Match 170 - Lost

Songbo FC 1:5 Opponents

Date: 22nd Jan 2012
Venue: West Spring SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Junbing(GK), T.Weijie(LB), Swee Chao(CB), Kenny(CB), Binghong(RB), Jackie(LM), Hweequan(DM), Rujia(CM), Mervin(RM), Alvin Toh(AM), Yanshou(CF)

Substitutes:
Jeremy, Jiaxiang, Bingheng

Scores:
HT: 0-2
FT: 1-5

Scorers (Assists):
Junbing (Alvin Toh)


When the sun shine, it scorches

It's never easy to write a match report detailing SBFC's lost. It's even harder when the defeat is of a big margin. If one can turn back the time, the scoreline might be different. And this will be a post about how SBFC managed to bond strongly as a team and hold on to their slim victory over a talented opponent. But atlas, the truth is always hard to swallow.

A match was being scheduled on a special day, the eve of CNY, with the intention of enjoying a satisfying game of football before each of the players break off for the long holidays. The opponent was one which we had played before, a talented team. If my memory serve me correctly, the outcome of that match was either a draw or SBFC had managed to scrape a win out of nothing. With a strong, if not stronger, lineup this time round as compared to the last match, and a festive season just round the corner, SBFC heads out to the field aiming for nothing less then a win.

The first 10+ mins of the game was played cautiously between the 2 teams as they analyze each other, looking for holes and weak spots to penetrate. The first great chance of the game falls to SBFC as a low cross put in by Rujia was met with Yanshou's left foot shot. However, being the weaker foot, he was unable to generate enough power to beat the keeper, who managed to block the weak shot with his outstretched legs. Sensing danger, the opponent began to up their tempo. An attack down the left frank saw their winger  doing a feint past T.Weijie and with much still to be done, execute a powerful strike which rocks the top of the net. SBFC down by a goal! Statistics have shown that SBFC would often come back strongly after being a goal down. But with the recent poor run of form, it seems that SBFC wasn't able to live up to its past glory. And sure enough, a second goal came soon after. With a looping cross from the right, the same winger controls the ball with his chest and beat Junbing with a neat finish. 0-2!

The captain tried to inject some morale into the team during the half time talk but none of it seems to be able to get into the players. SBFC is staring at a big defeat.

With low morale, mistakes are quick to appear. It's just a matter of time being the 3rd goal came from a lapse in concentration from the defense. A well placed shot to the bottom left hand corner from outside the penalty box increments the deficit further by 1. The 4th goal follow soon after when a cross from the left was left uncleared and the opponent's striker has the easy job of tapping it into an almost empty net. To make things worse, a mistake by Yanshou allows the opponent to score the 5th goal. 0-5! This massive goal deficit was a scoreline which SBFC has not seen since 2008! Realizing that there isn't a chance for SBFC to come back fighting, the opponent began to stroke the ball around the field, amusing themselves at the expenses of humiliating SBFC. Withholding their pride, SBFC struggles on to find a consolation goal. Their effort pays off  as a string of good passes from the defense finds Junbing through on goal and he easily put the ball past the keeper. With the consolation goal achieved, the scoreline remains static till the final whistle.

If one puts in a great deal of effort but still gets beaten by a talented opponent with such a scoreline, he can hold his head high knowing that he had tried his best. But, to be beaten badly and at the same time played a poor game, it furthers add on to the pain of defeat. Thankfully, every fall comes with a reward of knowing how to stand back up again. One shall not fear the pain of the fall, but embrace it as it serves as a priceless lesson to prevent him from falling again. Let pick ourselves up from hereon! SBFC Huat ah!

Report by,
Swee Chao