Match 187 - Lost

Songbo FC 0:3 Opponents

Date: 18th Nov 2012
Venue: Commonwealth SS.
Jersey: Black

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Hweequan(GK), Swee Chao(CB), Binghong(CB), Kaiseng(RB), Shon(LB), T.Weijie(DM), Sybian(LM), Bingheng(RM), Rujia(CM), Yanshou(AM), Junbing(CF)

Substitutes:
Alvin Cai
Kelvin
Kelvin's Friend

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

Scorers (Assists):


Report by,
Mervin

Match 186 - Lost

Songbo FC 1:5 Opponents

Date: 11th Nov 2012
Venue: Fuhua SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Hweequan(GK), Swee Chao(CB), Kenny(CB), Kaiseng(RB), H.Weijie(LB), Hweequan(DM), Bingheng(LM), Mervin(RM), T.Weijie(CM), Antony(AM), Jeremy(CF)

Substitutes:
Shon
Kelvin
Binghong

Scores:
HT: 0-4
FT: 1-5

Scorers (Assists):
Hweequan()

Report by,
Kenny

Match 185 - Lost

Songbo FC 1:3 Opponents

Date: 30th Sept 2012
Venue: Dunearn SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Yanshou(GK), Swee Chao(CB), Kenny(CB), Bingheng(RB), H.Weijie(LB), T.Weijie(DM), Kelvin's Friend(LM), Mervin(RM), Jackie(CM), Junbing(AM), Jeremy(CF)

Substitutes:
Shon
Kelvin

Scores:
HT: 0-2
FT: 1-3

Scorers (Assists):
Jeremy (Jackie)

Report by,
Swee Chao

Match 184 - Lost

Songbo FC 1:4 Opponents

Date: 2nd Sept 2012
Venue: Fuhua SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

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

Substitutes:
Shon
Kelvin
Jeremy

Scores:
HT: 1-1
FT: 1-4

Scorers (Assists):
Alvin Toh (Junbing)

Report by,
Mervin

Match 183 - Draw

Songbo FC 0:0 Opponents

Date: 12th Aug 2012
Venue: Henderson SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

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

Substitutes:
Shon
Kelvin

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

Scorers (Assists):


Report by,
Kenny

Match 182 - Win

Songbo FC 5:1 Opponents

Date: 5th Aug 2012
Venue: Pioneer SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Yanshou(GK), Swee Chao(CB), Kenny(CB), Kaiseng(RB), Bingheng(LB), Kelvin(DM), Hweequan(DM), Mervin(CM), Jackson(CM), Junbing(AM), Alvin Toh(CF)

Substitutes:
Shon
Kelvin
Others

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

Scorers (Assists):
Alvin Toh ()
Junbing ()
Yanshou (Jackson)
Jackson
Yanshou (Junbing

Report by,
Swee Chao

Match 181 - Lost

Songbo FC 0:4 Opponents

Date: 22nd July 2012
Venue: Fuhua SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Yanshou(GK), Kaiseng(CB), Kenny(CB), H.Weijie(CB), Kelvin(LB), T.Weijie(LB), Hweequan(DM), Jackie(CM), Swee Chao(CM), Mervin (AM), Junbing(CF)

Substitutes:
Bingheng
Ryan

Scores:
HT: 0-2
FT: 0-4

Scorers (Assists):


Report by,
Mervin

Match 180 - Lost

Songbo FC 0:4 Opponents

Date: 15th July 2012
Venue: Pioneer SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Yanshou(GK), Bingheng(LB), Kaiseng(CB), Kenny(CB), H.Weijie(RB), Jackie(LM), Hweequan(DM), Others(CM), Mervin(RM), Swee Chao(AM), Junbing(CF)

Substitutes:

Scores:
HT: 0-1
FT: 0-4

Scorers (Assists):


Report by,
Kenny

Match 179 - Lost

Songbo FC 0:4 Opponents

Date: 1st July 2012
Venue: Bukit Merah SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Yanshou(GK), Kelvin(LB), Kaiseng(CB), Kenny(CB), H.Weijie(RB), Bingheng(LM), Hweequan(DM), T.Weijie(CM), Mervin(RM), Junbing(CF), Swee Chao(CF)

Substitutes:
Alvin Toh
Jackie
Jeremy
Shon
Kelvin's friend

Scores:
HT: 0-1
FT: 0-4

Scorers (Assists):


Report by,
Swee Chao

Match 178 - Draw

Songbo FC 1:1 Opponents

Date: 10th Jun 2012
Venue: Fuhua SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Junbing(GK), H.Weijie(LB), Kaiseng(CB), Kenny(CB), Shon(RB), Bingheng(LM), Hweequan(DM), T.Weijie(CM), Mervin(RM), Swee Chao(AM), Alvin Toh(CF)

Substitutes:
Kelvin
Jackie

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

Scorers (Assists):
Alvin Toh (Kelvin)


Report by,
Mervin

Match 177 - Lost

Songbo FC 1:2 Opponents

Date: 20th May 2012
Venue: Pioneer SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

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

Substitutes:
Yan's cousin

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

Scorers (Assists):
Junbing (Hweequan)


Report by,
Kenny

Match 176 - Win

Songbo FC 1:0 Opponents

Date: 29th Apr 2012
Venue: Westwood SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

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

Substitutes:
Bingheng

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

Scorers (Assists):
Junbing ()

Well-deserved victory against a tough opponent

Players out of action:
1. Jeremy - Rehabitation
2. Alvin Cai - Rehabitation
3. Rujia - overseas
4. T.Weijie - overseas
5. Sybian - personal

At first glance, losing the above quality players to the various reasons stated seem to be a huge lost to SBFC’s talent pool. They are players who have the abilities to motivate the team, instill confidence and produce moments of brilliance to overturn a lost to a win. Their temporary absent from the team cast doubts on SBFC’s abilities to win games when pitted against tough opponents. It would seem that winning games from now on would be a tall order. Or so they thought…

This week’s match brought back memories which most SBFC players would rather not recall. The opponent was a team that literally bulldozed us in the last meet up at Dunearn SS. A superb individual performance by them ensured that SBFC suffered one of their worst defeats in history, 2-5! Coming from a defeat in the previous game and facing the thought of having to compete them again with a much toned down SBFC team speaks volumes of how morally damaging it is.

A few changes were made to SBFC’s lineup. In defense, LB and RB were replaced by Jiaxiang and Shon respectively. Jackie resumed his LM role after returning from his “missionary” trip to HK. The strike force remains the same.

Drawing from their previous match experiences, SBFC started the first half in a very hardworking manner by closing in onto the opponent quickly whenever they have the ball. This prevents them from forming plays through short passes and drastically reduces the amount of potent attack they could produce. Not to be put off by this, the opponent resorted to using high balls to initiate their attack.  Long balls were pumped up from defense and the targeted striker would either head the ball or chest it down and layoff to a nearby teammate. Although they were successful in winning most of the high balls, this method of play wasn’t as effective as short passes. The ball would eventually find its way back to opponent’s defense again as they couldn’t penetrate the sturdy SBFC defense wall. Even their much feared player was unable to pull off any dangerous play as he too, wasn’t given much space and time to with the ball. The tight marking strategy paid off handsomely.

SBFC were rewarded with their tireless effort with a goal which came from good team play. Junbing react first to the rebound that came off the post after Swee Chao’s shot. A well placed ball to the left corner was able to beat the fully outstretched GK. SBFC took a deserving lead! 1-0! The score line could have been extended if not for the poor finishing by Swee Chao. Berbatoh nicked the ball of their LB and threaded a looping cross which saw Swee Chao controlled it perfectly. With just the GK to beat, he chose power over control and narrowly missed the bottom right hand corner of the goal. With the hardworking effort of each individual player on closing down the opponent, SBFC was able to go into half time holding on to the slim lead.

Jackie was being replaced by Bingheng as he couldn’t play the second half due to personal reason. SBFC has now just 11 players and are playing without any substitutes.

2^nd half begins with the same tempo as the 1^st. Opponents were not being given much time with the ball as they were quickly close down. This strategy however, wasn’t without any drawbacks. A lot of stamina is required to maintain the man-marking. This is a luxury that SBFC does not have. Tired legs begin to appear and this enables the opponents to string together short passes that result in some very dangerous attacks but fortunately, they weren’t able to put the ball behind the net. Adding on to the woes, there are times when SBFC had to play with 10 men. First was when Shon went off to change his boots and the second one came about when Kenny was rested at the sidelines due to exhaustion. This opens up more holes for the opponent to attack which SBFC responded well by summing up their last ounce of energy to fend off the attacks and hold onto the lead. The whistle to end the game finally came and SBFC registered a deserving win against a very tough opponent.

A win against an opponent who trumped us badly in the previous meet up would definitely boost up the morale and confidence for the next game. It instills a mindset to the current SBFC squad that they can still win tough opponents despite missing some of our very best talents. Their return will definitely bring us back to top form but until then, we will have to stick together, fight hard and hold on to the fort!  

Report by,
Swee Chao

Match 175 - Lost

Songbo FC 0:2 Opponents

Date: 15th Apr 2012
Venue: Bukit Merah SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-1-1
Yanshou(GK), H.Weijie(LB), Binghong(CB), Kenny(CB), Kaiseng(RB), Kelvin(LM), Hweequan(DM), Swee Chao(DM), Mervin(RM), Junbing(AM), Alvin Toh(CF)

Substitutes:
Bingheng

Scores:
HT: 0-2
FT: 0-2

Songbo FC's Undefeated Streak Surrendered Meekly

Songbo FC's undefeated streak of 4 wins came to an end as they went down 0-2 to a team where they have beaten soundly before. Before the game has even begun, the squad was besieged by, perhaps, a whole battalion of mosquitoes lying in wait for the unsuspecting team. It resulted in the team changing up in record time before taking to the field for warm-up and runabouts.

The game itself was straightforward; Songbo FC's defeat could be summed up in just 2 crucial moments were mistakes ultimately proved costly as the opponents scored those 2 goals with arguably their only memorable attacks.

The 1st was a defensive mix-up between Binghong, slotted into the centre back position with Chaos being pushed up into midfield, and Yanshou who both ran towards the ball but none of them got to it. In the end, all the opponent had to to was to tap the ball into an empty net.

The 2nd came with another lapse in defense where the team let the ball bounce around one time too many. A cross field pass was played into their advancing player from the right and from a tight angle, the opponent managed to slot the ball in.

Throughout the whole match, Songbo FC had a few chances to pull back the scores but a lack of match sharpness, their 1st game in more than a month, contributed to their downfall, both in defense as well as offense.

Report by,
Mervin

Match 174 - Win

Songbo FC 3:2 Opponents

Date: 18th Mar 2012
Venue: Clementi Town SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-1-1
Yanshou(GK), H.Weijie(LB), Binghong(CB), Kenny(CB), Kaiseng(RB), Bingheng(LM), Hweequan(DM), Kelvin(CM), Mervin(RM), Swee Chao(AM), Junbing(CF)

Substitutes:
Jackie, Alvin Toh

Scores:
HT: 3-1
FT: 3-2

Scorers (Assists):
Kenny ()
Swee Chao ()
Jackie ()


Songbo FC Extends Their Unbeaten Run With A 3-2 Win

The game started with 10 man vs 8 man as the opponent's players had not appear 10mins after the appointed time. It was not the 1st time this happens and Songbo FC was quick to capitalize on that.

Kenny manages to steal the ball from their defender, which he loses to, and make a run for the goal. He calmly places the ball to the bottom of the goal post to score his 2nd goal of the season. 1-0.

With 11 vs 9 men, Chao, with only 1 half to play, pressures an opponent defender until their goal post, steals the ball, and place the ball like a thread through a pin, into the back of the net. 2-0.

The opponent, now with 11 men and fights back 1 goal when their key man, dribbles past a few guys and shoots a powerful shot past Yan, who was unable to make a touch to it. 2-1.

With some luck, Jacky manages to get a lucky goal after Mervin manages to trick the opponent GK into believing that Jacky was going to pass him. 3-1.

On the 2nd half, the opponents launches waves of attacks. A through pass from their key man found their forward free and he fires a shot. Tiger Yan gets a hand on it but the powerful ball continues bouncing towards the goal post. Mervin tries to run and clear the ball but was unable to make it and see the ball bounce past the line. 3-2.

It was a tough win by Songbo FC and the score would not be predictable had it be a 11vs11 men form the start.

Report by,
Kenny

Match 173 - Win

Songbo FC 3:1 Opponents

Date: 11th Mar 2012
Venue: Tanglin SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

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

Substitutes:
Kelvin

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

Scorers (Assists):
Junbing ()
Opponent Own Goal ()
Alvin Toh ()


Coming from a goal down to extend the unbeaten streak to 3 games

With the announcement of Capt. Sparrow leaving SBFC for ‘overseas training’, the future looks bleak for them. A creative player and one that often motivates the team, this will be a significant lost. However, there isn’t time for SBFC to ponder on this as they are being matched up with a worthy opponent at Tanglin SS soccer field. It’s a new opponent and thus one has to be cautions in their playing style. SBFC fielded a team with changes made to the RB, LM and DM position.

A cautions play often result in several minutes of ball chasing as the opponent tried to find a way into SBFC’s tight defense. However, a hardworking backline and midfield prevents them from doing so. Attacks were nullified and counter-attacks are swift. If not for the wasteful chances, SBFC would have been a few goals up in the first few minutes of the game. Sensing that a goal will come soon, SBFC began to pour more players forward. The move backfired as the opponent was able to make a play down the wing and the cross was well connected with a header that was hard for Junbing to stop. SBFC down by a goal! The unexpected score line put a dent to a supposedly perk up SBFC. The opponent builds on to the momentum and SBFC were faced with the difficulty of not letting the score line widen further.  The score did change a few moments later, this time, unexpectedly to SBFC’s favor. A harmless drop kick from Junbing saw the ball bounced over the opponent’s GK and into the back of the net. SBFC equalized 1-1! A record-making shot by the GK! With that, the first half draws to a close with both sides evenly matched in the score line.

The equalizer goal from SBFC restores the morale and confidence to the whole team and they began the 2^nd half searching for the goals that will kill off the game. Under intense pressure from the constant attack, it wasn’t long before the defense crumble and mistakes appear. A left wing cross from Jackie was turned into the net by the opponent’s GK himself, an own goal! Though it wasn’t the prettiest of goals, SBFC fully deserved it! From a goal down, they now lead by 1! Not to be satisfied with a solitary goal difference, a 3^rd goal is needed to kill off the game completely and secure the win. It would have come soon if not again, for the wasteful chances that falls to SBFC’s striker. Thankfully, SBFC was not being punished for that and the 3^rd goal eventually comes about through a well taken shot by Berbatoh. The killer goal finally arrived and the score line remains the same until the end of the match.

With this win, SBFC’s unbeaten streak is extended to 3 games! It could have been a goal galore if not for the missed chances.

Report by,
Swee Chao

Match 172 - Draw

Songbo FC 3:3 Opponents

Date: 19th Feb 2012
Venue: Alexandra Hospital
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Junbing(GK), H.Weijie(LB), Binghong(CB), Kenny(CB), Kaiseng(RB), Jackie(LM), Hweequan(DM), Kelvin(DM), Mervin(RM), Rujia(AM), Alvin Toh(CF)

Substitutes:
Swee Chao, Bingheng, Shawn

Scores:
HT: 1-2
FT: 3-3

Scorers (Assists):
Kenny ()
Mervin ()
Rujia (Mervin)


Songbo FC Seals 3-3 Draw in a Game of 2 Halves

Playing at a venue like Alexandra Hospital seemed like a trip back to Songbo FC's younger days where a pitch had no accompanying sources of water, no visible pitch lines drawn and only 1 end of the field was fenced. However, the quality of the natural pitch itself was one of the better ones encountered.

The opponents were familiar ones too; our head-to-head results says it all: a win and a loss. We could beat this team on our best days but otherwise, we would have a tough time. Our recent form suggests anything but top form.

The captain started with the same players benched last match, placing faith in a defensive line-up of Binghong and Kenny to hold the fort. The rest of the line-up were players in their familiar slots. With that, they were sent out to face a team they knew pretty well.

The 1st half began ominously enough; after an attack by the opponents came to nothing, Kenny made a run upfield which was spotted by Junbing. An accurate drop kick towards, a mis-control by the playing tracking Kenny and a good finish with a sliding shot gave Songbo FC an early lead in the match. It could have been 2-0 if Berbatoh took his chance when Rujia managed to win the ball back in the box after a tussle with the GK and crossed the ball for Berbatoh to convert into the empty net. Berbatoh, being Berbatoh, tried to finish with a diving header. Unfortunately for him and the team, he mistimed it completely and the ball bounced harmlessly out for a throw in.

The story for Songbo FC in the 1st half was pretty much summed up above and the opponents begun to turn the tide. A goal was conceded when a harmless looking ball was struck towards Junbing and and he stooped to collect the ball, the ball somehow bounced off his gloves and into the net. The opponent took advantage of their good fortune and begun to pepper Junbing with shots everywhere. The pitch was small and the defense had to been constantly reminded to push up instead of sitting too deep. However, that instruction took time to settle into the players and the opponents had the time to exploit the space left by the players to find the target. Junbing rose up to the occasion by performing saves that Pepe Reina would have been proud of. That resolve was broken when their "77" striker made a incisive run between Binghong and Kenny to receive the ball in the area where he was 1-on-1 with Junbing. With a flick off his foot, the ball went into the right corner of the net and Songbo was down 1-2.

It could have been 1-3 if not for some wasteful finishing by the opponents; a harmless looking situation between Binghong and Junbing gave the ball away when they could not play their way to safety but the striker could not convert the chance despite being clean through and Songbo was given a huge let-off; 1-3 at half time would have been difficult. However, 1-2 was the score Songbo brought into the break.

The 2nd half was a different story for Songbo FC. Somehow, the team managed to find enough fuel in the tank to press the opponents hard and kept relentless pressure on them. The pressure and hard work paid off after Berbatoh found a chance to strike a swerving shot at goal on the left. The ball seemed to be headed into the top corner but the keeper managed to get a hand to it to tip it onto the crossbar to deny Berbatoh. The rebound, however, fell to an area where Mervin was on hand to toe-poke the ball past the keeper despite his big frame covering all angles and into the net. 2-2 and Songbo FC was having the momentum to win this...

...or so they thought. With the opponents' technique and strength, they could shoot from almost anywhere in the small pitch and this was demonstrated when their midfielder had space in the middle of the park to drive a ball towards goal. Junbing, who was off his line to make up for the space between him and the defenders, saw the ball coming but could not get back in time to prevent the ball from cruising into the net. 2-3 and Songbo FC had to claw their way back again.

It could have been easier if Songbo FC have taken their chances earlier. A pass to the unguarded Hweequan at the edge off the area begged a better finish than the skying shot that ensued and after some rare feet to feet passing by Songbo FC which left Rujia through, he decided to pass the ball to the GK instead of planting it at the back of the net.

The fast pace of the game also saw casualties such as Hweequan, and later, Sweechao, leaving the pitch due to cramps and knocks with the bench fully utilised for rotating subs. Indeed, it might have been too much rotation when Rujia tried to play with a 5-4-1 formation near the end when Berbatoh had to leave the pitch after he was caught in the chest.

As the captain, he made it up, however, when he rose highest to head the ball into the left corner of the net after a cross from Mervin was delivered from the right. Earlier, he was punched by the keeper in the head after challenging for a header which left him in a dazed state not seen since the scenes at Kelvin's wedding. 3-3 and that was how the game ended, and perhaps, fairly.

The game could have been out of reach by the 1st half had it been not for Junbing's tremendous saves and wasteful finishing by the opponents. However, Songbo FC could have nicked it in the 2nd half as well if they had took all their chances.

In the end, while you have to look 24 matches back for their last draw, a 2 game unbeaten "streak" sets up a good ground for those 6 to 8 undefeated strings Songbo FC were once known for. 3 different goalscorers, $5 per head pitch, 90 mins of pulsating action, 1 experience.

Report by,
Mervin

Match 171 - Win

Songbo FC 2:1 Opponents

Date: 5th Feb 2012
Venue: Pioneer SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up: 4-4-2
Junbing(GK), Kelvin(LB), Binghong(CB), Kenny(CB), Kaiseng(RB), Jiaxiang(LM), Hweequan(DM), Rujia(CM), Mervin(RM), Alvin Toh(AM), Yanshou(CF)

Substitutes:
Swee Chao, Jackie, Bingheng, Shawn

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

Scorers (Assists):
Rujia (Alvin Toh)
Rujia (Jackie)


Songbo FC Scrapes Through With A 2-1 Win


Songbo FC was back at Pioneer Sec. to play against a team of a rare Singapore Chinese team. A team where we would have lead them by 3 or more goals in their normal forms.

Songbo was mostly on the offense but could not capitalize on that. They scored the only goal in the first half when Alvin Toh managed to cross the ball to the far pole to find Rujia, who headed in effortlessly into the back of the net. 1-0.


In the 2nd half, the opponent manages to equalize when their left mid manage to get a loose ball from their offensive corner, turn pass Quan and took a shot outside the penalty box. Junbing stood rooted to the ground as all watch the ball into the net. 1-1.

Songbo leads again after a corner from Jacky found Rujia who struck in the ball with his head again. 2-1.

Tiger Yan was taunted when an opponent defender chested him on the back. He tries to chest back but was told to chest harder.

The score remains 2-1 until the end of the match. It a much needed confidence boosting win after the 5-1 lost last week.


Report by,
Kenny

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

Match 169 - Win

Songbo FC 5:2 Opponents

Date: 8th Jan 2012
Venue: Commonwealth SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

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

Substitutes:
Kelvin, Jeremy, Shawn, Bingheng, Sybian

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

Scorers (Assists):
Alvin Toh (Binghong)
Alvin Toh (Rujia)
Alvin Toh (Mervin)
Rujia (Yanshou)
Mervin (Yanshou)

Songbo FC begins their 8th season with a much needed win

With a bad 2011 season over for Songbo FC, the club was eager to hit the ground running for the new season but they had not played since early November where they lost 0-2.

Luck was probably on Songbo FC's side when the game had to begin with the opponents having only 8 men on the field. With vast numerical advantage, complacency was a danger that could creep into the players.

Fortunately, that was not the case as Songbo FC went 5 goals up in the 1st half. A clearance from the opponent's GK only found Binghong's head and the ball fell to Berbatoh who had the time to juggle the ball twice in the air before sending a volley through the air and beat the out-of-position keeper.

Another goal came when Rujia got to the ball at the byline and crossed the ball to Berbatoh who was lurking at the far post with no one near him. Berbatoh's hat trick was complete when he reacted quicker than the keeper to get to the ball and stabbed it into the net as Mervin planted a pass to the near post.

Rujia got into the goalscoring act as well when Yanshou laid on a ball for him to cannon it at the back of the net from outside the box. Yanshou grabbed another assist as he got himself into a great position on the right to deliver a square pass into the box. Mervin was unmarked when the pass found him but he miscued this shot on the 1st try and still managed to find time and space to drive the ball home on the 2nd attempt.

A late goal in the 1st half by the opponents dampened the mood a bit as the opponents started to find a footing in the game and their numbers were slowly getting up to 11.

The 2nd half started with a proper 11 v 11 match and Songbo FC's lack of recent match practice started to show. What they have at their disposal, however, was a healthy bench of 5 players and Kelvin, Sybian, Jeremy and Shawn made their 1st appearances of the season from the bench from half time. The small pitch, now made crowded by the full 22 players, made the game rather scrappy as Songbo FC found it hard to string passes together or to display any real attacking intent. In the end, the defenders were kept busy as the opponents launched waves of attack which passed through the defense several times, culminating in a goal line clearance from Kenny; not for the 1st time and certainly not the last, one suspects.

The opponents managed another goal when a ricochet found their striker in a good position and he promptly converted the chance from inside the box, though suspiciously offside, the goal was given. The scoreline could have been more respectable have the opponents taken their chances well, with a chance that went begging after the forward was clean through but the shot was way over the bar. Bingheng was given some game time near the end of the match and managed to thwart a goal bound effort.

In the end, Songbo FC came away with their 1st win of the season but this might not be remembered as a win they thoroughly deserve.

Hat-trick hero Berbatoh thinks win was "not justified"

Berbatoh felt that the win today will not happen if the opponents started the match with a full team: "I don't think we would have won it (if the team had 11 players). In the end, a bao jia match became tio jia."

Songbo FC's new treasurer Missing-In-Action

Despite volunteering for the position of treasurer, he was nowhere to be seen and was not contactable for the game. Rumour has it that interest for the job has waned as the proposed pay cut was announced.

Report by, 
Mervin

Match 168 - Lost

Songbo FC 0:2 Opponents

Date: 6th Nov 2011
Venue: Yusof Ishak SS.
Jersey: Kappa Red

Starting Line-Up >> 4-4-2
Yanshou(GK), H.Weijie(LB), Swee Chao(CB), Kenny(CB), Kaiseng(RB), Kelvin(LM), T.Weijie(DM), Rujia(CM), Mervin(RM), Alvin Toh(AM), Junbing(CF)

Substitutes:
Binghong, Jackie, Shawn

Scores:
HT: 0-0
FT: 0-2

Scorers (Assists):
N.I.L


The Battle of the Defence and a missed Penalty

After a 2 weeks break, SBFC is back with a match against a seasoned team at the long-forgotten Yusof Ishak SS, which upgraded its field to a artificial one. So no complains and excuses about the quality of the field. With the return of Balotelli and the 'out-of-retirement' Scholesy, SBFC is close to getting its squad back to full strength.

The match started slow and chances fall equally to both sides. There were constant attacks on both ends but the respective defenders were able to deal with them promptly. This will be a battle to see which side loses concentration and concede the first mistake. With both defences playing very well, the first half ended a boring 0-0.

Unfortunately, the 2nd half started with SBFC making the first mistake of the game. An attack down the flank by the opponent lured out J.Terri, which left a hole in the central defence. The attackers gladly take this chance and threaded a through ball to one of their strikers. He makes no mistake and SBFC is down by a goal. Though the finishing is good, there's a strong suspicion that the striker is in a offside position when he receives the ball. Nonetheless, the referee stand by his decision, SBFC 0-1! The goal changes the pace of the game and SBFC began to up its tempo by a notch. A chance to level the game was presented to SBFC when Jackie was tripped and foul in the penalty box! As the person who earn the penalty, he steps up to take it as well. Being known for his long-shot rather then close range finishes, he didn't 'disappoint'. Too much power was being applied to the ball and it hits the top of the goal post and rebounded off to safety. Missed Penalty! 

SBFC never recover from the effect of the missed penalty and the game was practically over when a second goal was added not too long after that. A long ball from the opponent's defence managed to find their defender-turned-striker. He manages to turn J.Terri and passes the ball to the striker who only needs to stick out this leg and direct the ball into the net. SBFC 0-2! 

The scoreline lasted till the end of the game and sums up the already bad result SBFC is facing this season. 3 loses in a row. How will they recover from this? Who is there to step up and lead the charge?

Report by, 
Swee Chao