Goal!

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Full-Time Report

Munjen Portugal FC returned to winning ways today with a comprehensive 4-2 victory over Rolling Sub FC. The match, the first of this Nov/Dec season, was held at Whitley Secondary School soccer field.

A pre-match concern was the unavailability of skipper Wee Yang and left-winger Terence, both on college team pre-season preparations in Malaysia. Sanjay and Salman are already unavailable due to overseas trials and national team commitment respectively; whereas playmaker Edmund and destroyer Izzat could not make it for the match today.

The team was further shocked by the late news that right-back Siu Sing is suffering from stomach flu and had to be excluded from the starting line-up.

Meanwhile, Hithaya reported late for today’s match, and it was said that his case would be brought up to the Board of Directors for disciplinary actions to be taken against him.

Starting line-up: Haris (GK) Aaron (RB) Jeremy (CB) Von (CB) Wenxiong (LB) Firdaus (RW) Jiawei (CM) Nalu (CM) Darius (LW) Adrian (ST/Capt) Lucien (ST).
Late-comer: Hithaya (LB)

Stand-in skipper Adrian ordered for a minute of silence by the team, dedicated to Wee Yang and Terence.

May they have a safe journey to Malaysia.

MPFC dominated much of the early exchanges, and striker Adrian was close to breaking the deadlock just a minute into the match.

Nalu eventually opened the scoring with a well-taken strike from near the half-way line (debatable, cause the line doesn’t exist, hehe) which went right to the bottom right hand corner.

RSFC then took much control of the game, and soon found the equaliser. From a corner, a goalmouth scramble that followed saw the ball stabbed into goal. Harris, our goalkeeper today due to the absence of Wee Yang, parried the ball, only to see it trickle into goal.

The opponents had a fairly good chance later, also from a corner, yet Haris and Von, making his impressive trial debut for the team, were on spot for a solid blocking. They also had a shot against the crossbar, which bounced behind the stranded Haris, but just not over the line (erm, again, there wasn’t any line).

Adrian and Lucien, another impressive debutant, forged a solid understanding and link play as strike partners, but luck wasn’t on their side; yet.

Both teams returned to the dressing room (ours was a canteen actually, with a dysfunctional water-cooler) at half time with the score 1-1.

The second half started strongly, and aggressively. Aggressive play by the opponents soon saw Lucien on the ground in the six-yard box (no box lah act) with a swelling on his right knee.

A penalty was inevitable. Midfielder Nalu stepped up, but saw his shot above the crossbar, much to the relief of RSFC.

Still, Munjen Portugal soon added to their scoring after good play by Adrian and Lucien, with left winger Firdaus applying the finish with a rare left foot strike.

MPFC continued to press, and a searching long ball by Nalu soon found Lucien, who beat the offside trap and cheekily lobbing the goalkeeper for a clinical finish.

RSFC stepped up their game, and had a few great chances, especially through angmoh man. They eventually scored their second through him, a fine shot beyond Harris’ reach.

MPFC got our forth after some splendid dribbling on the left flank by Darius. His shot that followed sailed towards goal, just under the crossbar.

RSFC threatened to get their third. A dipping shot from 35 yards looked headed towards the the top right corner, but Haris was there to tip the ball over the cross bar; truly the save of the day, and a crucial one too to keep the scoreline at 4-2.

Wenxiong, Yangyuan and Hithaya were superb as the opponents kept up the pressure down the flanks, constantly closing down the attacks. And when they decide to penetrate down the middle, the ever-energetic Jiawei is always there in midfield, with the ever-composed Jeremy just behind marshalling the defence, forming a good understanding with Von.

The game, which had already turned really aggressive, soon saw Adrian, a fighter throughout the game, picking up an ankle injury (a big blow towards his prom preparations, hehe) no thanks to a hole in the ground.

That wrapped up the match, a truly deserving victory for the team that played well.

-fir

11:50 PM