(From our correspondent Michel de la Vallée-Noire) Caltech, Pasadena. As the sun set mournfully over San Fernando valley yesterday evening, the eyes of PRN fans were glazed with sadness and regret, at the end of a game that saw PRN beaten 2-0 by the mostly Rumanian Arca Team. What had happened? What could have quenched the dynamic team that just two weeks ago had joyously overpowered top-ranking Geology, and turn it into a confused flock without direction?

Part of it must have been the (justified) absence of Captain Bill. Michele did his best to stand in for him, but was soon overwhelmed by the sheer number of Netters who had shown up for the game, and by the hard conundrum of giving them all a fair share of play-time, without upsetting the team's schemes and equilibria too badly. In truth, PRN had just too many players yesterday, including three newcomers who could not have been aware of PRN's style of play. One of them, Bob, did a clean job between the posts for three quarters of the game. But just after he was substituted, together with a good part of the defense, Arca Team exploited PRN's confusion to score twice in a few minutes, on some very resistible actions that nevertheless proved too much for misguided Netters.

And in part, Netters were too just hasty in trying to dispose of the opponents; admittedly, Arca Team are hardly a powerhouse, but it would have taken at least a few good ideas and some order on the field in order to subdue them. Netters' hurriedness, and the hectic schedule of their substitutions, made it impossible even for talented players such as Yuri and Eichi to gather those ideas, and to arrange that order. At the end of the day, we can only hope that this game will teach Netters a good lesson, and one that they will find use for in the future.

Webmaster: Michele Vallisneri