Dutch Ball Breakers

So the game versus the Beenas marked the start of a new year. And although the hiatus from soccer has only been a few weeks over the festive season, things seemed a little fresher. Maybe it was the warm weather, the crabbing of a few or the beach that had brought a no pressure environment to thrive.

Heng was banished for his prandial indiscretions and was appropriately benched to lament the fish and chips sitting nicely in his stomach. However, the mood was quite relaxed and it showed in the first few minutes as the boys took some time to ease into the rhythm of the game. The Beenas were quite solidly built but lacked the technique and it showed. They were effective in filling the holes and clogging up the play but their attack was stymied by their boot-it-forward and bang-the-shit-out-the-ball style. It took some individual brilliance from Quoc to open the scoring with a pirouette around his marker on the left wing and slotting home the ball for a classy finish. One-nil.

Quoc began to assert control around midfield with some nicely timed runs, good control on the ball and vision to match. Playing in Dave, Simon and Henry on numerous times, the shots on goal count for DBB began to climb significantly with many going painfully wide or above the goal posts. Simon was working hard off the ball to clog up space and Henry was doing well zoning off in defence. With Dave passing more and everybody contributing to well timed runs, holes were being carved in their brute defence. Before long, Henry had two goals to his name with a nice finish from some slick team passing and another well controlled high ball on the penalty box, smacking the remains in the back of the net.

After the break, the offensive onslaught continued. And unlike the games I've attended in the past, there was a marked improvement in the play. Heng's running wasn't wasted and he was playing the bulldog role in midfield with aplomb. One courageous tackle and some strong balance resulted in a big smack from their biggest player resulting in a free kick that was masterfully taken by Quoc. The DBB defence always had numbers and often there was a nice wall of three to force the long shot or hero shit which did not come. Attack was also vastly better with pass-and-go movement, and looking for the free man, opening up the play for shots in. Quoc was running more than ever and he was lighting up the field as much as his orange socks. Some slick passing and shielding of the ball, some mazy runs and goals got the people watching on the sidelines watching in approval of the display.

Although the play was improved, the Beenas somehow got the game to within one goal at 6-5. In truth, their goals had been scrappy or lucky through some errand dribbling in defence. But they did not deserve to win. With the control we had on the ball and the quality of possession we had, the result never looked in doubt. It was a controlled performance against opposition that perhaps put their efforts in wasted areas but nonetheless, a nice win with some eye-catching fluid football.

Scoreline: 7-5
Goals: Quoc 3, Henry 2, Dave, Heng (?)
Man of the match: Quoc