Sunday, July 31, 2005
Match Review 3
Match 3, Winter Season, vs Plus 3 Greeks
Even though we thrashed Scotch Titans the week before, this week was a much tougher test of our skills and resolve. The other team wasn't organised and recruited some serious looking randoms hankering for a free game. The types that live and breathe soccer. What resulted was a game versus some firebrand wogs and Gaj, the master curry soccer player himself. This wasn't going to be an easy game with us fronting up against some serious skill, pace and muscle.
Immediately the game rose a few notches above the norm of the previous 2 weeks. The big wogs were hustling the game with their everlasting reserve of stamina, making sure every player on the ball was confronted and physically scragged by the jumper or nudged off the ball. They also ran hard to make space with lots of one-twos and mixed it up with some far range shooting. But we were organised as ever, with Sanji patrolling D and putting his body and knee on the line, saving certain shots on goal. Heng also ran hard in a holding role in midfield, atoning for his unexplained absences in the previous weeks, dishing out to the wogs their own bustling medicine. Quoc was a rock on the ball, shielding bigger bodies despite the nudging and defensive pressure applied whilst Henry and Simon made space up front to match the counterattacking speed of our opponents. It was end to end action at its energy draining and breathless best. Yet, for the few minutes in the opening stanza, it was a stalemate, with each team lacking the clinical touch up front.
Enter Dave onto the field. Using his agility to frequently outturn the gung ho defending of the opposition, Dave continued to menace down the left side, often forcing his opponents to overcommit and make space for shots on goal. And it was Dave who capped off a frantic counterattack down the middle when a sublime ball played in midfield was finished equally sweetly against a fast closing defender and a rushing goal keeper out to meet Dave at pace. With the coolest tap in, Dave's classy finish fired up the team for the remainder of the half. Although we showed more endurance and heart than ever, the contest remained 1-0 at the break.
At the interval, the message was drilled in that this was a tough but awesome performance and we had to stay on our toes to win this one. And no respite at the start of the second half resulted, with the same speed, hardness and ferocity of attacking at both ends. Simon continued to track back to help Sanji at the back, with Heng, Quoc and Henry also clogging up their attacking options. The discipline at the back resulted in fast counterattacking opportunities, with Dave using his pace and agility to create space and shots. The fighting in the clinches was again broken by some Dave brilliance when a hotly contested ball created only a meagre opportunity to shoot. With a pass going above his head, Dave outpaced his marker and struck a fierce shot that the keeper hardly saw whistle past his raised right arm. And suddenly, against tough opposition, we had seemingly scored the sealer.
And then we had seemingly lost the game with that mentality. Immediately the wog spirit reared its head and almost immediately, their speed in passing opened up a free man down the right wing. Derek was unlucky to concede the goal after running out to meet the attacker and covering the entire goal except the part between his legs. A little shell shocked, we continued our workrate, but a moment of magic came from one of their wogs, when a bouncing ball down the left wasn't closed and a lazy left footed shot ended up in the corner of Derek's goal. Within a blink of the eye, the scores were tied at 2-2 with the heads on field sinking, much to the disapproval of everybody shouting for some more heart on the sidelines.
The much maligned Heng decided to put his body on the line again, taking a lot of punishment in midfield by throwing his body in front of opponents twice his size, stopping certain one-on-one opportunities with the keeper. A desperate lunge stopped a certain two versus the goalie in our half which resulted in Heng coming off with a battered shin and ankle. But despite the heroics of the lil' Khmer, Gaj and the wogs began to spread the play and attack with more vigour and pace. We defended for dear life, with Derek saving many certain goals. In one instance, one of their wogs had broken free down the right and Derek ran out to meet him. Smarting from his tap between Derek's legs earlier, he tried to do it again, but Derek became a fridgit, closing up shop and confusing the attacker. Our goalie continued pretending to run out and then run back, buying about 3 precious seconds for the calvalry to arrive and provide some much needed assistance. Quoc continued to use his skill on the ball to hold up the play in the chaos, providing much needed respite, despite the constant attention of bigger opponents yapping at his shins and from behind.
But really, we were all heart but lacking the final touch up front. And all hell was breaking loose. And nobody was there in the eye of the storm. Everybody except for one man. The player that broke the rules and took a chance to attack whilst we were under seige. Willing to take all the pressure up front. Refusing to be the bitch in the game when it was his goals that gave us the lead in the first place. You got the moves, you know the streets, break the rules, take the heat, you're nobody's fool. You're at your best when the going gets rough, you've been put to the test but it's never enough. Sandwiched between two players that were literally shoulder to shoulder with him, after numerous attacks virtually alone, he put the midas touch on a half bouncing ball with closing pressure from the sides and in front of him from the goalie, to smack home the winner under the cross bar. And so with less than 2 minutes remaining, Dave spectacularly, like all his goals yesterday, had the power. Yes Dave, you've got the touch! You've got the power!
And so, having come so close to losing the hardest fight in our soccer lives, we were determined to never let it slip again. Quoc held onto the ball again amongst a sea of defenders hacking at him, burning precious time. This ultimately lead up to the final foul that bled the time until the game finally died out for a most memorable win. And it was certainly one to savour, not because of the quality of the opposition or the awesome goals scored, but because we did not wilt. We fought back and showed some real spirit out there. None more typified by Dave straight back into defence to help out after his winner and jumping into the path of a thunderous shot and literally taking one for the team. Ding, ding. Ouch, but it ain't over until its over and for once, we showed what its all about. Right until the final round was over. A fantastic team effort!
Scoreline: 3-2
Goals: Dave 3
Man of the match: Dave
Even though we thrashed Scotch Titans the week before, this week was a much tougher test of our skills and resolve. The other team wasn't organised and recruited some serious looking randoms hankering for a free game. The types that live and breathe soccer. What resulted was a game versus some firebrand wogs and Gaj, the master curry soccer player himself. This wasn't going to be an easy game with us fronting up against some serious skill, pace and muscle.
Immediately the game rose a few notches above the norm of the previous 2 weeks. The big wogs were hustling the game with their everlasting reserve of stamina, making sure every player on the ball was confronted and physically scragged by the jumper or nudged off the ball. They also ran hard to make space with lots of one-twos and mixed it up with some far range shooting. But we were organised as ever, with Sanji patrolling D and putting his body and knee on the line, saving certain shots on goal. Heng also ran hard in a holding role in midfield, atoning for his unexplained absences in the previous weeks, dishing out to the wogs their own bustling medicine. Quoc was a rock on the ball, shielding bigger bodies despite the nudging and defensive pressure applied whilst Henry and Simon made space up front to match the counterattacking speed of our opponents. It was end to end action at its energy draining and breathless best. Yet, for the few minutes in the opening stanza, it was a stalemate, with each team lacking the clinical touch up front.
Enter Dave onto the field. Using his agility to frequently outturn the gung ho defending of the opposition, Dave continued to menace down the left side, often forcing his opponents to overcommit and make space for shots on goal. And it was Dave who capped off a frantic counterattack down the middle when a sublime ball played in midfield was finished equally sweetly against a fast closing defender and a rushing goal keeper out to meet Dave at pace. With the coolest tap in, Dave's classy finish fired up the team for the remainder of the half. Although we showed more endurance and heart than ever, the contest remained 1-0 at the break.
At the interval, the message was drilled in that this was a tough but awesome performance and we had to stay on our toes to win this one. And no respite at the start of the second half resulted, with the same speed, hardness and ferocity of attacking at both ends. Simon continued to track back to help Sanji at the back, with Heng, Quoc and Henry also clogging up their attacking options. The discipline at the back resulted in fast counterattacking opportunities, with Dave using his pace and agility to create space and shots. The fighting in the clinches was again broken by some Dave brilliance when a hotly contested ball created only a meagre opportunity to shoot. With a pass going above his head, Dave outpaced his marker and struck a fierce shot that the keeper hardly saw whistle past his raised right arm. And suddenly, against tough opposition, we had seemingly scored the sealer.
And then we had seemingly lost the game with that mentality. Immediately the wog spirit reared its head and almost immediately, their speed in passing opened up a free man down the right wing. Derek was unlucky to concede the goal after running out to meet the attacker and covering the entire goal except the part between his legs. A little shell shocked, we continued our workrate, but a moment of magic came from one of their wogs, when a bouncing ball down the left wasn't closed and a lazy left footed shot ended up in the corner of Derek's goal. Within a blink of the eye, the scores were tied at 2-2 with the heads on field sinking, much to the disapproval of everybody shouting for some more heart on the sidelines.
The much maligned Heng decided to put his body on the line again, taking a lot of punishment in midfield by throwing his body in front of opponents twice his size, stopping certain one-on-one opportunities with the keeper. A desperate lunge stopped a certain two versus the goalie in our half which resulted in Heng coming off with a battered shin and ankle. But despite the heroics of the lil' Khmer, Gaj and the wogs began to spread the play and attack with more vigour and pace. We defended for dear life, with Derek saving many certain goals. In one instance, one of their wogs had broken free down the right and Derek ran out to meet him. Smarting from his tap between Derek's legs earlier, he tried to do it again, but Derek became a fridgit, closing up shop and confusing the attacker. Our goalie continued pretending to run out and then run back, buying about 3 precious seconds for the calvalry to arrive and provide some much needed assistance. Quoc continued to use his skill on the ball to hold up the play in the chaos, providing much needed respite, despite the constant attention of bigger opponents yapping at his shins and from behind.
But really, we were all heart but lacking the final touch up front. And all hell was breaking loose. And nobody was there in the eye of the storm. Everybody except for one man. The player that broke the rules and took a chance to attack whilst we were under seige. Willing to take all the pressure up front. Refusing to be the bitch in the game when it was his goals that gave us the lead in the first place. You got the moves, you know the streets, break the rules, take the heat, you're nobody's fool. You're at your best when the going gets rough, you've been put to the test but it's never enough. Sandwiched between two players that were literally shoulder to shoulder with him, after numerous attacks virtually alone, he put the midas touch on a half bouncing ball with closing pressure from the sides and in front of him from the goalie, to smack home the winner under the cross bar. And so with less than 2 minutes remaining, Dave spectacularly, like all his goals yesterday, had the power. Yes Dave, you've got the touch! You've got the power!
And so, having come so close to losing the hardest fight in our soccer lives, we were determined to never let it slip again. Quoc held onto the ball again amongst a sea of defenders hacking at him, burning precious time. This ultimately lead up to the final foul that bled the time until the game finally died out for a most memorable win. And it was certainly one to savour, not because of the quality of the opposition or the awesome goals scored, but because we did not wilt. We fought back and showed some real spirit out there. None more typified by Dave straight back into defence to help out after his winner and jumping into the path of a thunderous shot and literally taking one for the team. Ding, ding. Ouch, but it ain't over until its over and for once, we showed what its all about. Right until the final round was over. A fantastic team effort!
Scoreline: 3-2
Goals: Dave 3
Man of the match: Dave
# posted by Chops @ 10:50 pm 
