Match 136 - Win

Songbo FC 3:1 Opponents


Date: 23rd May 2010
Venue: Hua Yi Sec Sch
Jersey: Black

Starting Line-Up
Junbing(GK), H.Weijie(LB), Kenny(CB), Swee Chao(CB), Kaiseng(RB), Jiaxiang(LM), Sybian(RM), Hweequan(DM), Rujia(CM), Yanshou(AM), Jeremy(ST)

Subtitutes:
Mervin, Binghong, Alvin Toh


Scores:
HT: 1-0
FT: 3-1


3 Goals again for Songbo FC as they win 3 in a row

Pre-match warm-ups were normally a time for Songbo FC to discuss current affairs, latest soccer news and practice corner kicks. This time though, key players including the captain were not present yet, causing some pre-match anxiety. Nevertheless, all intended players for the match made it in the end. A sign of ill-discipline due to the lack of an imposed fine system?

Coming on the back of 2 convincing wins, Songbo FC has the right form to turn it into a 3 win streak and to "earn" their Batam trip. However, an early analysis of the opponents reveals that it was a team Songbo FC had not encountered before. A team of Malays, yes, but this was a team of Malays who had already reached certain stages like familyhood in life. Therefore, they might not show the typical weaknesses that Malay teams were known for. Songbo FC was given their pre-match team talk, their ceremonial war cry and the game started off.

Early stages of the game revealed that the pre-match analysis was mostly right; the opponent's central defenders were big and imposing, heading and clearing high balls in their paths with ease. Looks like Songbo's plans to use the long ball was not going to work. However, besides from a few individuals, their technicality were not vastly superior to Songbo FC.

For certain, their strikers did not have an eye for goal like Songbo's Jeremy. Coming on the back of a scoring streak in the past few games, he made a brief glance at the keeper as he collected a loose knock down from Hweequan in the middle of the park. Noticing that the keeper was out of position, he made a swing at the ball towards the goal...all the way to the back of the net! The keeper could only watch in awe as the ball went over his tall frame into his goal. 1-0 to Songbo!

In the past seasons, Songbo FC could hold on to 1-0 leads for as long as the game went out. This season, however, tells a different story as statistics show 1 clean sheet in 11 games. Thus, no effort was made to hold on till the game was settled; the goal came too early for that as well. The opponents, downed by a goal they did not expect to concede at that point of time, went on the search of an immediate response. Their efforts almost bore fruit when they played the ball into the box and their striker slid the ball under Junbing's body. It was, much to the relieve of Songbo FC, disallowed for offside. It was, however, a warning sign for Songbo as they allowed the opponents too much time on the ball outside their penalty area.

Songbo managed to go into the half-time break with their lead still intact. A change was decided to replace Huang with Robinhong, who was looking to build up his match fitness after a successful run out last match.

The 2nd half could not start off worse for Songbo FC. Repeatedly warned by their Captain that the 1st 5 mins were crucial, they conceded an early equalizer. Lusty Seng, swapped to the left back position for Robinhong to play on the right, was turned inside-out by the opponent's right winger. With Lusty Seng out of the way, the winger had all the time to swing a cross to his striker, who made no mistake and placed an unstoppable shot past Junbing. 1-1! Was a 3-win streak too much to ask?

A response was needed and some members of Songbo FC tried to make the difference. Rujia, wearing a pair of boots which were not his due to his incompetency in buying a pair of boots given a week, was playing in pain as blisters on his foot hogged his mind. Nevertheless, he managed to lash a swerving, albeit slow, shot which the keeper pushed onto the upright. Tiger Yan was visibly frustrated, either by the performance by some members on the field or by some key needs missing in his life, and almost had the chance to take the lead when he received the ball in the area but was prevented from having a shot as NBA star Sybian did a nice screen and partially obstructed his own teammate.

A heavy stamp by the opponent on Sybian's toes gave Rujia the chance to swap him for AlvinTov. Despite the pain he is in, Sybian initially refused the change, causing confusion in his teammates and AlvinTov who was already in the field. In the end, Sybian finally hobbled off the pitch.

It proved to be an inspired change; moments later, AlvinTov got the ball near the edge of the area, saw Jeremy in a good position inside the box and delicately chipped the ball in his path. There was still work to be done though. Jeremy coolly controlled the ball with his first touch and slotted the ball inside the left of the goal. 2-1 to Songbo FC!

With the score at 2-1, and with Songbo's current defensive record, the game was by no means over. Robinhong created some anxiety for his teammates in defense as he screamed for assistance and displayed his ball holding skills in dangerous areas. However, he did provide moments of burst down the flank to provide support for attacks.

As the clock wind down, a moment of unnecessary madness from the opponent's keeper gave away a needless penalty to Songbo FC. An elbow to nudge off Jeremy when they both tussled for a loose ball saw the referee point to the spot.

A 3-1 scoreline would be a massive relieve for Songbo FC as time was on their side and the win would be assured. Having missed spot kicks previously, Jeremy refused the chance to make it a hat trick. Up stepped the man-in-the-moment, oozing with confidence from his spot kick goal last match, "1 shot 1 kill" Quan walked forward and placed the ball on the spot. Typically, his spot kicks were rocket missiles that flew into the goal (or into the fence), with fatigue already consuming him, he had the mental stability and calmness to place the ball into the bottom left of the goal. 3-1 to Songbo FC! "1 shot 1 kill! 1 shot 1 kill!" came the chants from the bench.

With the win seemingly assured, Songbo FC made their last substitution with Mervin coming in for Tiger Yan. The rest of the match saw Songbo FC defending stoutly to make the win theirs. Final score, 3-1 to Songbo and a trip to Batam awaits.

Summary by,

Mervin