Sunday Afternoon At Turf City (1) - 10 June 2012
Posted by Rajiv Jun 11, 2012 21:14:12 GMT 8
Post by Rajiv on Jun 11, 2012 21:14:12 GMT 8
For 4 to 5 pm, Xiong Wei and his friends are 5, so I need 3 to put with them. I'll add the 3 who play Wednesday night at Khalsa but don't usually play at Turf City - Soon Leong, David N, Stephen Tan (as they're less likely to feel or notice they're being separated from the other regulars - contrast Babs, Edmund T and David M who have also at various times been regular on Wednesdays at Khalsa, but have also at various times been regular on Saturdays/Sundays at Turf City), ....
....
After the players for the 4 to 5 pm were finally settled:
4 to 5 pm (Game 1):
Whites: Xiong Wei (c), Mohammed 2, Valentin, Vivek, Sung Woo, Soon Leong, David N, Stephen Tan
Reds: Babs, Boris, Kenji, Elvin (c), Edmund T, Poh Keng, Raminder, Tan Wee
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I should be there sometime between 4.45 pm and 5.15 pm.
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I arrived early, sometime around 4.20 pm. Shortly after I got there, Elvin joined the game. After the game, I asked him about it - he had fallen asleep at home. Either he was up at night watching the Euro 2012 matches, or age is catching up with him!
Soon after Elvin arrived, Raminder stepped out, having rolled his ankle earlier in the game. Despite having the bulk of possession and chances, I was informed that Whites were trailing 0-1.
Raminder tried to re-join the game about 5 minutes later, but only lasted another 5 minutes, before going into goal. Whites then equalised through a mix up in defence.
Michael H, who was early for the second game from 5 to 6 pm, took Raminder's place. Whites had been restricted to scoring from within the D while Reds were a man short, but now it was back to the normal rules.
Whites continued to dominate both in terms of possession and chances, but fell behind 1-3. Two more late goals saw Reds run out 5-1 winners.
As they are relatively new to our games, Xiong Wei's friends haven't yet come to appreciate how important good defence is.
It didn't help that they didn't take their chances, with some hurried shooting that was usually off-target. It is telling that the only goal they scored was through a defensive lapse.
I've asked Xiong Wei to give me the e-mail addresses of those of his friends who wish to play regularly. Reading the message board might help their game.
Add any other comments about the game below.