Wednesday Night at The Cage - 7 July 2010

Line ups:

Blacks: Sushil, Steve F, Tim, Jordan, Kelvin Y
Whites: Sze Kuan, Joel, Dhiraj, Kevin K2, Reza

Great game tonight, which illustrated why I've really enjoyed being a part of GIFFA. It started off quite lop-sided as Blacks tore Whites apart with some swift passes and quick running, lots of smart 1-2s between Tim, Jordan and Kelvin. Steve F started off very well in goal and Sushil was solid in the back. Whites were a bit shell shocked and we dropped behind badly, roughly 6-1 (all scores are approximate).

Then Whites had their turn to shine. Joel was all strength and aggression up front, constantly pressing the Blacks backline and always available for a pass. Kevin K2, my man of the match, ran to all corners of the pitch and put some great shots on target (some of which forced some great saves too). Whites did well to claw our way back into the game, Reza showed nice touch on the ball and some great passes, SK was our ever present defender or goalkeeper. Special mention to SK as he kept goal for far more than his alloted time! In the end, all the Whites contributed and it was about 6-5.

At this point everyone had tired out and we traded goals. Sushil continued to be solid in the back and Steve made a number of blazing runs up the right hand side of the pitch. Kevin K2 continued to play strong, and when time was called Blacks won, and I believe were up around 8-7.

Another point, I want to emphasise was the great spirit in which the game was played. Everyone played with honesty, calling the fouls when they happened and not making idiotic claims for corners . In the end, hand shakes and smiles all around. All-in-all an excellent game, well done to both teams.

Would be great to hear what the others have to say!

Thanks Dhiraj. I'm trying to get more players to comment on the game, or at least vote for the player of the game.

not much more to add, except once whites fell behind, there was talk of switching the teams around but as the final score demonstrates it was good enough to stick to (Rajiv's?) lineups. since the "proposed" lineup system, it's rare to play in a game where one side dominates.

I'd be interested to know how the lineups are decided these days- presumably it's based on Rajiv's subjective assessment, rather than any mathematical formula? I've noticed that groups of friends often end up on the same side. is this because communication could be better, which on 5-a-side is more important that individual skill? just a thought.

I've provided an account of line ups here - giffas.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=admin&action=display&thread=320.

Register soon Reza.