It might only be the dawn of a whole new season, but the fixture schedules are already causing confusion amongst the teams. The brave heroes of MPFC were due to battle against a CJ team on Saturday. However, the eagerly anticipated match that attracted a full house at Stadia Meridian was not to be. The Football Association released a statement on their official website after countless queries by journalists worldwide who had flown in specially for the big game.

"The FA, which has been under severe stress since the Croatia loss and the McClaren sacking would like to issue this apology to both the fans and the media for the no show by team CJ. An error in the team schedules that were sent out earlier this week was the cause of all this chaos. We hope that such incidences are a thing of the past and would be happy to refund any disgruntled ticket holder should he wish so. We hope that you'll continue to support the best league in the world and wish for an exciting season ahead", Suay Goreng Erectson, CEO of the FA.

MPFC staged an epic battle against traditional rival KFC in place of team CJ. The atmosphere was volcanic. Literally. The players were hopping around the field during their team talks and this was definitely not a new warm-up technique. The new astro pitch at Stadia Meridian was not being kind to the players in such conditions. Players were feeling their toes blaze as they began the match. It was soon evident that the match play was hampered by the discomforts of the players on both sides. Referee Salleh, a class 2 himself made a radical decision to call for a feet cooling down session. MPFC online understands that this is a first in football history and is proud to have witnessed such an important moment. The players took the opportunity to wet their socks and boots before returning back to action.

The game kicked off again, this time with faster pace. Players decided on short passes as they were in desperate need of conserving their fuels to last the 90 minutes. The game was even with most of the action taking place in the centre of the field. KFC had their chances but were either denied or they failed to make the best out of them. MPFC on the other hand were crippled in the 3rd quarter of the field. In the absence of star right winger Firdaus, the team lacked the sharpness and speed that has been the focal point MPFC's attacks. Step in right midfielder Chris Raj who was making a return following his horrific injury was more of a passing player and this was not enough to break down KFC's astute defence.

Then came the magical moment, a counter attack by MPFC saw a beautiful through ball from central midfielder Aaron find striker Darius. In a move reminiscent of Fernando Torres' goal against Chelsea when he skipped past Tal Ben Haim, Darius skilfully drew out the defender before skipping past him. He kept his composure and coolly slotted the ball past the hapless keeper who we suspect was himself mesmerized by the move. 1-0 to MPFC and the home fans were screaming their lungs out.

However, the home fans had their joy short lived. A fluid move by KFC saw them running down the flanks and incredibly snatched the equaliser from a very tight angle. The silence from the home crowd was a sign of how no one expected a goal from such a spot. Yet the bitter truth was there to be swallowed. It was a blow to the MPFC morale as the sun was stealing precious pints of energy. The players had little time to recover from this goal as KFC capitalised on the disarray within the MPFC ranks and got their 2nd goal, barely 5 minutes from half-time.

The half-time whistle was a relief to every player on the field as they seek shelter from the blazing heat. The boys from MPFC knew that they had to get their tactics right. A shuffle dictated by Captain Wee Yang and input from the entire team helped shaped the plan for the second half. Senior players such as Azhar and Darius tried to motivate the young ones and provided tactical advice to the players in a bid to at least rescue a point from the game.

The work at half-time paid off handsomely. A half-volley that started from the MPFC penalty box by the Captain himself found its way to Darius who made no mistake in adding a second. The game was all square once more and both teams were desperate for the kill. It was clear that in the given conditions, a 3rd goal would have definitely sealed the match. However, try as they might, Mother Nature played her hand. The relentless sun soon resulted in tired players making unforced errors and concentration lapses. The 3rd goal eluded both teams, and this thrilling 4 goal encounter ended up all square.

"It was a game played under extreme circumstances and both teams deserve credit for keeping their cool. A game that was contested by both sides gentlemanly and I think the score line is a fair reflection. The boys returning from their educational exploits are clearly not match fit and the heat wasn't helping us one bit. Yet as a team, we managed to grind out this result and clearly show that we are one to be reckoned with. We're working with the Manager towards consistent improvements in our performances and would like to take this opportunity to thank the fans who were there for all the 90 minutes. We would not have made it without you guys being there for us", commented MPFC player Chris Raj.

With the Thanksgiving Transfer window still open, MPFC fans would be dismayed to hear that their star of this match, Darius Jiang has been talent spotted by bigger clubs. Juande Ramos has admitted that he'll be pleased to add striker of this calibre to replace Berbatov in a revamped Tottenham side, while some reports state that Real Madrid are set to steal the player by offering him a mammoth pay and a huge sign on fee. MPFC online has not been able to get the player's comments on these recent developments but team players have expressed confidence that Darius will reject these lucrative overtures and sign a contract extension with MPFC.

Indeed a brave battle that was more than many of the fans could have asked for. With MPFC still unbeaten, this season could be the one where the finally land the coveted holy grail of football, the Maybank Premier League. (MPL)