Brothers become rivals in title game

The Fire and the Blizzards met in the title game for in the boys’ 13-14 bracket on Sunday in the last day of Soccerfest at MU’s Stankowski Field.

There was more to the game, though, than a first-place finish after three games of round-robin play. Brothers, Robbie 14 and Danny Baird, 13, took the field against each other in the game.

“Just don’t hurt each other,” Cathy Baird, the brothers’ mother, shouted from the sidelines with her camera in hand.

The Fire entered with a 3-0 record while the Blizzards came in at 2-1.

Although the players on both teams were relaxed during warmups, there was a noticeable shift in intensity once the game began, and Robbie, 14, and Danny, 13, played with the same ferocity as other players.

Danny, a few inches and pounds smaller than Robbie, kept up with his brother, while Robbie’s hustle allowed him to match his brother’s speed.

At game’s end the Fire emerged champions with a 5-4 victory.

“I was hoping it would end in a tie,” Cathy Baird said.

After a brief postgame meeting, Fire coach Sean Hollrah and his team met fans on the sideline. Some of the parents asked Danny, who plays for the Fire, if he was going to have bragging rights at home. When asked if he was going to tease his brother Danny smied and said he probably would.

“Yeah, a little bit,” he said.

Many members of the Fire play for the Columbia Pride’s under-13 select team. The Pride will be heading to Springfield, Mo., for the Missouri State Cup from Friday through June 16.

“We’re here getting a warm-up for next weekend,” said Hollrah, who also coaches the Columbia Pride. “These guys are soccer addicts.”

Stankowski’s artificial turf, which proved difficult for many teams, was no problem for the Fire and the Blizzards. Players on both teams showed their familiarity with the turf by shortening leading passes and using a softer touch on shots and passes. Footwork was smooth and each player adjusted their strides to compensate for the fast playing surface.

Futsal, a type of soccer typically played in the winter has a lot to do with the fluid play of the Fire and the Blizzards. Typically, games are played on a basketball court or on artificial turf. Futsal is also where the Baird brothers got used to playing together and against each other.

“It’s crazy,” said Cathy Baird of her sons’ game at Soccerfest. “They are used to playing each other, though. They play each other in Futsal.”

For a complete listing of soccerfest results, see the Show-me State Games’ Web site at www.smsg.org/results.