ECS FC Occidental Derby
ECS Brougham vs ECS King St
Monday 9/30 7:20pm at Arena Sports Magnuson
It's time for the third installment of the Occidental Derby; the contest pitting ECS FC's two Seattle-based coed indoor teams (King St and Brougham) against each other. Whoever wins this round grabs bragging rights as the teams have each won one of their previous two encounters, with an equal goal differential to boot (soccer pun).
That equal record is a compliment to the teams' managers who sought an equitable split when the two teams formed out of the pulsating mass that previous was one large and growing indoor squad. It's not just head-to-head where the teams have performed similarly, they've shadowed each other in the standings all three seasons.
That proximity has lent an edge to the otherwise friendly in-house rivalry. Make no mistake, both teams are made up of ECS diehards so wanting to win and competing hard are wired in everyone's DNA.
Returning to the teams' original level this season, King St got right back to the winning ways with victories in their first two. They suffered their first non-result last Monday in the second half of a double header, always a difficult task. That loss was to the team currently leading the league with four wins and one loss.
The one loss for that pace-setting team? It was at the hands of Brougham ECS. Brougham began the season with two close losses but has now found their form and rattled off four consecutive wins, three of them against teams in the top five of the table.
The two Seattle indoor teams have been a microcosm of ECS FC as a whole. They began as one team but generated so much interest and fervor that multiplication into two teams was necessary. And where they began with humble hopes, both teams have improved to challenging for league titles and flirting with promotion.
As the two teams have started to solidify their rosters, they're starting to implement new formations and tactics and even have begun some advanced stat tracking. While the derby has been, and will continue to be, a hard fought contest on the pitch; the players don't lose sight of the ultimate goal of helping everyone (in ECS) improve.
The derby match will be held on Monday, September 30th at Arena Sports' Magnuson facility on the southwest field beginning at 7:20pm. As always, there is beer available at a very reasonable price!
