| Sunday, June 1, 2003 A.S.A. "Wayne Smith Invitational" MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL in Alexandria, Virginia |
"The Mississipi Delta was shining like a national guitar. I'm following the river down the highway thru the cradle of the civil
war. I'm going to" ..Flickland, Flickland, in Alexandria, Virginia! We're going to Flickland!
Sure it wasn't a good start getting lost on the I-84 when still in Connecticut. Massimo was heading West instead of South!
After all, Colombo traveled West and thought he found India.. Must be an Italian thing. Once in Virginia and after a few hours
of sleep, the two CTSC's founders met long-time friends of the WTSL, as well as Andrew Giffen of CvilleSC and Wayne
Smith from California. Nine players divided in two groups battled for the victory in this first "Wayne Smith Invitational"
Regional Open, hosted by the glorious Washington Tuesday Subbuteo League in the Goodman Squash Center of the
Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia.
Group A (of four) was definitely the toughest and Jim Taylor had no easy life. After a couple of posts against Andrew Giffen
for a 0-1 loss, Taylor had a great match with 1997 US Champion, Marco Silva. The final score 2-2 was fruit of an incredible
sequence of goals, with the two players looking for the win until the very last second: 1-0 Jim, 1-1, 2-1 Marco, 2-2.
Unfortunately, Jim found himself at 1 point in two games: to earn the qualification, he would have accomplished a positive
result against defending National Champion, Rick Wilcox. Certainly, not an easy task. Wilcox is surely one of the finest
Subbuteo players of the Emisphere, as the win in 1999 FISTF Open proves. His two early goals denied Jim the passage to
the playoffs and Marco Silva, despite a 0-1 loss against Giffen, qualified as 3A.
In Group B, Massimo had the honor to welcome Wayne "Werder" Smith in this Mid-Atlantic Regional. The Venerable Wayne
had intentions to show how "the West is the best" and played a great match. His defensive skills gave major headache to
the Italian who struggled to find the net. Massimo eventually scored, but WW took advantage of a defensive amnesia and
tied with a powerful shot that bended Massimo's plastic GK rod!
In the second match, the Italian faced WTSL's and 2002 National Runner-up, Mark Palmer, who actually introduced
Conturso in the ASA Circuit in the 2001 Nationals. In that occasion, Palmer's Zimbabwe teased Massimo's LW Celtic with a
double 2-0. This time, things went differently. Massimo played a good game and scored early with a shot on the far post.
Then, he controlled the ball and tried to close the match, but mistakes and Mark's GK denied the possible second and third
goal.
Excited by this win, Massimo passed on table 3 to face ASA Rank #30, Ed Morgans. The blonde WTSL player was wearing
with pride a Man U jersey. Like a bull provoked by a red flag, the Italian came back from an incredibly early 0-1 (Ed scored
after 15 seconds!) and won the match 6-2 (0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, then 6-2). This result became very important for the GD
factor, which was necessary to decide who qualified as 2B behind the legendary Gregg Deinhart. Gregg didn't have many
problems in this Group, as the 4-0-0, 11-1 record showed.
Massimo faced him for the first time ever and saw for himself why Deinhart is World's Top American player. Everything
looked quite easy for the 5-time US Champion and only the posts saved the Italian from a humiliating result.
"..who am I to blow against the wind?"
war. I'm going to" ..Flickland, Flickland, in Alexandria, Virginia! We're going to Flickland!
Sure it wasn't a good start getting lost on the I-84 when still in Connecticut. Massimo was heading West instead of South!
After all, Colombo traveled West and thought he found India.. Must be an Italian thing. Once in Virginia and after a few hours
of sleep, the two CTSC's founders met long-time friends of the WTSL, as well as Andrew Giffen of CvilleSC and Wayne
Smith from California. Nine players divided in two groups battled for the victory in this first "Wayne Smith Invitational"
Regional Open, hosted by the glorious Washington Tuesday Subbuteo League in the Goodman Squash Center of the
Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia.
Group A (of four) was definitely the toughest and Jim Taylor had no easy life. After a couple of posts against Andrew Giffen
for a 0-1 loss, Taylor had a great match with 1997 US Champion, Marco Silva. The final score 2-2 was fruit of an incredible
sequence of goals, with the two players looking for the win until the very last second: 1-0 Jim, 1-1, 2-1 Marco, 2-2.
Unfortunately, Jim found himself at 1 point in two games: to earn the qualification, he would have accomplished a positive
result against defending National Champion, Rick Wilcox. Certainly, not an easy task. Wilcox is surely one of the finest
Subbuteo players of the Emisphere, as the win in 1999 FISTF Open proves. His two early goals denied Jim the passage to
the playoffs and Marco Silva, despite a 0-1 loss against Giffen, qualified as 3A.
In Group B, Massimo had the honor to welcome Wayne "Werder" Smith in this Mid-Atlantic Regional. The Venerable Wayne
had intentions to show how "the West is the best" and played a great match. His defensive skills gave major headache to
the Italian who struggled to find the net. Massimo eventually scored, but WW took advantage of a defensive amnesia and
tied with a powerful shot that bended Massimo's plastic GK rod!
In the second match, the Italian faced WTSL's and 2002 National Runner-up, Mark Palmer, who actually introduced
Conturso in the ASA Circuit in the 2001 Nationals. In that occasion, Palmer's Zimbabwe teased Massimo's LW Celtic with a
double 2-0. This time, things went differently. Massimo played a good game and scored early with a shot on the far post.
Then, he controlled the ball and tried to close the match, but mistakes and Mark's GK denied the possible second and third
goal.
Excited by this win, Massimo passed on table 3 to face ASA Rank #30, Ed Morgans. The blonde WTSL player was wearing
with pride a Man U jersey. Like a bull provoked by a red flag, the Italian came back from an incredibly early 0-1 (Ed scored
after 15 seconds!) and won the match 6-2 (0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, then 6-2). This result became very important for the GD
factor, which was necessary to decide who qualified as 2B behind the legendary Gregg Deinhart. Gregg didn't have many
problems in this Group, as the 4-0-0, 11-1 record showed.
Massimo faced him for the first time ever and saw for himself why Deinhart is World's Top American player. Everything
looked quite easy for the 5-time US Champion and only the posts saved the Italian from a humiliating result.
"..who am I to blow against the wind?"
Despite the 0-2 against Gregg, Massimo remained confident and
played an excellent game in the playoffs aganist WTSL's Marco Silva.
Conturso went down 0-1, but didn't give up. The second half was
practically played in Marco's shooting area, but the net looked
bewitched for the Italian. Marco's kisses to his GK were more than
justified and Massimo didn't earn more than one goal for the 1-1 final
result. The extra time with golden goal passed painless, despite clear
dangers for both GKs. The shoot-outs came to break the balance and
Massimo suddenly remembered how to shot and to save! After a tied
5-shot serie, the two contenders arrived to the third Sudden Death
shoot-out: Marco missed, Massimo scored and went on to the
Semifinals to face Rick Wilcox.
Rick qualified to the semis as 1A, after a 6-0 on goals (2-0 average
per game). This match was probably the most spectacular of the
tournament for goals, comebacks, timing. The Italian had already
achieved his personal goal of getting to the Top Four and played an
excellent first half. After the early 1-0 Massimo, Rick tied 1-1, but fell
again and halftime arrived with a surprising score: 2-1 Massimo. In
the second half, Wilcox organized a massive and constant attack and
Conturso dangerously gave up inches. Despite the big spaces Rick
was leaving behind, Massimo missed two chances to close the
match and, for the tough rule of (Table) Soccer, the defending US
Champion first tied with a nice chip, then killed the Italian ambitions
for the final 3-2 at 3 seconds from the extra time!
played an excellent game in the playoffs aganist WTSL's Marco Silva.
Conturso went down 0-1, but didn't give up. The second half was
practically played in Marco's shooting area, but the net looked
bewitched for the Italian. Marco's kisses to his GK were more than
justified and Massimo didn't earn more than one goal for the 1-1 final
result. The extra time with golden goal passed painless, despite clear
dangers for both GKs. The shoot-outs came to break the balance and
Massimo suddenly remembered how to shot and to save! After a tied
5-shot serie, the two contenders arrived to the third Sudden Death
shoot-out: Marco missed, Massimo scored and went on to the
Semifinals to face Rick Wilcox.
Rick qualified to the semis as 1A, after a 6-0 on goals (2-0 average
per game). This match was probably the most spectacular of the
tournament for goals, comebacks, timing. The Italian had already
achieved his personal goal of getting to the Top Four and played an
excellent first half. After the early 1-0 Massimo, Rick tied 1-1, but fell
again and halftime arrived with a surprising score: 2-1 Massimo. In
the second half, Wilcox organized a massive and constant attack and
Conturso dangerously gave up inches. Despite the big spaces Rick
was leaving behind, Massimo missed two chances to close the
match and, for the tough rule of (Table) Soccer, the defending US
Champion first tied with a nice chip, then killed the Italian ambitions
for the final 3-2 at 3 seconds from the extra time!
