Chloe "Bend'em like Beckham" Gardner - Travel Team Soccer

Chloe played in her first tournament with her U-10 travel team, the Key West Strikers.  The tournament was held in Marathon, FL.  The prize was the "Conch Cup" and bragging rights as the best in the Florida Keys.  Speaking of bragging rights, I do not think Angela or I would be in any way stretching the truth in making the statement that we are the very proud parents of one of the best, if not THE best U-10 girls soccer players in the Florida Keys. She works very hard in practice to improve her game and it shows each time she takes the pitch.  In the finals at the tournament, Chloe shined on defense.  The other team could not get the ball past her during the entire game.  In addition to her defensive prowess, she was called upon to take all the goal kicks and corner kicks.  This was because of her powerful kicks that she developed playing in North Carolina and has now become notorious for in Key West Soccer world.  She has leveled many girls this seasons and has also left a few crumpled up on the ground sobbing because they made the mistake of getting in front of one of her kicks, not a smart move.  So anyway, with the score tied at 1 and time winding down in the 2nd half, Chloe set up for one of her corner kicks.  She blasted it and the result was as if your were watching David Beckham, she lifted the ball into the air and as it neared the goal it made a perfect left hook and landed in the upper corner of the goal for the game winner.   The crowd went crazy, the parents were yelling and cheering and high-fiving and the girls were going crazy on the field.  Angela and I were once again beaming with pride.  As you recall, if you have read the earlier post, this is the third time in the last three games that Chloe has produced the game winning goal.  This is also the third time this season that she has scored and a perfectly executed corner kick. We are all very, very proud of her to say the least.  Her next tournament with be over the MLK holiday weekend as we pack up and travel to the mainland for a weekend of soccer in Wellington, FL