Match Reviews Week 4

Zibom FC vs Musaib

Match report

The current league leaders Zibom were faced with a sterner test, the INTEC champions Musaib were paying them a call. Having only conceded 2 goals prior to this game and yet to score any, Musaib had a point to prove, giving us a sniff of an upset. That little sniff was wiped out within seconds as Zibom’s attacking-defender Shairy aka Lit burst through from defence, played a nice little one-two with Hadir, before smashing the ball home from close range, past the helpless Musaib goalie. Still hit by then sudden goal, Musaib were dazed, something that Lit again took advantage off, strolling by the Musaib players before beating the keeper for the second time in as many minutes. Hadri was a constant livewire as usual, his chin-down, shoulders-squared style of running with the ball causing repeated chaos in the Musaib defense, and it was his shot that was deflected in for an own goal, putting Zibom 3-0 up and cruising. But Musaib were not gonna be outdone that easily, their patient build-up play paying dividends, a shot by (xxx) was not held by Zibom keeper Naqib, the rebound duly slotted home by (xxx). But before Musaib could gather their nerves and hit Zibom again, they were the ones on the receiving end, Hanan weaving past a couple of defenders on the right wing before squaring the ball unselfishly for Ariff to blast in his 1^st of the season into the roof of the net. The 2^nd half was rather slow-paced, as both teams didn’t show much urgency. All that changed when a slightly under-hit backpass by Annas to his keeper by pounced on by (xxx), to restore Musaib’s hope. Yet again though, Zibom were not going to sit back and defend their 2-goal cushion, and they swept forwards again, Izzi getting in the incisive finish, restoring Zibom’s 3-goal advantage. The match ended 5-2 in Zibom’s favor.

Man of the Match

There was always going to be 1 fellow who was going to get the coveted award in this match, and that man was Lit. A sterling performance from the tall defender, not only defending strongly and surely, but also supplying 2 goals in attack, proving that he really i

Diablos Locos vs U-9

Match report

And finally it was upon us. The big 3^rd year derby match. The repeat of last year’s dramatic, heart-pumping, non-stop action SFL Cup Final. El Classico. The Locos came into this match having been beaten by an impressive Bambang side last week, and they were looking to bounce back against U-9, who have won both their previous games. But this time around, all the odds were stacked against the Locos. Missing star strikers Dev and Ivan, it was going to be a real uphill task for the 5 remaining members, against a full U-9 squad. But like soldiers, they fought bravely, Kisho bursting through from the defense in the early stages, but his shot went wide off the mark, nevertheless a clear signal of intent from this determined Locos side. Makeshift striker Ram then went close, putting 2 headers wide, and hooking a long throw from Sylas wide as well. At the other end, Shahrul and Awe were pulling the strings, trying to pry apart the Locos defense, but Sylas was there to clear his lines on a couple of occasions, a smart tackle on Shahrul denying him a golden chance to score. Ganesh was brought down rather unfairly by Ram, earning him a warning from referee Sharma, before tempers flared when Locos midfielder Sara caught Awe with a late challenge, igniting some rather heated reactions from his teammate, Walai. Thankfully no blows were exchanged amongst this batch of good friends, and after a yellow card for Sara and a few calming words by the officials, things got underway again. At half-time, it was 0-0, and there was hope the the Locos. However, fatigue was starting to creep into their game, and it was clearly visible, as the tired legs were moving slower and slower. And U-9 duly took advantage, taking the lead a few minutes after the break, Ganesh’s pile-driver stinging the hands of Sylas, and he could only parry it into the path of Shahrul, who nodded the ball into the gaping goal for his 5^th of the season. Barely a minute later it was 2-0, Awe weaving his magic through midfield, before unleashing an unstoppable shot beyond Sylas from just outside the “D”. 2-0 up and cruising, U-9 made some changes, Ravi coming in and almost scoring with a leaping header which just whizzed past the post. But Locos were not giving up without a fight. A left wing cross by Ram was just missed by Logan’s head, before another Sylas long throw was headed just over the bar by the tiring captain. However, U-9 goalie Wak was finally tested in the dying moments, parrying Ram’s cross-come-shot into the path of the advancing Sara, who could only fire the rebound into the crowd. The final score was indeed 2-0 to U-9, but nevertheless, a truly brave performance from the Locos, who tired as they were, put on a great fighting display.

Man of the Match

Awe again played a pivotal role in his team’s victory, some brilliant passing and superb shot-taking making him a joy to watch. But his role as a captain was also evident today, not only in controlling his teammates during some heated incidents, but also showing tremendous respect for his opponents. A truly tremendous display by this young leader.

Suicidal vs 69 Flyers

Match report

The all-Indian clash of the week. Suicidal were on a low after their morale-sapping defeat to Zombie Kg. Pisang, a match which I’m sure Suicidal captain Dzia would have been disappointed that they had lost. 69 Flyers on the other hand, were riding a wave of confidence, with their defense and goalkeeper seemingly improving with every game. Suicidal started off very well, getting several 1-on-1’s with 69 Flyers’ goalie, Jerome, Anand the culprit on 2 such early occasions. At the other end, Ranjit, making his 2^nd start for the Flyers, came close, sliding in on Puvan’s kick-in and missing by inches. Then, a moment of indecisiveness in the Suicidal defense, whereby the defender miscontrolled the ball, and failed to track a run by Abilaash from behind him, allowing the latter to get to the loose ball ahead of goalie Vicky and blast it home for his 1^st goal of the season. That triggered an instant response from Suicidal, as they started to pass the ball more and one such passing move led to their equalizer. Shan, picking the ball up deep from his own half, tried a give-and-go with Anand, thereby drawing away the defenders, allowing Anand to pick out Darmma ‘s run from defense, the former Cruz Bola captain to poke the ball in from close range. The 2^nd half started off in similar fashion, with Suicidal going on the attack even more, in search of that elusive winning goal. Shan was thwarted on 2 occasions by Jerome, and put a 3^rd wide. Then, some drama ensued as Puvan seemed to have handled the ball in his area. However, the referee waved play on amid some strong protests from Suicidal. Jerome came for loose ball and somehow spilled it, and Karthik slotted the ball home for what he thought was Suicidal’s 2^nd, only for referee Hadri to pull the ball back for a free-kick for a supposed foul on Jerome. The game went on, and then, right at the death, Bob went on a mazy run on the left wing, and managed to squeeze in a shot from a tight angle, which keeper Vicky spilled, when he really should have done better, Ranjit stealing in from behind to bundle in the rebound. From the restart, Suicidal had a final couple of chances, however they did not trouble the goalkeeper. Final score, 2-1 to the Flyers.

Man of the Match

For his positive contributions to the game, Ranjit Singh is the Man of the Match. Running from the 1^st minute till the last, showing great fitness and determination, he did what was asked of him as a striker, gambling on a few loose balls and coming close on several occasions, before he bravely slid in to poke in the Flyers’ winning goal at the death. The Flyers will need him to be at his best for their next encounter with the seemingly invincible U-9.

Heroes vs Bambang Pamungkas

Match report

Many have labeled Bambang as the team to watch ever since they dismantled the Locos so easily in their previous game. Well, their title credentials were certainly under scrutiny in their game against the free-scoring Heroes side. Having put 10 goals past a hapless, and now defunct, United Life side last time out, their strikers must have been looking forward to adding more goals to their tally. Boy, were they in for a disappointment. Bambang did what they have been doing for the past 2 games to perfection again this time: score early, pressure the opponents, don’t concede cheap goals and hit them on the break. As this match was against the defending league champions, well, the results were certainly greatly amplified. As early as the second minute, Bambang opened the scoring, some neat passing from defence to attack, culminating in Mamu zipping in a shot fast an unsighted Fik, giving Bambang a surprise lead. Heroes tried to hit back immediately, but Bambang’s tactics of getting in their opponents faces worked to perfection, and even the likes of Ijat couldn’t find a way past on-form stopper Addi. As Heroes were concentrating at one end, the left their rear-guard under-manned, giving Iku a chance to make it 2-0, which he gleefully did, hooking the ball in with a neat left foot finish, his 1^st touch since coming on as a substitute. It was falling apart for Heroes, and sensing this, they started attacking with more urgency. Yet, again and again, they were repelled by the brick wall that was Bambang goalie Aidi, the big shot-stopper in top form, blocking shots by diving all over the place, and very bravely winning some 50-50 balls. His efforts to keep a clean sheet were undone though, as just before half-time, Sharma pulled one back for Heroes, a neat finish from a seemingly impossible angle. The 2^nd half was just as lively, Heroes attacking in waves, searching for that elusive equalizer, and as the crowd were starting to get on the Bambang bandwagon, things just got harder. A string of brilliant saves from Aidi and some determined defending from Bambang just about kept Heroes at bay, before a swift Bambang counter-attack led by Dodo culminated in the speedy winger slotting home the 3^rd goal from a similar angle as Sharma’s consolation goal for Heroes. The final score was 3-1, a comprehensive and confidence-boosting win for the up-and-coming Bambang Pamungkas FC.

Man of the Match

A complete performance by Bambang goalie Aidi earns him the award this week. Some brave goalkeeping, agile diving, and confident hands has made him a real asset in this team, and the only dark spot on his day was the fact that he did not get the clean sheet his performance warranted. Credit to Sharma for scoring that brilliant goal though.

Match Reviews Week 2

Extreme Gals vs Wild Chikas

Match report

The 2^nd of the girls’ games on Sunday was this encounter. A physical mismatch, yet Extreme Gals failed to take advantage of their superiority over last year’s Cup champions, the Wild Chikas. However, most of the game was played in the Chikas’ half, with them finding it difficult to break through the midfield. A scoreless 1^st half set the tone for a faster-paced 2^nd, but to no avail, with both keepers hardly troubled by the opposing forwards. The match looked set to end in a stalemate, when suddenly, a scramble in the Chikas’ penalty box led to the referee awarding Extreme Gals a controversial penalty for what the 2^nd official Ravishankar claimed was a definite handball. The penalty stood, and was calmly converted by Durga. That was the last kick of the game, as the referee brought the match to an end, 1-0 the final score.

Woman of the Match

She was hardly troubled in her goal, but Extreme Gals keeper Armin showed her potential again, staking her claim as MMA’s undisputed NO.1 Women’s goalkeeper. Some very confident catches and accurate throws could rival those of some goalies in our men’s division. Her presence in goal surely is a comforting thought for her teammates.

Extreme Gals verdict

Extreme they were, both in spirit and determination. Their opponents hardly had a sniff on goal, and the only drawback was that they didn’t have a well-honed finisher amongst their ranks. With that kind of steely midfield, surely a proper striker would benefit from their services. Durga took the last minute penalty well under pressure, and maybe she is that finisher they need to keep them at the summit.

Wild Chikas

Clearly outdone physically, surely there will be better days for the Chikas. They do possess speed about them, but did not use that advantage well against the Extreme Gals. Maybe their opponents’ intimidation tactics worked well, but the Chikas will have to prepare better for their next game if they are to defend their Cup title.

Hadouken vs Shabooyaz

Match report

The 1^st game of the new girls’ futsal season was a much anticipated one. The was a lot of hype surrounding last year’s league champions Shabooyaz this time around, with new captain Shamini playing a more central role this season. Hadouken, meanwhile, were actually last year’s Whoosh Kiss with a few new faces added to give them some much-needed depth and stability. The game kicked off in a very cagey fashion, both teams not committing themselves forward too much, approaching the game carefully. A lot of the possession was contained in midfield. After a few early exchanges, Hadouken’s defense was caught napping suddenly when a swift counter-attack left them for dead, Shabooyaz’s Janaki bursting through from the center circle and slotting the ball home to put Shabooyaz 1-0 up. That early goal clearly gave them more confidence, and surely would have silenced their critics as well. Hadouken immediately responded, using their physical advantage and bulldozing through the Shabooyaz midfield, but they found it tough to get past Shabooyaz last-man (or woman, I should say), Kaema, and goalie Sarada. On one such chance, both were beaten, but Shamini tracked back and was on hand to bail her team out, hoofing the loose ball clear before it could reach the Hadouken forward. Just before half-time however, a lapse in concentration gifted Rinita a sight on goal, and she made no mistake, a beautiful left-footed finish beating Sarada. The 2^nd half was never going to be as exciting as the 1^st, though it must be said, Shabooyaz had plenty of chances to win it, but several 1-on-1’s with only Hadouken’s keeper to beat went begging. The game ended in fair 1-1 draw.

Woman of the Match

A tight affair, this game, but Kaema’s superb defending in the heart of the Shabooyaz defense really stood out today. Holding a very high defensive line, she made sure her keeper was hardly troubled from close range, with Hadouken limited to some weak long-range efforts, bar their goal scored. Winning some aerial battles confidently, she really made the last-woman position her own. A truly John Terry-like performance. Perhaps this team should be built around her.

Hadouken verdict

A good start from Hadouken, using their physicality well against the smaller Shabooyaz players, but defensively, they were exposed too often, not dealing with Shabooyaz’s long passes very well. Defending too high does have its usefulness, but can lead to some easy goals conceded when against a quick team like Shabooyaz. An important point however, and a point which may prove to be very useful come the end of the season.

Shabooyaz verdict

A brilliant early goal made some people think that they were going to trounce their opponents, but that wasn’t the case. Defensively, they were very stable, with Kaema putting in a Woman-of-the-Match performance. Offensively however, they were poor, with their solitary goal coming from midfield. Some speed is needed in their attack, several 1-on-1’s wasted in such fashion when the opposing last defender managing to catch up and snuff out Shabooyaz’s chances. We know from last season that they can do much better.