain control of the game right up to the end. As the Miami fitness improves, whether from the season longevity, or getting their regular players back from injury, their overall speed and excellent passing skills will make them a formidable team as the season progresses...
Posted by TPLesesne on May 11 at 12:25 p.m.
The climate should NOT have been a factor for Miami, since they're in warm and humid conditions all of the time. Augie has always stressed fitness with his teams, so it's no surprise, that our guys are as durable as they are. It also helps to have the MUSC sports medicine doctors helping out too.
Posted by Mikey on May 13 at 4:14 p.m.
Patterson was announced as USL D1 player of the week today
http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/248297.html
congrats to randi!!!
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