Quad Rugby/Story -

USA versus Japan, a fan's account - September 12, 2006
Reported by Wimsey Cherrington

Christchurch, New Zealand - First, context: The weather here was perfect today, cool and sunny. The venue is also perfect, clear sight lines for the spectators, more than adequate seating for today’s games (we’ll see about the final games,) both courts are visible from all seats, although there is only seating on three sides of the stadium, so court two only has seating at the goal ends. And the venue has excellent air flow (a bit cool on my neck but I thought the players must love it.) There is a small but very loud and vocal cheering section for Team USA, complete with flags waving and cowbells ringing.

As you know, we won today’s game over Japan. But not as solidly as I would have thought. It was nip and tuck for awhile, then we pulled ahead. Similar to the game we played against them in the Canada Cup. I kept notes for on who was playing when, by jersey number. Here is how it went

First quarter starting line ups:
USA - Zupan, Kirkland, Cohn, Hogsett – 3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0
Japan - Shimakawa, Nakasato, Sato, Fukasawa – 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 0.5

Then at the first time out:
USA changed to – Kirkland, Groulx, Cohn, Springer - 2.0,2.0,2.0,2.0
Japan to - Murohashi, Fujishima, Misaka, Sato - 2.0,2.0,2.0,2.0

With one minute left in the quarter and Cohn in the penalty box, it switched to
USA – Zupan, Groulx, Cohn, Hogsett - 3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0
Japan – Shimakawa, Nakasato, Misaka, Fukasawa - 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 0.5

At the end of the quarter Shin was poised to score, inches from Japan’s goal line and two US players trapped him and prevented him from scoring.

The first quarter was over- Score: Japan 7 USA 8

Second quarter starting line up:
USA – Pate, Kirkland, McBride, Regier - 3.5, 2.0, 2.0, 0.5
Japan – Shimakawa, Nakasato, Misaka, Fukasawa – 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 0.5

Substitutions with the score Japan 13 USA 14
US – McBride, Kirkland, Cohn, Springer - 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0
Japan – Sato, Murohashi, Misaka, Fujishima - 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0

Substitutions -
US – McBride, Groulx, Cohn, Springer                        2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0
Japan – Nakasato, Sato, Misaka, Kawano                  2.5, 2.0, 2.0, 1.5

USA penalty against McBride - on the court Groulx, Cohn, Springer
Substitution
Japan – Shimakawa, Murohashi, Fujishima, Ogino           3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0

USA time out, at 1:56 on the clock , score Japan 16 US 17

US subs – Zupan, Groulx, Cohn, Hogsett 3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0
Japan - Shimakawa, Murohashi, Fujishima, Ogino 3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0

At Japan 17 USA 19, we got the ball in a great turnover and there was a penalty against Japan’s Shimakawa and we, of course, scored.

End of first half: Score: Japan 17, USA 20

Third quarter starters
USA – Zupan, Groulx, Cohn, Hogsett 3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0
Japan – Shimakawa, Sato, Misaka, Takahashi 3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0

Scoring went like this (Japan/US) 18 ¬ 20; 18-21; 19-21, 19-22; 19-23; 19-24
Somewhere in here Will got the ball away from Japan in a great play and the line up switched to
USA – Kirkland, Groulx, Cohn, Springer 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0
Japan – Nakasato, Murohashi, Fujishima, Hamano 2.5, 2.0, 2.0, 1.5

Scoring, continued: 19-25; 20-25; 20-26; 21-26; 21-27; 21-28 (with another turnover) Japan’s #4 (maybe #14)was hit hard here and the lineup changed
USA – McBride, Kirkland, Groulx, Springer 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0
Japan – Shimakawa, Murohashi, Fujishima, Ogino 3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0

Penalty against US for spinning then another penalty resulting in a penalty goal and the score: Japan 22 USA 28
Nick left the court due to mechanical problems so substitution
USA – McBride, Kirkland, Groulx, Cohn 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0

When the score was 23-29 the lineup morphed to
USA - Zupan, Cohn, Groulx, Lyduch 3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0
Japan stayed Shimakawa, Murohashi, Fujishima, Ogino 3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0

Scoring went to 23-30. Then, with 4 seconds on the clock, Zupan scored and it was 23-31 and that was the
end of the third quarter.                                                                                           Score: Japan 23 USA 31

Fourth quarter starting lineup
USA 3, 4, 5, 11 – Zupan, Kirkland, Cohn, Lyduch               3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0
Japan - Shimakawa, Nakasato, Sato, Fukasawa                 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 0.5

We got the ball away from Japan soon after the start of the quarter and scored again ¬ 23-32, then 24-32, 24-33 we had a foul called on Zupan and in here somewhere the line up changed to
USA - Pate, Kirkland, McBride, Regier 3.5, 2.0, 2.0, 0.5
Japan - Nakasato, Sato, Misaka, Hamano 2.5, 2.0, 2.0, 1.5

Scoring went - 25-34, 26-34, 26-35, 27-35, 27-36, 28-36, 28-37, 29-37, 29-38, 30-38, 30-39, 30-40
3:23 on the clock, line up changed to
USA – Zupan, Patterson, Groulx, Regier 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 0.5
Japan - Nakasato, Sato, Misaka, Hamano 2.5, 2.0, 2.0, 1.5

We had a penalty called on Zupan,                         score: 31-40
2:55 on the clock 31-41, 32-41 (and I blipped out, watched GB against Sweden a moment here)
Line up changed to
USA – Sumner, Groulx, Cohn, Hogsett                                    3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0
Japan – Shimakawa, Sato, Misaka, Takahashi                          3.0, 2.0, 2.0, 1.0

Scoring went 33-42, 33-43, 33-44, 34-44 and that’s how it ended!
FINAL SCORE: Japan 34 USA 44

	1ST Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	Final Score
Japan	7	10	6	11	34
USA	8	12	11	13	44