Match 115 - Draw

Songbo FC 1:1 Opponents

Date: 26th Jul 2009
Venue: Hua Yi Sec Sch
Jersey: Black

Starting Line-Up:
Junbing(GK), H.Weijie(LB), Kenny(CB), Suichao(CB), Kaiseng(RB), Hweequan(DM), Jiaxiang(LM), Alvin Cai (CM), Rujia(AM), Mervin(RM), Jeremy(ST)

Subtitutes:
Kelvin


Scores:
HT: 0-1
FT: 1-1


This was a new team which, according to the referee, travelled all the way from the east to play here. There are only two possibilities: 1. They have conquered the eastern side of Singapore and are look for new challenges in our district. 2. They have suffered too many humiliating defeats that they must leave for greener pastures. The team did look to be more of the first possibility as they arrived late and started doing their warm-up.

It was also notable that this was the first time we tried out a variations of our warming-up routine, thanks to the great initiative by Ah Lam. The warm-up was beneficial though I personally found it quite tiring. But I’m sure the team had a proper workout before the match. Due to some commitments, Songbo only had 11 players for this match while Kelvin, the 12th man, had to come later due to family matters.

The match started on a very cautious note as the majority of Songbo players appeared to be giving the opponents too much respect than they deserve. The first half was patchy without any flowing football as both sides tried to stamp their authority on the match. However, it should be noted that the opponents were having the lion’s share of possession without any real penetration or threats. Indeed, the first goal came from the mistake of Songbo defence, as a floating corner was connected weakly one of the opponent’s central defenders but Songbo did not manage to clear their lines when given a chance. After a goalmouth melee, the opponent’s striker was left with the simplest of touches to put the ball in the back of the net. 1-0 to the opponents!

The rest of the first half passed by without any notable action as Capt Sparrow was constantly reminding the team not to give too much respect and the opponents were actually not as strong as they were thought to be. The half team talk was focused on getting the players to regain their confidence and recover from the slump of a three-match winless streak.

The second half began from where the first half ended, with patchy football and chances few and far between. However, it was evident that Songbo was determined to avoid defeat in this match as they started to show more sense of urgency in their tackles and movement. The opponents were being pegged into their own half and one mistake from their clearance put Mervin through down the right flank and with a swing of his boot, the ball landed perfectly onto the head of Wonder Boy and he duly equalized for the team. 1-1!

Heads up! The Songbo boys were fired up and they went in search of the winning goal. However, time was not their side as the clock ran out and the match ended in a stalemate.

Although this match should have been won on our more-confident days, the spirit displayed by the team in the second half was heartening. Post-match interviews revealed that Mervin was actually going for a shot with his supposed assist. Well, let’s hope that lady luck can shine on Songbo as we try our utmost to pull out from the worst slump since the Great Depression.


Cheers bros!
Sparrow