Saturday, June 09, 2007

It was a hot and humid afternoon. In the open field opposite Temasek Polytechnic's West Wing, 2 different groups gathered for a friendly match. It was the Victorian boys decked in their traditional Bumblebee outfits against the DHS boys were were clad in a variety of tops which ranged from VJ tees to blue class jerseys and even a yellow top, which we believed was to fool the mighty VS boys. The match was to be played in 4, 25 minute halfs (or quarters to be exact) with 5 minute breaks in between.

The matched was kicked off by the boys in yellow. However, our match fitness, or should I say lack of, let us down early. We easily gave the ball away within the first minute of the match and we were punished by a quick counter attack by DHS. It was a blow to the team to see us trailing in a matter of minutes. The fans held their heads in disbelief and the players could only look to the bench in frustration. Keeper J.Ang was left speechless as there was nothing he could do about the defensive lapse. Yet, his self belief was not rocked as he encouraged the team to get back on their feet and do their job. The first half was contested with half chances from both sides, with DHS looking more menancing in their attacks which almost saw them double their lead. The boys in yellow hung on till the end of the first interval which saw a reshuffle in the line up and also changes in the tactics. Player-Coach Chris Raj who was taken out with a collision in the first quarter introduced a new midfield that was meant to hold the game and prevent the easy loss of posession which costed us so dearly in the first quarter. The defence was left untouched and Yeo Jun Yu was deployed as lone striker with Khyrul supporting him in central midfield. The flanks were now occupied by Darren Yong and Handoko.

The second quarter began with an early attack by DHS which was snuffed out by Centre Back Naim Osman who was having a great game. His sheer vision and pinpoint timing in the tackle prevented DHS from scoring the second goal. Galvanised by their strong defensive showing, the team slowly picked up with the midfield improving in it's possesion rate. Crosses came flying in from the VS wingers, but the failure to connect in front of goal ensured the scoreline remained unchanged. It was frustrating for the home fans to see CM Khyrul displaying a dazzling, yet unnecessary array of skills in the middle of the park and subsequently losing the ball to the opponents. The manager had clearly called for a game of short passes, and Khyrul did not do himself any favours with the extended time he had on the ball. It was soon too much for the management as they decided to bring out Khyrul and in his place send on number 23, Sanjay. The introduction of Sanjay brought more pace to the team and sharpened the attack, but that was not enough to prevent DHS from scoring the all important 2nd goal. Chris Raj was brought on in the place of Yeo Jun Yu and nearly had a chance to cut down the deficit when he pounced on an error by the DHS defender. Nicking the ball off him in his own penalty box, Chris raced towards the DHS keeper and rounded him. However, he was unable to finish the move off with a goal. The fans who were anticipating a goal moaned in disappointment as they saw the ball being cleared off after a scramble. Yet, this further strengthened the team's belief that the match was not beyond our reach. The 2nd quarter came to and end and the boys in yellow agreed that it was an improvement that were to build on.

The third quarter saw a new defensive partnering of Tan Terry, Joshua Goh and Timo Cheng. The previous triplet had set high standards and all eyes were on this new defence. Timo Cheng did an impressive job in the RB position, snuffing out the opponent's attacks with simple tackles and solid clearances. Tan Terry also contributed on the left flank with clearances that created possibilities of a counter attack that Chris Raj failed to convert. Josh Goh played in the Central defenders position and also ventured out to the midfield to help. Such contributed to the increased possession and also the increased pressure that the VS boys put on the DHS team. Our waves of attacks created a chance when a shot was handled by the DHS defender. The free kick was not taken by Sanjay 'Beckham', but instead entrusted to Chris Raj who earlier in the week at training had taken a chunk off Nickolas Tan's mental capacity. With a 3-men DHS wall and the keeper to beat, he rocketed a ferocious shot which deflected off the DHS wall and into the net. The revival was sparked. That goal was the closing ceremony for the 2nd half from which the VS boys took back many positives.

The last quarter was make or break for the boys in yellow. We desperately needed that equaliser. With Naim and Hakim back in defence with Timo Cheng, the team knew that there was no more goals for the DHS side. Instead we bolstered our attacks, substitutions were continuously carried out in the last quarter to ensure that our team's legs remained as fresh as possible. Then came the all important equaliser. J. Ang who was substituted by Khyrul who took on his new position as keeper enabled us to counter attack more quickly with his goal kicks. One quickly take goal kick caught the DHS team on the backfoot and star player Sanjay finished it off with relative ease. We piled on the pressure to seek the eventual winner, but the missed header from Handoko meant that the match was to go to extra time.

Extra time was fiercely contested despite the fatigue in each player. The only goal came from a VS corner which saw the ball being turned into the DHS net by their own player. A freak goal was to settle the game. DHS attacks were fruitless with Timo Cheng playing a starring role in stopping their left winger from creating any chances. The team opted for a more defensive approach and were rewarded with their win.

However, being a friendly match, we kept on playing beyond the allocated 7 mins for extra time. And DHS managed to score 1 consolation goal that would not be included in the Official Statistics.

Final Score.

Victoria School 3
DHS 2

Kudos to the DHS boys who put up a good fight and played with immense sportsmanship. The handshakes at the end of the match showed that the game was played in good spirit and friendships were established amongst the players. We have arranged a rematch that is to be played in a street soccer court sometime soon. Will the Kings of the Pitch, Victoria School be able to secure the title as Kings of the Court? Or will DHS, comeback stronger and outplay the VS boys?

Watch this space right here.

Player-Manager
Chris Raj.

Mumbled @ {1:45 PM}
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