Monday, January 19, 2009

Team - Personnel write up

GK/Striker/Att. Mid/Def. Mid(Papasoh) - World class goalkeeper!Decent Striker. Unproven Att./Def. Mid.... Unbelievable versatile player who can play almost anywhere on the pitch but have preference for "lazy positions" such as GK and Striker.Rumours has it that he turned down Man City's 750,000 pounds per week wages. Thats why they can now afford Kaka! His strengths are handling, shot stopping and fucking good reflexes. However, he is prone to the occasional errors such as letting the ball slipped past under his "big" body and misjudgement of long shots! Outside the penalty box, he is known for his short bursts of runs (lasting approx. 5 secs) and his vision and link-up play, packs a powerful header too! Has occasional tendency to execute bicycle-kicks ...that missed the ball!!! Lacks stamina and pace! So far there is no other member(s) in the team that can even match 40% his GK abilities(much to his dismay) and thus he is an indispensable member(actually only one GK la) of the GK department! Currently on the downward trend in terms of skills and ability due to the fact that there is no challenge(boring..yawns!), too much fast food and of course the fact that he is contemplating retirement due to old age and injuries. It has been noted that he jumps 2 metres less nowadays vis-a-vis his hey days! {Special Move(s): Professional Time-wasting / Deadly Overhead(bicycle) kicks}

DR/DL(Lusty Seng) - Cultured right back! Proven at the left back position as well. It is significant to note that Man U's scout has published a report submitted to Sir Alex that noted Lusty Seng to have the potential to be as good as or better than Gary Neville. Why Lusty?? well, that's for another report not suitable in this team Personnel write up.....Anyway, Seng must have been the team's most capped DR. He possesses an undying determination to improve his game and this is what makes him so valuable to the team. His constant improvement to the game's knowledge and in gamesmanship(such as tickling opponents's balls , poking their arses and cheating referees) have contributed greatly to the team. Somehow he has the tendency to have lapses of concentration during matches (now you know why he is called lusty...the night b4 ...you know....:)??) and sometimes appears lost in thoughts. However, the good thing is he also have short bursts of fires when he dribbles all the way into opponent's penalty box and test their keeper's reflexes. So in all he's quite balanced a player who carries out his duties faithfully. Currently on the up-trend in terms of skills and ability. Certainly one to look out for in the near future! {Special Move: Cheating more than 1m when taking throw-ins}

DL(Thief Jie) - Triangle plate left back! Just out of Melwood's training academy and so dun expect too much from the "youngster". Has shown great potential in his matches so far although his number 1 ability still lies in plundering, thats why he's Thief Jie. His strength lies in his ability to clear balls at impossible angles, sometimes putting sepak takraw players to shame! Recently, he is modelling after Delap's long throw but somehow he still cannot get his footwork right thus the foul throws. His lack of tactical awareness is in fact a bonus to the team because in his anxiety, he tends to clear the ball using the "anywhere will do mentality". This in fact has contributed to numerous important clearances that diffuses dangerous situations and allow the team to re-group. Lacks pace but makes up for it by keeping opponents by his side like his girlfriend - close marking. It has been noted that opponents sometimes still turn around and check if he is still around, long after the match have ended!!! Overall, he is a fair player who has recently gave up his multi-billion badminton career and join us in the games. Currently on the up-trend in terms of ability and skills. {Special Move: Sepak Takraw styled clearances}

DC/Striker (C-cup Chao) - World class centre back! Unproven Striker! Chao must have been one of the team's longest serving DC after his professional playing career....in front of his computer!! Rejected offer of contract from Raddy Abrahamovic cos he thinks he'll rather play computer games than waste time playing for Singapore. His experience plus game reading ability in the position can be seen in the nonchalant way (just another day what!!) he carries out his duties. Strong and hard tackling style and seldom loses out in physical battles (cos of his additional C-cups???!!!) Has recently perfected the art of "Howitzer 88mm" clearances to the delight of fans and teammates alike. Not only does these clearances relieve the pressure on the defence, it has resulted in numerous defence-turned-attack situations! Also known as a good header of the ball.Solid, no nonsense defender who seldom makes mistakes but lacks a bit of pace and has been noted to be slowing down due to rapid intake of oily and meaty stuffs. Recently debuted as striker and have managed to create a strong physical presence in oppositions penalty box - by putting 3/4 ball of his C-cup!!! Overall, he is an important 1st team player, also rumoured to be the "dai to lau da" of the DOTA gang. Currently noted to be on a bit of a downwards trend in terms of ability and skills (need to cut down on fatty diets!!). {Special Move: 2-step powerful goalkicks/freekicks}

DC/ML(Quick Feet Kenny) - World Class centre-back! Competent left midfielder! Another long time central defender besides C-cup. Fans and teammates are in awe of his speed he changes pace and his recovery. Often the man to clean up the backside of his partner in crime, C-cup, with whom he has had great understanding with(perhaps forged by the countless hours of DOTA gaming, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning before match day??). Also rejected the invite to join in national team training because his buddy needs a DOTA partner online!! He just knows when C-cup will lose out to opposition's striker and will appear out of nowhere to "sweep" up any mess! A hard-tackling right-footed player who has an equally strong left foot. A consistent performer who seldoms have any errors thats why he's voted the players' player of the year. Maybe sometimes you can see a bit of over confidence when he mis-kicks or when he totally fluffed his simple clearance. Has played on the left side of midfield with ease but lacks confidence to take on opponents and bring the ball to the by-line. Also known for his predatory instincts in attacking corners, seems to know where the ball will be. Has scored a few goals due to this positive attribute of his game. Strong header of the ball who seldoms loses out in 50-50 headers. Perhaps he can try to be more assertive,by hooking the ball into the air and play papasoh some backpass with his head, in dangerous back facing strikers situations.Has established himself as an important 1st team player. {Special Move: Lightning speed burst and recovery}

DMC/DC(Wayang Quan) - World class defensive midfielder! Rusty centre back! Has held the DC position in his younger days but was promoted to the Def.Mid position for his ability to read the game and snuff out defence-splitting passes. Protects his back four superbly with his no nonsense tackling and presence in the air. Has the abilty to bring down the biggest of opponents with his body charge and winning 50-50 situations with his "lan-pa" spreading "ka wei" (chop positioning) stun. Also provides defence splitting passes(a few times only) with his vision and assist in the strikers built up to goal. Used to be packed with pace and stamina and was one of the sprinters in the squad but currently unable to complete his 2.4km IPPT run within 45 mins!! Was dropped by the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts(NAFA) for poor results in Theatrical Studies and thus decided to bring his "talents" to the pitch.Recently, paparazzi photographers have noted that he frequents the house of Golden Horse Award winner Tony Leong Chao Wei for personal one-to-one closed door sessions of acting(wayang) lessons. However, he certainly did not live up to his mentor's name and reputation by displaying disappointing acts of falling to the ground with the slightest contact(sometimes no contact but can be seen flying 5 metres in mid-air!!) Often, referees have no choice but to blow the whistle to stop the game.....to laugh....before regaining composure and carrying on with the game. Another point to note is his recent tendency to grab his leg and fall to the ground...no...this time not wayang....but real....CRAMPS!!!! An important first team player nevertheless whose importance is often overlooked. Currently on the down trend in skills and ability and makes more mistakes nowadays!! {Special Move: "Diving" with an incredibly audible 'arrrggghhhh' that can be heard two blocks away but earning the team free kicks in the process!!}

MC/Att.Mid/DC/Manager (Capt Sparrow) - World class midfielder! Proven Att.Mid, Incompetent DC, P-plate Manager(zonal reputation). Capt has played in various central positions but the midfielder role seems to be his best position to date. In his younger days, he plays as a DC but currently is suspect with his ability as a DC due to old age and his beer belly( Raising up his hand and calling for offsides seems to be part of his game when playing as a DC now!) An all round player, he has the stamina to join in the attack and drop back to defend when necessary( mostly for 65 mins of the game only!). Has the ability to spread play to the wings with his vison and produce one-touch defence splitting passes. Occasionally, when fired up, will lead by example by running around and closing down opponents in a bid to win back possession. Has the knack of scoring long range shots by hitting the ball first time. Notable technique and ball control skills. However, he tends to fade away as the match wears on and you can almost always find him within the centre circle after the 70th min of the game. Likes to intimidate the referees for the team and have tendency to hack down opponents in pursuit of personal vengence - at the expense of the team!! Has poor team management skills and likes to tinkle with the squad (like the one Rafa Benitez he supports), especially after our team has just taken the lead or are holding on to slim advantagous positions. Has a poor concept of time - often ask substitutes to warm up and get ready in 5 mins but bring them on 25 mins later!!! A highly over-rated player whose absence is of minimal disruptions to the team(we won most of the matches when he's not around haha!!) Currently on the down trend in skills and ability due largely to frequent clubbing, alcohol abuse and expanding beer belly. Totally in sync with rich,spoilt and arrogant, well-paid footballers whose after training and match hours are spent at clubs and bars and in the company of high class social escorts! Paparazzi have spotted him in the vicinity of Changi Village's 'bapok' square in search of new and novel ideas of fun, after he declared that he feels numb in the presence of beautiful escorts in last month's Playboy interview!! { Special Move(s): Accurate first-time long shots! / defence splitting killer balls / Flapping at the ball!!}

Att.Mid/MC (Alam Alvin) - Tireless midfielder! Alam is held in high regards for his tireless work in midfield. His covering of the grounds during matches far exceeds what Dirk Kuyt did at Liverpool. He is a reliable midfield player who seldom makes mistakes and can be depended upon when the team needs him. Before his injury and subsequent operation, he is known for his mazy runs and head-turning dribbles but this has been toned down after his operation. Currently plays in the hole behind the striker and has a knack for scoring first time or long range shots. Maybe his only weakness is his inability to provide aerial threat in the attacking third (but thats not really his fault!!) Alam still has the ability to open up the opposition with his accurate passes and vision and the occasional direct run at opponent's defence. Does not have any real weakness to note.Takes over the captaincy whenever Sparrow is on leave and has done a fine job so far. Likes to dribble from left to right in search of teammates and often looks for the killer pass. Has good technique on the ball and reads the game well. Alam is a consistent performer who seldom have off days which is why he is well-liked by team mates and fans alike. {Special Move (s) : Pin-point passing / Direct run at oppositions' defence}

Att Mid RLC (Jackie Chan a.k.a Rooney) - Cultured Attacking Midfielder who is adept at playing across the midfield from left to right. He is the team's main supplier in terms of crosses and cross field pass. Rooney has the ability to spot spaces behind the defenders and make accurate through passes. Has a good technique on the ball and likes to take on defenders to the by line before letting loose his crooses into the box. He is also the main man who is responsible for the team's direct free-kicks. Has scored many goals from such situations although it must be noted that this has been decreasing with age! He is also in charge of taking the corner kicks of the team for he can really whipped in the ball and cause problems for the oppositions' players. Overall, he is a talented player that is valuable to the team. However, he is also notorious for his short-temper and his knack for "screwing" opponents who tries too hard to stop him in his dribbles. Likes to give a very "pissed off" face and yells at over zealous opponents....sometimes at the Ref too!! He is the only player to be sent off in the team's history for petulance towards the referee. Recently, after being too close with Wayang Quan, he has picked up the habit of going to ground with an audible "arghhh" but showed a bit more convincing power by shouting angrily at the opponents. Referee are mostly taken in by his yelling for they think he is really hurt by those tackles. {Special Move(s) : Deadly free-kicks / Cross field passes / Arguing with referees and opponents!!}





.......unfinished article.... will update when have time later....


Sunday, January 18, 2009

Let's spice up the blog!

Hey guys! I just got Merv to add me again into the admin side of things and so now i have my 'blogging' rights back!

Come on man!! This is OUR blog! Lets put in some effort to keep it alive and juicy yeah? maybe 'seafood' can be served here instead?? hahahaaha!!!

Anyway, I do hope all of you guys settle the admin log in part of things and start to post in here either with new blogs or in the comments section. Its so boring over the past few months or maybe a year since Merv went overseas... there have been efforts by other parties but i'll say its everybody's business to contribute...not just those who are good in IT or whatever....Let's put in some effort. I know its quite a chore to blog, cos my own blog on fishing is practically dead now...haha...but my point is it is really whether we want to or not la...what no time/busy/no passwords/language no good...hmmm....are excuses!(myself included). I am sure you can find some time when you are not so busy, settle the password issue and blog in any style you want(as long as it can be understood)

So dun give yourself anymore excuses, everyone must play their part ok! If someone delays their match report, then everyone will conveniently delay theirs too...cos it will be taken as the norm...its a vicious cycle!!

Next

Maybe I'll just add on that I think we can "loosen up" the blog a bit...like spewing some vulgarities la, updating on some rumours la, whose getting laid la , some paparazzi reports la etc etc....

I know there are other people reading our blog due to some links here and there BUT...I feel since this is OUR blog, we should do it OUR way!!....the way we talk to each other in reality.... That'll give our blog its own unique taste and attraction and bring us closer in this internet realm!! Currently I feel its too "politically correct" with strict match reports and official matters such as trips admin issues!! So boring....We have known each other for so long liao, i think we can accept each other's "shooting" and 'suaning' right??....for example, Capt sparrow knows I dun mean it when i say (tongue in cheek)that he's a fat ass midfielder who cannot run and always try to cover up by shouting instructions and analysing other people's weaknesses! Right Cappy?? hahahahaha

Maybe Tiger Yan can add in some paparazzi shots (those voyeur types)?? Or Chao can add in some interesting multimedia applications?? But most importantly, its vital that those who dun have a tendency or have never posted b4, to start doing so now!!

In short.......loosen up guys,start blogging, start bragging and start toking cork!! right here!!

Cheers!!
PapaSoh

P.S cappy....you know i really mean it right? wahahahahaha


A little memory jog

For those who have forgotten their UserID or password, below is a list of UserIDs that you guys have used to register with this blog. It is your UserID. As for your password, I can't help with that. Try to log in and see if it is successful. If it is, start posting soon! (The name before your email address is NOT your userid, it is your nickname used in the blog which can be changed anytime.)

BullocKs 13 AhChao82@gmail.com

robinho04 binghong_04@hotmail.com

ice blue.ice.falcon@gmail.com

Insolen bluek82@hotmail.com

Ah_Lam®™ caig0001@gmail.com

quan chua_derrick@hotmail.com

ffantasy18 ffantasy82@gmail.com

looney08 fypgroup1.fypgroup1@gmail.com

Fallen Comrades weijie_82@yahoo.com.sg

Tiger_Yan yan_shou82@yahoo.com

Accounts with no email tagged to it (Probably deactivated? Gimme a new email add and I will send an invite to that address.)

Seng, Captain Sparrow, juggernaut

P.S. I have activated a feature that will send an email to notify users when a new post is created. However, the stupid list only allows 10 email addresses. I will give priority of the list to committee members as well as loyal readers first. The addresses in the list for now are the ones listed above. Inform me if you wish to have it sent to a different address.


Match 95 - Win

Date : 18-Jan-09
Venue : Hua Yi SS.
Jersy : Black

Score FT : 3 - 0 (Jiaxiang[Rujia], Jeremy[Jiaxiang], Jeremy[Jackie])
Score HT : 1 - 0

Starting Lineup
GK. : Junbing
Def. (L-R) : H.Weijie[Kelvin], Kenny, Suichao, Kaiseng
Mid. (L-R) : Jackie, Alvin Cai, Sybian[Rujia], Hweequan, T.Weijie[Jeremy]
Front (L-R) : Jiaxiang[Mervin]

Match Summary
Sorry for the late report guys. The writer behind the scene was actually a out of job discourage worker who is so bored with life that he could not focus on the “task” of spicing up the Blog. Anyway things are done eventually and we shall look at the last competitive match before we go on a fun match and our Chinese New Year.
SongBo Fc records a rare clean Sheet
Clean sheet are hard to come by for Songbo Fc despite having one of the best defensive centre pairing in the west side of local footballers. But on the return leg of the match-up against the uncles (real uncles ) in fact some could actually be your parent’s childhood friends, SB won 3-0. In fact the score could actually be much bigger if not for some wasteful finishing and over confidence by the strikers and a particular winger. In the first leg which was played at fuhua sec SB lost 2-1 to a late goal by Botak whom had a relatively good scoring record against SB. In the wake of the 2-1 defeat SB FC started the match cautiously at Hua Yi Sec. Their morale were boasted when Uncle FC star player Angmo was not in the team bus for the match. But to the surprise of everyone SB star striker was not in the starting line up too. It seems like benitez is tinkering with the squad again. Only eight starters who had started that 1st leg retained their position. In usual fashion SB packed the centre with only KTV king up as a lone striker. Despite the fact that he actually started the last match as a lone striker it is open to all he is not one out and out striker, his strengths in the game which is his energy level and direct style of taking on players one V.S one is not fully utilized. But for once instance his work rate pay off, a relatively harmless ball was place down the right corner flag. KTV king chase the ball and won it off a defender, under pressure he send in a cross over to the near post. The GK put out his right hand in an attempt to parry the cross out but to the disgust of the uncles GK best efforts was to palm in into his own net! What on earth was he actually thinking about? It was later found out by paparazzi that the night before KTV king and the Gk actually had a late night out playing a different ball game. Even after the lucky break the match fails to sparkle. Passes from both sides would astray. Everyone seems to be waiting for the halftime whistle to come. In between the goal and the start whistle it is noted that SB tanker(sulk) went down with an ankle injury and was sub with sparrow. It is believe that his ankles cannot support his body weight at this alarming rate he is growing.
Finally the whistle came. Benitez seems to use more effort talking and motivating SB than on pitch. He noted that the midfielders are taking far too much time on the ball always trying hard to get the prefect ball for the KTV king. The game plan is simple get the ball down the line and KTV king would do his part in chasing the ball down. We are not liverfool’s Simi Alonso or Steven Jialet. We are just SB FC a weekend team. Watching too much EPL is killing us. Just do things the SB way keep organize and play the ball down the line any set piece or mistakes from the opponent would be enough to kill the game off.
The whistle goes off SB march into the pitch with the usual Huat rally. Kelvin comes on for thief and Jeremy for Cap Tan. In a tactical reshuffle Jeremy (goal machine) moves up to the lone striker which our KTV King moves to the left and Jackie Chan to the right. But the second half starts off in the same fashion as the first half. The match is all in midfield as both teams based more on organization than individual skills. But it took a moment of magic to actually alter the score line. Lamps lay a ball back to wayang who in turn played a defense splitting pass which even Simi Alonso would be proud off to set KTV King down the left side . KTV did what was required of him when he put in a left foot 1st time cross into the danger zone. Goal machine who was so starve of service that when something so delicious come in how could he not take? He finished the move with a well place header to corner of the net. Great football by SB FC! All it takes is 4 touches from center midfield to the left line into the net. That has to be a contender for the goal of season for such a build-up.
After the goal SB with their heads up play much better. But to the limitations of the players as usual they could not put more than 8 passes together. But that did not deter SB to score a 3rd goal. This time round jackie played a ball into the area for machine to put into the net. How many times have we actually seen this combination work? Countless! The two seems to have a great understanding on the pitch. Mervin came on for KTV king soon after as KTV King seems running out of steam after a good and efficient performance. Wayang went down with cramps with 10 mins to go. It seems quite long he haven been down on cramps when in the past he could actually go down on cramps for 4-5 straight matches. It was rumored that he was not at home the previous night. Cap tan came on for wayang. 5 Sec made a decent save at his goal line (the reporter did not see) which he proclaim to be great. But what is new everything that 5 sec does is always a top drawer (self proclaimed). With the time running down SB still got time to actually get a prefect chance to increase the tally. Jackie set on a 50 m run beating 2 players in the process. When he closes in on goal he send a powerful cross for machine to head towards goal but machine could not get a clean contact on the ball. The finish went off target but to the amazement of everyone the 2 of them exchanging high five after that play as if they scored a goal. But credit should given to Jackie that near the end of the game he could still embark on a fifty m run which spells a lot of his stamina. When the final whistle sounds SB celebrated they managed to get a win over an opponent which just beat them a week back. It was a good and efficient effort by SB FC.

Reported by Wayang


Sunday, January 11, 2009

Match 94 - Lost

Date : 11-Jan-09
Venue : Fuhua SS.
Jersy : Red

Score FT : 1 - 2 (Rujia)
Score HT : 0 - 0

Starting Lineup
GK. : Junbing
Def. (L-R) : Kelvin, Kenny, Suichao, Kaiseng
Mid. (L-R) : Jackie, Alvin Cai, Rujia, T.Weijie[Hweequan], Sybian[H.Weijie]
Front (L-R) : Jiaxiang[Jeremy]

Match Summary
First of all, I would like to apologise for the late match report here. I was being ‘volunteered’ by our captain to write this match report as to ‘lead by example’ and he himself will write the first report. Hence, without much motivation(cos I was assigned to write a lost match report) and lack of time, I only managed to start typing this at the eve of ‘deadline’ before I would be fined 10 bucks.
Before writing on the actual match report, I would like to give a bit of the writer’s background.
O level English - C6
A level English - D7
Uni – Computer Engineer
Hence, do pardon me for my broken English for my match report and it would be slightly different from other writers.

This was one of the few matches which Songbo team can learn the most from it. Just a few highlights on the match:
• it’s also our first defeat in the year 2009.
• This wasn't the first time we were playing against our opponent and we had quite a good record against them.
• Our up-and-coming striker was late for match, hence was being benched for more than 1 half.
• Many of the players are not playing to their standard, and vice-captain was one of the most obvious one.
• Didn’t manage to keep on to our lead and allow opponent to score 2 goals in last 10 mins due to
o Not enough time wasting being deployed.
o Substitution of 2 players or more are made when we were leading.
o Fatigue showing at the end of the match, hence not enough closing in on our opponents. (first goal)
o Didn’t manage to stop the ball from crossing into the danger zone after a pass from a free kick. (second goal)
• For attack wise, not much chances are created for our forwards. As Jiaxiang is still new to the forward position, he tends to drift off in terms of positioning, hence couldn’t pose much threat to our opponent’s goalpost.

To move on as a team, we have to work on the above mistakes that were being made during the match. And I guess we did improve cos we managed to win them again the next week after this match was being played! Haha.. Hopefully this match will stay with us in our memory to remind ourselves from making the same mistakes again.
Cheers and KONG XI FA CAI! HUAT AH brothers!!
-Vice Cap LAM

(Copy & Paste from comments with the help of 'Warlock')


Saturday, January 10, 2009

Match 93 - Win

Date : 04-Jan-09
Venue : Kent Ridge SS.
Jersy : Black

Score FT : 4 - 2 (Jeremy[Rujia], Jackie, Jackie, Jeremy)
Score HT : 3 - 1

Starting Lineup
GK. : Junbing
Def. (L-R) : H.Weijie[Kelvin], Kenny, Suichao, Kaiseng
Mid. (L-R) : Jackie, Alvin Cai, Rujia, Hweequan, Sybian[T.Weijie]
Front (L-R) : Jeremy[Jiaxiang]

Match Summary
Season of 2009 got underway!!!!

The first match for the 2009 season kicked off at Kent Ridge Secondary School where the field was more squar-ish than rectangular and a drop kick can land straight in the penalty area.

The opposing team was recently just formed and it comprises a couple of teammates of Sybian’s former club. Zhi Yuan, who has rendered good service to the short-handed Songbo over the years, helped to arrange the match.
Songbo came into the match in high spirits, both on and off the pitch, as we have carried off an unbeaten streak from 2008 and the team just had their inaugural AGM the night before.

The team started off with the tried-and-tested formation of PapaSoh in goal; Huang, Chaoz, Seafood Ken and Lusty across the backfour; Jack, Quan, Lam, Sparrow and Sybian forming the engine room and Jeremy as the lone striker. CapiTan’s season got off to an inauspicious start as he discovered his boots were missing in the morning and had to visit Mustafa to get a replacement.

As usual, the match started off cautiously as both teams took some time to settle into their paces and analyze each other’s style of play. It was very apparent that Songbo FC were very much still in their holiday partying mood as they appeared sluggish and not focused on the day’s proceedings. A few uncharacteristic hesitant defending from the normally solid pairing of Chaoz and Seafood Ken put Songbo under some early pressure. On the back of receiving the Player of the Year award the night before, Seafood Ken was probably still thinking of what awards he should aim for in 2009.

The organization and systematic approach of Songbo FC soon ensued and they dominated the early proceeding and could have put the team up at least two to three goals. The main culprits were the usually lethal Jeremy and Jackie who skied a few one-on-one situations and scored a few rugby tries. Then, totally against the run of play and aided by some hesitant defending, the opponent took an early lead. Songbo defence failure to clear the ball resulted in their striker being put through and he slotted the ball for the opener. 0-1 against Songbo!

At least the goal seemed to serve as a wake-up call for Songbo as they started to react to the incessant barking of Sparrow on the pitch. In one move, receiving the ball from the midfield, Sparrow played a through ball to Jeremy and he finally made the chances count and opened his already impressive account for 2009. 1-1.

Finally, Songbo appeared to get rid of all the good food from the steamboat the night before and started playing to their potential. Noting the opponent’s lack of organization due to the recent forming, Songbo grew in confidence and was hungry to take a halftime lead into the dressing room. Jackie, who had been misfiring throughout the first half, found himself free on the right edge of the penalty area with a loose ball and unleashed an unstoppable shot to the top right corner of the goal. The ball went right through the side netting and initially the referee (who seriously needed a pair of spectacles) blew for goalkick. Upon hassling from players from Songbo and the obvious lack of argument from the opponents, the blushing and still-not-yet-woken-up referee blew for a goal. 2-1!

Songbo did not wait too long for the third goal to come as a foul near the penalty area resulted in a direct freekick. As per usual, top-scorer Jackie stepped up, oblivious to the hungry-for-a-freekick-chance looks of his teammates, and planted the ball neatly into the centre of the goal. His goal celebration was one of arrogance and cockiness as he kissed his two fingers, firmly reminding the team that he has a two-goal lead at the top of the goal-scoring charts. 3-1!

Soon after, the halftime whistle was blown and the teams trooped back to their ‘dressing room’. The steamboat food was just about digesting within some of the players and some were still figuring out who were the hunter and guru were some of the reasons cited for the lacklustre performance. The halftime message for Songbo was clear: The team was there for the taking, take our chances and finish the match off. Kelvin came on for Huang at the break as CapiTan waited on the bench eagerly to test out his new boots.

The second half started like how the first half ended as Songbo stamped their authority and dictated the proceedings. A few half chances were created; notably Sparrow looking to break his duck with a diving header and Jeremy rounding the goalkeeper but placing the ball onto the oncoming defender on the goalline. However, Songbo finally made their chances count when a great clearance from the defence turned it into an immediate counter-attack and throughball. Jeremy, burst through with his well-endowed speed and close control, and finished the neat move with a good shot to the corner of the goal. 4-1 and Songbo appeared to in cruise control!

Lalalala.. and Songbo reverted back to its holiday mood, seemingly assuming that the match is well and truly over when its not even three quarters over! Showboating, misplaced passes, individual glory, Rio-Ferdinand defending and complacent finishing were displayed by Songbo following the fourth goal and some went back to guessing who was the hunter and guru for the game the night before. It wasn’t long before Songbo finished digging their own graves and firmly buried themselves inside as some hesitant defending allowed the opposing striker to nick in and scored the second goal. 4-2!

In these friendly matches, a two-goal lead is as fragile as glass and Songbo probably know this loud and clear and they have surrendered a coupled of two-goal leads over the last season. The anxiety and nervous-ness soon appeared and this translated into their play as they were put under intense pressure by the opponents. However, the pressure all came to naught as Heaven was kind to Songbo and let them off in this opening match of the season.

All in all, Songbo should have finished the opponents off way before halftime given the numerous chances they had. Instead, they let the opponents in with a sniff of chances here and there and on other days, they might have been punished severely. Let’s hope that this serves as a good wake-up call for the team in this opener and prevent Songbo in slipping into party mood during the course of the year!
Nevertheless, a good win to start the year and let’s strive for greater achievements for both the team and individual performance in this coming year!

Cheers!
By Capt. Sparrow (with the help of Bullocks)


Monday, January 05, 2009

Songbo FC New Year Party cum AGM

Songbo FC kicked off the year with a good-old steamboat dinner at Junbing's new home at LakeShore. It was also the time for year end conclusion of stats, opinions, and, beginning from this year, awards given to recognised players. Below is a summary of the AGM:

Songbo Statistics Yr 08-09 Link:
Songbo FC Statistics Yr 08-09.xls

-----


Awards:


Player of the Year (voted by Executive Commitee): Kenny Jiang

Most Improved Player (voted by players): Toh Kaiseng

Players' Player of the Year (voted by players): Alvin Cai

Congratulations to all award winners!

-----

Appointment Holders:

Captain: Chen Rujia

Vice Captain: Alvin Cai

Stats Manager: Ang Suichao

Treasurer: Chua Hweequan

Project Team for 15th Anniversary Photobook: Mervin Teo, Wee Yanshou, Kenny Jiang

-----

Looking Ahead:

Each member of the team will rotate to write match reports. Commitee members will be given lesser reports to write due to commitments.

Stats like Starting Line-Up, Substitutes and Assists will be tracked to give a better picture of individual as well as team performance. It could prove useful when selecting the next Player of the Year.

A fund will now be kept by the treasurer for purposes like prizes, food expenses and the like. To obtain this amount, members will pay an N+$2 where N equals the amount to pay for the match. Absentees is still obligated to pay the $2. (yes? no?)

-----

That concludes our 2009 New Year Party cum AGM. We hoped everyone had enjoyed the event and we look forward to the next one. Until then, huat ah!

P.P.S. Please feel free to add in anything that I might have missed. Thanks. Yan, if you can, spice up with some photos where appropriate.


Friday, December 26, 2008

Match 92 - Win (Year End Testimonial Match)

Score: 4-2 (Jeremy x 2, Junbing, Kenny)
In this season-ending match, Songbo FC decided to tweak with its tactics and lineup and made sure every member has its fair share of action if it was lacking during the year.

In goal, Songbo started with Ah-Lam-par whose self-lessness and sense of responsibility has helped the team to go on an unbeaten run in the latter part of 2008. Being the vice-captain, he has led by example and his subtle sense of leadership is a perfect complement to the boisterous style of Sparrow. His fitness and level of performance have also been in tip-top condition, guiding the less-experienced mates along the way. Hence, he was rewarded with a starting berth in goal, which was definitely going to be action-filled, given the set-up of the experienced but most-of-the-time-hands-held-up defence.

In central defence, the pairing of Sparrow and Diver-Quan must be one of the best partnerships, if this match was played in 1998 instead. With combined total of more than 200 caps, the so-called Baresi-Maldini pairing typically relies on experience and reading of the game more than anything else. If a hand can be raised instead of making a tackle, this pair will gladly do a Rio Ferdinand.

The evergreen CapiTan started at right back and he slotted in seamlessly even though it must have been close to ten years since he last played there. With renewed vigour and maturity stemming from his recent engagement, he epitomized the role of a husband-to-be on the pitch, shackling the opponent’s wingers and giving them no space to maneuver at all. On the other side, the already long married Jackie Chan-wannabe, was displaying the petulance of his future teenager son and contesting every referee’s call while taunting every move of ‘Wee’. However, we all must admit that his cross-field passes and corner kicks are definitely far more superior to those we saw at the National Stadium later in the evening.

The centre midfield trio of Junbing, Mervin and Jeremy was enough to strike fear in any opponent when moving forward but the covering of the defence was severely lacking, probably due to their kind intentions to allow the flabby centre defence pairing to burn some fats. Junbing, who played like a hungry predator released into the wild due to his constant caged-up role of a goalkeeper, did his best to fulfill his fantasy soccer dream, even executing a bicycle-kick in defence at one point! Mervin, who was not supposed to feature in this match due to jet-lag, also tried his best though his touches and passess were apparently rusty and short of sharpness. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome him back to the team and hope he has shagged enough Taiwanese chicks! For Jeremy, let us just put it as he is a natural born finisher and great striker and being a support striker is just not his cup of tea.

Down the flanks, the fleet-footed seafood supplier Kenny and three-blind-mice Lusty Seng had the opportunity to terrorise opponents’ defence this time instead of the other way round. They played their hearts out and Kenny contributed an opportunistic goal. However, the Daniel Bennett-style of Jackie Chan greatly limited their penetrating potency.

The constantly menopausal but John Terry-style Chaos was rewarded with the role of a lone striker. In previous competitive match, he has displayed the competency of the role and even assisted in a goal in Match 89. However, in this season-ending match, he was preoccupied in being a Micheal Owen rather what his sheer size can do as a John Carew. In the end, for 90 minutes, zero shots on goal, enough said.

The opposing team was a bunch of uncles who look like a mixture of taxi drivers, construction worker (note the singular term), bookies and sugar daddies. Credit must be given for their passion and professionalism.

The match started cautiously with neither team gaining a foothold and chances were few and far between. The experimental (or makeshift) Songbo team was playing above expectations and soon they started dominating the match proceedings. However, the majority of the possession all came to nought as the moves broke down in the final third of the pitch. Neither keepers have much to handle in the first 20 minutes of the match but the long kicks of the uncles’ gk were proving t be a constant thorn to Songbo’s defence. One such kick landed the ball in the feet of their central midfielder and with one move, he played ‘Wee’ through on goal through the left side of Songbo’s defence. As expected, all four of Songbo’s defenders immediately raised their hands but the referee was having none of it. Totally against the run of play, ‘Wee’ planted the ball into the near post of our novice gk and the uncles were up 1-0.

Songbo was disappointed, having the bulk of possession and attacking chances but yet falling behind. Sparrow, who was constantly barking at the team and irritating the shit out of his forwards, up the tempo of his shoutings and Songbo woke up from their slumber. A foul was conceded by the uncles near the halfway line and Bennett-for-the-day stepped up to float a ball into the opponent’s penalty area. The ensuing melee left the ball at the feet of Jeremy and he gleefully toe-poked the ball home from close range. Parity was restored and Songbo was back on level terms. The half-time whistle was blown shortly thereafter.

The half-time team talk was simple; continue the possession football and take the chances. The uncles were obviously there for our taking. Some changes were made: Rino Kel-tusso came on for Mervin and he was instructed to provide the energy in the centre of the park while Ah-Lam-par swopped places with CapiTan.

The second half started like the latter part of the first half, with Songbo dominating possession and controlling play. From a move down Songbo’s right side, the good link-up play of Kenny and Chaos played Kenny into the edge of the uncles’ penalty area. With a combination of some fleet footwork and good luck, Ken penetrated the defence and slotted the ball home. 2-1 to Songbo!
The goal did not seem to ignite the hunger of Songbo to go for more, instead it made them slightly complacent. Soon after, the failure to close the uncles’ central midfielder down allowed their striker to be played through on goal and the awkward positioning of CapiTan ensured that the equalizer was served on the platter.

The match seemed to move up a gear after the goal and only the fast reflexes of CapiTan and heroic defending of Songbo prevented the uncles from taking the lead with a corner. The indirect freekick, as a result of CapiTan’s classic ‘drop-the-ball-and-collect-the-ball-again’ move, also went close. But Songbo was not to be denied in this season-ending match, a great move in the left flank, saw Papa Soh beating the challenge of one defender before tripping over the second defender’s outstretched leg in the penalty area. The referee had no hesitation and immediately pointed to the spot. The confidence of Jeremy was overflowing as he placed the ball on the spot before coolly planted to right of the goal.
3-2 to Songbo!

Songbo killed off the match with minutes remaining when a wonderful cross from the right by Jackie-Chan was met by Papa Soh who majestically out-jumped the defence and headed the ball into the goal from close range. 4-2!

At the end of the match, the spirits were high in Songbo’s camp and this was a wonderful end to Songbo’s 2008 season. As mentioned by Ah-Lam-par, an important lesson to be taken out of this match is the understanding of the difficulties faced by your teammates in other positions and also what opponents think when they shackle.

For those who weren’t around for this match, hope this match report was able to provide much insights

Well done, brothers!
Cheers!
(on behalf of capt. sparrow)


Monday, December 01, 2008

Hi all, I got the quotation as well as the itinerary from the resort. there are vaccancies at the moment. We need to pay 50% to book.
Day 1
1100hrs
Welcome Briefing; Check in
1230hrs
Buffet Lunch at Bamboo Cafeteria

1330hrs
White Water Rafting

1600hrs
Buffet Teatime at Bamboo Cafeteria

1700hrs
Free & Easy Activity

1900hrs
BBQ Dinner at Bamboo Cafeteria
Day 2
0900hrs
Caving Gua Tempurung
1230hrs
Buffet Lunch at Bamboo Cafeteria
1300hrs
Check Out


Sunday, November 30, 2008

Proposal 2 : Treasure Hunt, BBQ, Night Confidence Course - Pulau Ubin, Singapore

Hi brothers,

On behalf of Quan, this is his proposal.

Objective: Team bonding,confidence building.

Location: Pulau Ubin Resort.

Pricing: $50-60 per person

Itinerary:

• It would be a 2 days event
• 1100hrs : Meet up at Changi Village.
• 1200hrs : Check in to chalet.
• 1300hrs : Have a decent lunch.
• 1500hrs : Rent bicycles and start our treasure hunt.
• 1730hrs : End of Treasure hunt.
• 1900hrs : Back at base camp to prepare for bbq. Start of BBQ.
• 0000hrs : Clearing up of equipments preparing for night track
• 0100hrs : Night track would start @ 1 am sharp. Medalist of the treasure hunt would get aids for the night track.
• 0400hrs : End of Night track.
• 0500hrs : Back to base for tekan sessions.
• ----hrs : Rest for the night check out the next day

Some additional activities that can be done there:
* Water gun

Transport: MRT + Bus, Car to Changi Village. Boat to Pulau Ubin.

Time: We shld be leaving on coach on fri nite and return on Sun.

Songbo,
Chao, on behalf on Quan


Proposal 1 - White water Rafting and Caving - Gopeng, Perak

Hi brothers,

Pls see below for my proposal.

Objective: Team bonding, Have a new experiance.

Location: "My Gopeng Resort" @ Gopeng Town, Perak (According to the resort website, it is
quite near the Gopeng exit of the NS highway)

Pricing: RM 318 + ( includes 2 lunch, 1 breakfast, 1 BBQ dinner and 1 tea time)


Itinerary:

0930hrs: Arrive starting point ( MY GOPENG RESORT ) Safety Briefing at MY GOPENG RESORT ADVENTURE HALL. Pre-rafting formality, gearing up and practice.

1000hrs: Rafting commences. Covering the distance of 12 km with 9 big rapids along the Sungai Kampar ( Grade 1-3 ). Rafting journey takes around 1 ½ - 2 hours. Body Rafting and river challenge or surfing should not to be missed!

1230hrs: Upon arrival at the ending point, Kg. Jahang. Transfer back to MY GOPENG RESORT.

Have a clean washing up in the resort bathing room and have the Chef’s lunch by the canteen.

Notes: Afternoon departure scheduled at 1400hs. Water level determines the duration of the rafting journey, (Low = 2 1/2 hrs to 3 hrs, medium = 1 1/2 hrs to 2 hrs, High = 1 1/2 hrs)

CAVING IN GUA TEMPURUNG should come after this. Duration abt 2 hours.


Some additional activities that can be done there:
  • Jungle trek (RM 35)
  • Night walk (RM 30)
  • Paintball (tbc, they were building @ beginning of yr)
  • Rafflesia nature trek
  • Pond/River fishing
  • Archery
  • Water gun warfare
  • 4x4 wheel drive (tbc, no details on website)
Transport: If we are not going to drive up, coach from Boonlay shopping centre to Gopeng town costs abt SGD 64.

Time: We shld be leaving on coach on fri nite and return on Sun.

Hoping to push thru this proposal as the "Plan A" as vaccancies are subjected to avaliability, I feel that this shld b a new experiance for most if not all of us.

You can check for more information at http://www.mygopengresort.com or run a search on the names I mentioned above.


Cheers!
Ice


Match 91 - Win

Score : 4 - 0 (Jeremy x3, Junbing).
Venue : Queensway Sec. School.
Iconic Event : None.

[RESERVED]


Match 90 - Win

Score : 4 - 1 (Jeremy, Rujia, Jeremy, Tan Weijie).
Venue : Tanglin Sec. School.
Iconic Event : None.

[RESERVED]


Sunday, November 23, 2008

Match 89 - Win

Score : 2 - 0 (Rujia, Jeremy)
Venue : Pioneer Sec. School
Iconic Event : The guys, without the girls...

[ RESERVED ]


Sunday, November 16, 2008

Match 88 - Draw

Score : 3 - 3 (Alvin, Jeremy, Jackie)
Venue : Turf City
Iconic Event : None...

[ RESERVED ]


Match 87 - Win

Score : 3 - 1 (Jeremy x2, Jiaxiang)
Venue : Juying Sec. School
Iconic Event : None...

[ RESERVED ]


Sunday, October 19, 2008

Match 86 - Lost

Score : 1 - 5 (Geremy)
Venue : Juying Sec. School
Iconic Event : To show his appreciation to us for welcoming him back, Robinho repay his 'debt' by committing yet another penalty. Thank god it didn't go in. Well, so did ours in the first half (by Papasoh).

P.S : The curse is not lifted... It just shifted to the RED jersey.

[ RESERVED ]


Sunday, October 12, 2008

Match 85 - Win

Score : 4 - 0 (Geremy x4)
Venue : Clementi Woods Sec. School
Iconic Event : We wore the BLACK jersey.

P.S : The curse is lifted... At least for now.

[ RESERVED ]


Friday, October 10, 2008

Welcome Back Home!

Let us take a moment to welcome back our long lost friend, the sailor of the seven seas (dunno how many foreign girls he shagged already), Mr Zhong Binghong! Let's see if his return back to the team will aid us in our push for the first win in our black jersey. Expect to see more classy defending stuff from him and, of course, more penalties!


Thursday, October 02, 2008

Match 84 - Win

Score : 3 - 1 (Geremy, Rujia x2)
Venue : Boon Lay
Iconic Event : Red card in 'friendly' matches symbolizes immediate substitution of players.

P.S : When opponents wear black, you know you're going to have a good day.

[ RESERVED ]


Thursday, September 18, 2008

Red is the Colour

Finally a win to end our miserable streak.

Red is our colour and so is the colour of the markets right now.

Red is the way to go. ;)


Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Match 83 - Win

Score : 3 - 2 (Geremy x3)
Venue : Boon Lay
Iconic Event : Girls who smell nice, doesn't really mean they'll play nice. It's advisable for girls not say anything on the field as they might irritate the opponent (good thing) and spoilt their own image (bad thing).

P.S : Our RED Jersy not only blessed, it also brings girls to us !!!

[ RESERVED ]


Monday, August 18, 2008

The Curse of the Black Jersey

Lost...Draw...Lost...Win!...Lost...Lost...
Draw...Lost...Lost...Win!...Draw...Lost...

Recognize this? No, this isn't the prediction for Sunderland's form this season. This is our form, for the past 12 games.

This string of results came 2 matches after the post to buy the new jersey, on the back of 2 wins. I do not know exactly which match was the black jersey introduced but I presume it was from match 71, which started this string of results.

2 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses out of 12 games...I don't remember for the life of me that we had such a bad run before Match 70. I don't mean to be superstitious but I'm pretty confident that during the 2 wins, you guys were not wearing the black jersey.

The black jersey is somehow cursed. If I were the captain, I'll do something...fast.


p.s: Chaos, the link to the our statistics page is outdated. You might wanna update the page every 5 games or so. And I think you can add the new members in as well. Thanks.


p.p.s: In order to "commemorate" our black jersey, the blog will be black...for now.



Sunday, August 10, 2008

Songbo FC's Yahoo Fantasy Soccer Season 08/09

Update: The new season starts this Saturday and we have 6 teams in the Fantasy League!? Please register your team now! And a gentle reminder to those playing, please remember to click "Save Team Changes" on the right side after you have finalised your team. If you fail to do so, your changes to the team will not be registered.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The league has been set up for those who do not know. Details are as follows:

League ID: 3935
Password: 12345

Please join in.

P.S. 5 matches without a win till today? I think that's a new record.


Match 82 - Lost

Score : 3 - 5 (Kenny, Geremy, Alvin)
Venue : Boon Lay
Iconic Event : Refer to previous post.

[ RESERVED ]


Sunday, August 03, 2008

Match 81 - Draw

Score : 4 - 4 (Jiaxiang, Junbing, Geremy x2)
Venue : Kranji Sec
Iconic Event : Our Black Jersy is cursed !!!

[ RESERVED ]


Sunday, July 27, 2008

Match 80 - Win

Score : 4 - 0 (Jackie, Sybian, Jiaxang x2)
Venue : Westwoods
Iconic Event : Jackie displaying "superb" ball control skills by placing the ball over the bar with an almost empty net.

[ RESERVED ]


Match 79 - Lost

Score : 0 - 1
Venue : WoodGrove Sec. School
Iconic Event : Referee. Enough Said.

[ RESERVED ]


Thursday, July 24, 2008

SongBo FC - Our blog's 2nd Anniversary

While weekend after weekend passed, match after match played, time passed swiftly that maybe no one noticed that our blog started way back in 2006, July 16th. I only noticed it recently, when I looked at the sidebar and realised our posts started back then.

While we continue to be busy with our work, studies and whatever not, let's take some time to remember how our team started back in 2005 with nothing but a bunch of friends who enjoyed soccer to today...well, still with nothing but the SAME bunch of friends who still enjoys soccer. Even though we are facing some manpower and form problems now, I'm confident that our team will continue to proceed and progress.

To all my SongBo FC brothers.


P.S. I will give the blog a new facelift to freshen things up soon...when I have the time.


Saturday, July 19, 2008

Fantasy Football - Premier League 2008-2009 New season, new design, same rules! Will you do better this year?

New blackboard experience: Try out different formations and line-ups on an online blackboard to help you choose your team more easily.

Unlimited team updates: React to injuries and suspensions quickly with unrestricted team changes. Pick as many players as you want from any one team; but be careful who you sell - players are sold at purchase price.

In-depth stats: Delve deeper into individual player performances with new, detailed player information pages

Create your own league: Take on your friends, colleagues and family members to find out who really knows the most.

Free to play: Are you ready for the challenge? This year could be your year!


I guess all of us have recieved the email above, so are we carrying on our fantasy game? and if so, in what format? Feel free to voice out..

Cheers!
Ice


Sunday, July 06, 2008

Match 78 - Lost

Date: 6th July 2008
Score : 1 - 2
Venue : Dunearn Secondary
Starting Lineup: Yan(GK), Seng(LB), Chao(CB), Kenny(CB), Huang(RB), Quan(DM), Sybian(LM), Alvin(CM), Tan(RM), Jacky(AM), JunBing(SC).
Reserves: Kelvin, Jiaxiang, Jeremy.

After around 1 and a half month of none actions at the field, Songbo came back to Dunearn Secondary to face a team of old man which we had previously played a few times before. Acting captain, Alvin, took charge in the absence of Rujia, who was reported to be having fun somewhere with 2 girls.

The match started with Songbo gaining possession of the ball. 1st goal came when a foul was won with Chao taking the free kick. A high ball was send flying to the center of the penalty box with Quan getting a head to it. The keeper was stunned and unable to save the ball which went bouncing to the bottom corner of the net. 1-0.

The turnover came when Kenny requested to sub with Kelvin with 5 mins remaining on the watch. Quan took over kenny's position and it was after 1 min when the opponent equalized. A corner ball was sent deep into the penalty box. Alvin shouted "MINE", but it was the opponent who got the head onto the ball and into the goal. 1-1.

Minutes later, after waves of attack by the opponent, Quan was found chesting back the ball to Yan, who hesitated awhile before coming out to collect it. An opponent sneak past Quan and tap the ball below Yan to score the winning goal for their team. 1-2. End of 1st half.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Half lineup: JunBing(GK), Sybian(LB), Chao(CB), Kenny(CB), Kelvin(RB), Quan(DM), Jiaxiang(LM), Alvin(CM), Tan(RM), Jacky(AM), Jeremy(SC).

2nd half started with a few changes made at the Songbo lineup. The midfield was was dominated by the opponent who's no.8 who controlled the midfield with no.13. Dangerous through passes were made by were all unable to make through Songbo's tight defense after the 2 goals in the 1st half. Reckless tackles were made by the opponents since the 1st half which sees studs going in for tackles, injuring many of us, including Sybian who was sub out for Seng later in the half.

Chances are created by Songbo through counter attacks and set pieces. Corners all when straight to the hands of the GK who i forgot to mention earlier that he is tall and skillful for a GK. Longshots were made by Quan and Alvin but all went wide. Jeremy had a few chances but all was blocked by the GK. End of 2nd half


Quote from Quan on an interview of the goal:
"Able to head a lousy cross is skill. Able to head the ball into the bottom corner is very skill. Combine the two, it is very very skill. In short, Superb."


Monday, June 09, 2008

Match 77 - Draw

Score   : 1 - 1 (Rujia)
Venue  : Not Sure 
Iconic  Event : Seafood recall, C-Cup batam . Makeshift defense, Lams & Yaya Chua.

[ RESERVED ]


Match 76 - Lost

Score   : 0 - 1
Venue  : Regent Secondary 
Iconic  Event : Without Rujia and Alvin. Seng Mistake.

[ RESERVED ]


Match 75 - Lost

Score   : 1 - 2 (Rujia)
Venue  : Near CCK Community Centre
Iconic Event : 3 halfs of 30mins.

[ RESERVED ]


Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Songbo's statistics

For 01 June 08 - 19 Oct 08

Table:
GP W D L GS GA GD P
10 4 2 4 23 21 2 14

Total Matches Played : 86
Games Won : 46 (53.49%) Games Drawn: 15 (17.44%) Games Lost: 25 (29.07%)
Form for last 10 games(Earliest to Latest) : D L L W D L W W W L

Goals For : 2.3 per game
Goals Against : 2.1 per game
Clean Sheets : twice for last 10 games

Goalscorers List:
Jackie : 35
Rujia : 33
Yanshou : 21
Alvin Toh : 21
Kelvin : 18
Junbing : 18
Alvin Cai : 16
Mervin : 7
Sybian : 7
Hweequan : 4
Kenny : 3
Tan Weijie : 2
Kaiseng : 1
Suichao : 1
Guest : 1
Huang Weijie : 0
Binghong : 0

Fact of the Day:
1. Most Goal Scored in a Match by a Player : Junbing, 4 goals.
2. After 69 Matches, Seng finally open his account.
3. In all 86 Matches, there are a total of 12 games that we didn't score a single score. In this 12 games, there are 5 Draws and 7 Losses.
4. Jeremy scored 12 goals in total for the last 6 matches. That's 2 goals per game in average.


Match 74 - Win

Starting line-up: Tiger Yan(GK), Seng(RB), Huang(LB), Chao and Kenny (CBs), Sybian(RM), Jack-in-a-box(LM), Quan(DM), Captain Sparrow(CM), Lam(AM), Papa Soh(SC)
Super-sub: Utility man Kel

Sunday morning. Weather clear. Feeling apprehensive.

Songbo made a return to the Westwood Sec pitch, where they recently failed to secure a victory and had to settle for a draw after leading by 2 goals. It was this previous experience that led Captain Sparrow to ask Kelvin whether it was the same opponent again. Checks later revealed that it wasn't but it has to be said that it did not turn out to be desirable too, as we were made to play against Sporting, a team which we have defeated and will carry on doing so with one hand tied behind our back. Everyone was feeling hyped up by now, though bored in facing the same old rotting opponents like how a prisoner feels like when he's handed his daily meals of plain porridge.

All this complacency nearly led us to our downfall...if not for some lucky finishing from Looney, on a 33% conversion rate on his freekicks.

The match started slightly after 9 am and both teams were eager to gain an upper-hand. The first goal came during the journalist's urgent visit to the lavatory. Though i did not witness what happened, it transpired to me that Captain Sparrow headed in powerfully to start the goal rush. Certainly a taste of things to come.

Songbo FC has always survived and won matches based on stout defending and effective set-pieces, and the second goal was a testament to the latter. An inswinging corner from Looney saw Captain Sparrow again rising above the minions to nod the ball into the back of the net. 2-0 up, egos were starting to get inflated.

Credit has to be given to the opposition as they did not surrender even after being 2 goals down. Their midfield started to look more imposing and threatening, with their No. 57 bulldozing his way across the park with his technique and aggression, No 3 (aka Alern) making runs and passes to their No 7, who was nicking it around our defenders. Besides their tenacity, they had luck and the referee's bad decision to thank when their first goal came. A cross into the penalty area was not cleared far enough, and although our defenders had moved up to form a offside trap, the referee decided otherwise and allowed a goal when their clearly offside "tao-gai" player tapped the ball past a stunned and astonished Tiger Yan. 2-1.

The game progressed with end to end action and Songbo stemmed Sporting's progress with brave defending, notably Huang who has shown improvement over the games. Credit, of course, has to be given to the other 3. A freekick was earned outside the edge of the penalty box when Papa Soh was upended by one of Sporting's defenders' clumsy challenge. Looney, who previously had ballooned one freekick and show wide another, stepped up confidently to claim a stake. His competitor, Sybian. The choice was obvious, the desirable result proved so. Looney dispatched the deadball over the wall and straight at the GK. However, it has to be said the goal came as a result of the GK's inability to claim a high ball than Looney's accuracy. This view was reinforced by Looney after the match that he was indeed lucky. Nevertheless, a goal is a goal. Shortly after, referedd blew for the break.

After a smoke-filled break, the two teams returned to the field to begin the second half. Songbo made changes to their line-up bringing Kelvin in as RB and Seng moving over to the other side, sacrificing Huang in the process. Half-time team talk was to start a passing game, with subsequent changes to put Papa Soh back between the posts and Tiger Yan out to roam the park for his hunting. This was not to be as Sporting, clearly taken drugs during the break, came into the game snapping at our heels. Their perseverance finally paid off when a hopeful punt into the 6-yard box by their winger saw Tiger Yan failing to claim a simple ball under no pressure after coming out between the posts. It has to be the awkward bounce the ball took on the bumpy ground, as we all hate to say it was down to a lack of concentration. 3-2.

Songbo, tenacity our forte, decided to push on with our attack and it nearly paid dividends if not for Looney's rueful miss. A well-placed cross deep into the penalty area by Kelvin was well-controlled by Looney initially, as his first touch took the ball past a marking defender. He was let down by his own finishing as he opt for power instead of accuracy and saw the ball screaming wide of the post.

As the game progressed and the Sun rose, Alvin seemed to be the only hardworking midfield player, constantly hustling the opponent. Quan was feeling the results of a booze-filled session the night before and Captain Sparrow was looking like a shadow of his first-half performance. The consistent pressure from Alvin saw the opponent allowing a loose ball to reach Looney on the left side, and this time after a good control, he unleashed a dipping shot that left no chance to the GK. Clearly the match winner! Has to be lucky again...but then again who cares. 4-2.

Captain finally regained his composure and remembered that he had promised to bring Tiger Yan out and up. The change was finally made, to Tiger's pleasure, which was however short-lived. The action now concentrated on Songbo's side, with Sporting laying siege to our fortress. The fortress did not collapse during open play but it was during a corner that we narrowed our lead to 1 goal. The ball was put into the 6-yard box which Papa Soh claimed to be his ball. It must be due to the surface of the gloves that caused what happened next, as Soh was never prone to such errors. To everyone's horror, he dropped the ball and Opposition No 3 was the quickest to react to toe-poke the ball into goal, injuring Quan in the process with an elbow. It hurts, and judging by the whines Quan made, it should still be hurting now as this report hits the press. An appeal was made by Quan but the referee waved it off as flippant. 4-3.

The game finally ended as the kick off was made by Kelvin and Looney. A loud noise was heard from Tiger as he lamented his lack of chance to make up for his mistake, partially directed at Captain who forgot to bring him out.

In any case, a victory is sweet and sacrifices have to be made for the team at times. It is just Tiger's belligerent and mentality to win that caused him to explode, understandable by all of us. Take heart Tiger, no one blames you for that. Like how Captain sums it up, all players are not exonerated from mistakes, so why blame others? IT is this mentality that flows in our team that bonds us together.

Well done bros!


Match 73 - Lost

Starting Lineup: Cat, Thief, Geek, Seafood, Lust, SULK, Supposed Mas-catcher, Lam-par, Riise-to-be, Jack d’ Ripper, 5 Sec CUM

Great field. Synthetic grass. Yanshou’s old home ground. Sybian’s old firing ground. 70-yr-old MHA referee, Prime League player, Ah Lam’s blackout due to excessive sex, 1st match in black. What a wonderful combination of factors to make this an interesting match.

However, one word was needed to sum up Songbo’s 1st match in black: Chiu or 2 words: Really chiu. Factors leading to the downfall of Songbo: 1 strong central defender, Good goal kicks and simple clearances, simple yet deadly cross-field passes, short crisp passing, weather?, black jersey?, lethargic from long journey?, off-days from players and lack of commitment from most players.

Result: 2-1 defeat.

Synopsis:
In actual fact, the scoreline should have been wider if their 20-yr-old lookalike 35-yr-old nippy striker talked less and was more prolific.

1st goal:
Another cross field pass got behind our defence, striker through, Cat saved abit, striker got in front of Lust, Goal!

Equalizer:
Jack d’Ripper saw a lapse in concentration from opponent’s defence, took a quick free-kick, Goal!

2nd goal:
A cross, connected by a striker, bottom left, Goal!

This seemed like a match to forget. Nothing worth mentioning. Back to old problems of suicidal defending, disorganized midfield, isolated striking. However, I forgot to mention what the Prime League defender mentioned to me about our team after the match. ‘Discipline’. ‘Well-organised’. These two words were what he said about us.

I think it is important for us to always remember that we are not the most technically gifted team. But our win-lost record can match most amateur teams in Singapore. Why? Discipline and good organization. Let’s us not forget these traits that differentiate us from the other teams. In fact, we shall continue to maintain these qualities and improve on aspects which we are lacking in.

So let’s stay united, cheerful and gay about the unique Songbo team we have here, leverage on one another’s strength and using one another to cover up on our weaknesses.

Quoting Ah Chao’s fav tagline:
‘We are only as strong as our weakest link’.


Match 72 - Draw

Starting line up: Tiger Yan(GK), Thief(LB),C-cup(CB),Seafood(CB),Insolen(LB),Looney(LM),Sparrow(CM),Ah Lam(CM), Yaya Quan(CM),NBAStar(RM),PapaSoh(FW)

Half-Time Score : 1 - 0 (Jackie)
Full-Time Score : 2 - 2 (Jackie, Rujia)

A replay match against a group of young guys that we lost 4 - 1 a few months back. Almost 80% of the team reported late for the match and Captain Sparrow decided to charge all of them with mis-conduct (still awaiting charges).

The match went smoothly as Looney finally break his duck by scoring from a free kick (thanks to poor goal-keeping). Nothing significant happen during the first half.

To keep pace with Looney's goal tally, Captain Sparrow managed to add a goal through a corner with a well placed header. A few more goals could have been scored if not for poor finishing. The turn of event comes when our dear Sailor decided that we should "embraced" our opponents to show them the spirit of Fair Play. Much to the Referee's disguise, he doesn't agree with him and awarded a penalty to the opponents. As the match approaches the end, C-Cup loses his concentration and allowed their striker to get past him and slot in the much needed equalizer. What a spoiler to a good start.

Though the result isn't what we hope for, the team have definitely show much improvement over the past few months. What we need  now 
is more commitment, more confidence as well as more luck.

P.S : The Referee sucks big time !!!


Match 71 - Lost

Starting line up: Tiger Yan(GK), Thief(LB),C-cup(CB),Seafood(CB),Insolen(LB),Looney(LM),Sparrow(CM),Ah Lam(CM), Yaya Quan(CM),NBAStar(RM),PapaSoh(FW)

A match against some working adults from Shilton Hotel(never hear before) at Yusof Ishak Secondary school. Lost 2-0, wat to do? First goal scored cleanly outside the penalty box, a first time shot to the amaze of the goalie. Second was a shitty handball by Kelvin scored from the spot. The shittest thing is….it is committed outside the penalty area. Since 2-0 down in the first half, Songbo failed to test their opponents anymore. Though they had 2-3 good chances in the second half, they failed to convert that.

One thing to highlight, opponent had an irritating ang moh who likes to kick people’s legs and heels, but upon each foul he will act nicely to u. If the referee is smart enough, he will be given yellow long time ago.


Match 70 - Win







Starting Lineup: Pussy, Thief, Super Lusty, Lost Sailor, Computer Geek, INCREDIBLE SULK, Mascherano-wannabe, Small Sparrow, Ah LAM-par, Married Jack of all trades, 5 sec CUM

Set amidst lush greenery and great scenery, this field in Woodlands muz be one of the hidden treasures within concrete Singapore. It was so ulu that 82nd KC(supposed to know every corner of S’pore took half a day to come) and CCK kids (driven by North-familiar Jack) were late.

Opponents were a bunch of lau jiaoz with a mix of old uncles, China dudes, Terry Pathmanathan lookalike and Enciks. They looked strong and pretty organized from the pre match shootaround. Nonetheless, the match started smoothly. Songbo was using their typical discipline and organization to stifle the hard running and experience of the opponents. There were few chances far between with possession lost on both sides. Small sparrow, with a couple of misplaced pass to SULK, was one of the main culprits.

As the first half reached its halfway point, the breakthrough came. Thief, who has been improving by leaps and bounds from stolen manuals, turned defence into attack immediately with a great headed clearance. Ah LAM-par did well, brought the ball forward before unleashing an unstoppable shot which take a slight deflection off a defender and beat the outstretched keeper. Songbo’s goal has come against the run of play and injects a much needed boost to their confidence.

A goal usually does wonders. In no time, a corner was won by the team. From the resulting corner, 5 sec CUM planted a firm header beyond the keeper, albeit a deflection before the ball went in. 2-0 and Songbo was in cruise control. Halftime.

Halftime talk was about the matches 2 weeks before which Songbo did an AC Milan. Beneath the brave façade displayed by Small Sparrow, it was the fear of losing a 2-goal lead to a strong opponent. ‘Stay focused and take chances’ was the call from the talk.

The second half commenced and there were nothing between the teams except the score. Just as the score seemed to remain stagnant, a long punt by Married Jack found Small Sparrow. With one touch trapping the ball, the second one was a blast which sent the ball to the roof of the net. Small Sparrow thought it was a brilliant goal but according to Pussy, the opponent gk was as old as his father and he could have easily saved the shot. 3-0 and the game was as good as over.
The drama did not stop there. A notable incident in the second half was the scuffle by players from both sides towards the end of the game. A China dude striker appeared to elbow Geek and Geek retaliated with some virus sent to his body. Small Sparrow stepped in and gave the China dude a elbow of his own and the match almost turned into a boxing match between Geek and China dude. However, the melee died down quickly and Songbo collected only their third win of 2008.

Note of the match: Unsung hero Ah LAM-par tracking of their main man, Terry Pathmanathan lookalike, tilted the game in Songbo’s favour. We are improving in identifying and stifling opponents’ main men. Well done team. Let’s move on from this lesson and learn new tactics as we play more matches!

P.S: Thanks Kel for the zua-ing before Small Sparrow moved his big ass to write this report!


Saturday, March 01, 2008

Match 69 - Win







Starting Line Up: Tiger, Kenny, Da Hong, Lusty, , Thief, Yan Dao, Commando Tan, Captain Sparrow, Ah Lam, Looney, 5 Sec

Match at West Spring Sec. But against our Songbo FC first match opponents which we had played for 5 times. To us, they are a shit team that keep changing jerseys for 4 times. And i am not wrong in saying they are a shit tea, cos they lost to us 8-2 and we won them 3 times in total and a draw.

I shall not say much in the report......our 5 sec completed his hat-trick and scored 4 before first half even ended. Capt sparrow have 1, so does Looney, a foreign import and Lusty.One thing to note, Lusty finally grabbed his first goal in 69 matches. I hope theres more to come for him.
Opponents are a bunch of losers who cant even play as a team. There is even an idiot that daunt our Binghong with his ranting and reckless slides. he even kicked Binghong from the back which resulted him being sent off.

At the end of the day, Songbo played a match that's not worth the $80 in any ways. Imagine playing a team thats worse than Newcastle......theres no fun in it.
One more thing to note, our Commando Tan wil be away for a month, he had a fabulous form in recent matches, hopefully he dun lose it when he returns.


Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Jersy Selection

[The Poll can be found on the Right-Hand-Side of the Webpage]

Adidas - White
Selection 1 : $28 with Number





Adidas - Mix Colour
Selection 2 : $25 with Number and Name (ard $50 if paired with shorts) 







Line 7 - Mix Colour
Selection 3 : $25 with Number
Selection 4 : $35 with Shorts
Selection 5 : $38 with Shorts and Socks




Monday, February 25, 2008

Match 68 - Lost

Starting Line Up: Tiger, Kenny, Da Hong, Kelvin, Ian, Yan Dao, Commando Tan, Captain Sparrow, Ah Lam, Looney, 5 Sec

Reserves: NIL

Score (Songbo - Opponents) : 3-4 (Final Score), 2-0 (First Half)

Cost of taking public transport from Toa Payoh to Boon Lay: $5+
Cost of seeing a goal scored from 3/4 of the field: $80
Cost of losing a 3 goal lead : Priceless


Match 67 - Draw

Starting Line Up: Tiger, Tua Liap, Kenny, Da Hong, NBA Star, Yan Dao, Commando Tan, Captain Sparrow, Ah Lam, Looney, 5 Sec

Reserves: Jian Ming, Kelvin

Score (Songbo - Opponents) : 0-0 (Final Score), 0-0 (First Half)

Cost of playing a friendly soccer match on Sunday : $80
Cost of seeing a doctor : $100+
Cost of losing 2 star-studded players : Priceless


Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Happy Lunar New Year to Songbo!

Since I'm not in SG to join in the Lunar New Year fun this year, I wish all of my Songbo brothers 新年快乐,财源滚滚来,发呀!(Huat ah!) Let bygones be bygones as we enter a new lunar year and may you all score more goals, both on the pitch and off the pitch. Hope to see you guys soon. Take care.


Thursday, January 17, 2008

Match 66 - Lost

Starting Line Up: 5 Sec, Tua Liap, Yamate, NBA Star, Da Hong, Yan Dao, Commando Tan, Kennth, Ah Lam, Looney, Kelvin

Reserves: Captain Sparrow


Score (Songbo - Opponents) : 0-2 (Final Score), 0-1 (First Half)


Ours hopes of scoring a hat-trick of wins have burst. Though our opponent is made up of a squad full of malays and has also been playing in some soccer league, they ain't as strong as we assumed to be. But, skills alone do not contribute fully to winning a match. There are other factors like, LUCK, that plays a significant part in it.

The first goal was scored in the first half, thanks to a lucky bounce on the grass. The second one followed in the next half with an unexpected shot which caught our GK totally off guard.

We don't deserve to lose, but, the one above think otherwise. Nonetheless, we've gain alot of experience from playing a match, which firstly, have a bad ground, and secondly, against a league-team. Winning or losing isn't important, it's how we win or lose that match that's crucial.

S0, cheer up peepz. The best is yet to come.


Sunday, January 13, 2008

Match 65 - Win












Tiger Yan, Tua Liap, Yamate, NBA Star, Lusty, Yan Dao, Commando Tan, Capt Sparrow, Ah Lam, Looney, 5 Sec


Reserves: Da Hong, Thief, Kelvin


Its our 65th match and we are lucky to have a VIP, Amanda to the NTU Stadium to give us support, though she spent quite some time sleeping instead of watching the match. Our opponents were a bunch of Ba Ka (meat legs) which we played twice against them.



The match starts off with Songbo dominating most of the match and it was not long before Looney gave them the lead through a free kick again. Looney struck the ball few yeards after the midfield and the goalkeeper allowed the ball to bounce and it just chippped over him. 1-0 to Songbo.




The opponent had a key player who ran like mad up and down the field, but he had a bad habit of sliding recklessly, nearly injured some of our guys. but the referee was too noob and useless to even give him a yellow card or a warning. A corner from the left flank into Songbo penalty area, GK Tiger Yan came out to catch the ball, but he let it slipped through his hands and the ball falls into the legs of the opponent and he scored. 1-1.



Second half into the match, Binghong on for Lusty and Tiger on for Kelvin. 5 sec returned to the GK role. By this time, the opponent key player was clearly out of breadth and his contributions became lesser. Songbo regained domination and minutes later, commando sprinting down the right flank, saw a loophole in their defence, square a pass to Kelvin and kelvin did a good job ramming it past the keeper. 2-1 to songbo!



Songbo continue to terrorise and a corner kick from looney saw Yan Dao pumping high and power a header into the keeper's net. 3-1 to Songbo!


A nice match to start into Year 2008.


Good job Songbo!


Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Match 64 - Win










Starting Line up


Tiger Yan


Kenny


Tua Liap


NBA Star


Lusty


Commando Tan


Ah Lam


Yan Dao


Looney


Kelvin


5 Sec




Something to divulge, a group of Songbo FC players were caught merry making at Esplanade until 2am, few hours before the match. The names of the players will not be mentioned so as to protect their interests.




Before the match starts, vice captain Ah Lam suggest 'ROLLING SUB', so that players can give their all without worrying their stamina. The match goes like this, Songbo opponent were against the Uncle team which they had met for 3 times, the last was a win 3-2. Playing at their homeground Dunearn sec, Songbo looked more like host. They controlled the game and the breakthrough came when Commando Tan sprint down the left flank and gave a deadly acute cross to Ah Lam who tap it home. 1-0 up!




Though 1-0 up, Songbo began to play relax football. Noticeably Looney, who tripped over the soccer ball twice. Clearly lack of concentration after last night party.


But minutes later, he make up for his loss of form by slotting home from a free kick. 2-0 up!




The scoreline remains for the rest of the match. Along the way, Tua Liap had a double cramps on both of his legs, so do Ah Lam. Sabian legs machiam hands, hands machiam legs, cant slot home from close range and cant cross with right leg.




A comfortable win, its great to win with a clean sheet.