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Title:PFC prepares for Gothia Cup with friendly match
By Jeff Gard
Published in The Review Mirror
Date: March 18, 2004

Losing a soccer match doesn't really matter when
you're preparing for an international event.
That was the case when the Portland Football Club met
up in a friendly match with the Mangwa Football Club
at the Oz Dome near Ottawa last Sunday. The Cameroon
squad doubled up the PFC 4-2, however the game was
more about preparation for the Gothia Cup bound team.
The PFC will compete at the 2004 Gothia Cup in Sweden
this July.

"Every time we can play a team that has the quality of Mangwa, it helps you better prepare in a sense that
they see the necessity of short passes and a necessity of keeping control of the ball ÷ seeing it first
hand," said Coach Anders Carson after the game.

"The nice thing about Mangwa, we're really lucky, is they go into it with a friendly style, compared to some
teams that might run them over.

"This is building confidence for the players and building character because they're meeting people
originally from other countries and hearing different language on the field whereas they've never had that
before."

Thomas Nelson and Wade Strickland managed goals for the visiting Portland squad, however the team was
focusing on the finer points. And because the game was played indoors, it allowed them to pay more attention
to detail that they will need to focus on at the Gothia Cup.

"Indoor soccer is more fast paced so you have to do a lot of quick passes and short passes and more ball
control," said Jason Wills, of things they will need to do well in Sweden. "A lot of us haven't played
soccer in a long time so it gets us back in the rhythm until we can get outside."

This was the second meeting between the two clubs since September when Mangwa edged Portland 3-2.
Cyriaque Meka, events coordinator for the Mangwa Football Club, said his team has seen improvement from
the PFC since that first meeting.

"Compared to the first game we had down in Portland, the team is a little bit better right now," he said.
"They pass the ball quicker, a little bit more high skill now. Definitely the team is better then the first time we met. It is the opinion everybody (on Mangwa) is sharing right now."

While this was their first friendly game of the season, the PFC practiced indoors every Tuesday at
Rideau District High School through the winter. The practices, led by Bob Widenmaier and Penny Nelson,
focused on fine tuning technical soccer skills and were a way for the players to stay in shape during the
off season. Guest speakers also visited the club. They included Sensei Jim Carbino, who spoke about balance
and Megan-Hill Donnelly, who spoke about jumping and leaping. This past Tuesday, the club was expecting a
visit from Richard Nasmith to speak about travelling abroad and diplomacy and Julie McCarthy, who going to
give training tips and speak about game day preparation, injury management, mental focus and
shooting techniques.

Up until July, the PFC will be competing in more friendly matches and tournaments that have yet to be
scheduled. The PFC is well on the way to reaching the fundraising goal needed to send them to the Swedish tournament, but Carson says there's still plenty of work to be done. Kin Car Bingo returns to the Kin Sports Park in Portland the first week of May and a movie night will be held in late June to help fund the team's trip.

Other members of the PFC include Linda Baker, MattBaker, Steve Baker, Tegan Baker, Brett Anderson, Mitch
Billings, Mike Evans, Josh Eysaman, Martin Grey, Eric Larson, Lee Stewart, Aaron Lynn, Thomas Nelson, Nathan
Riley, Greg Thomas, David Widenmaier and Jason Wills.