Jose, Are You Watching?
Date: 24 May 2008
Location: Abandoned African Grasslands along Tampines Ave 5
Kickoff: 3pm
Opponents: Balooku Utd
Starting line-up: Alex, Chris, Chuan Ji, Faizy, Calvin, Jerome, Chung Wei, Wei Jie, Seng Yew, Amir, Zhi Fei
Substitutes: Clement, Kee Siang, Fuad, Fuad's Friend, Fuad's Friend's Bro
FT Score: 4-3 (HT Score: 3-1)
Goals: Amir ('5), Chung Wei ('31), Zhi Fei ('40), Jerome ('79)
Assists: Zhi Fei, Amir, Fuad, Chris
Yellow Card: Clement
Injuries: Seng Yew (head got balooku)
MOM: Zhi Fei
Mavericks FC experienced a taste of African football at its best with a visit to the much famed Adugen-nehnehpuchi Stadium in Tampines in a tantalizing clash with Balooku Utd. The team was looking to build on their emphatic 4-0 win against the Orangees FC amidst a carnival-like atmosphere, filled with African chants and songs all around the stadium. The presence of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (who was believed to be keeping tabs on wing wizard Amir and midfield maestro Kee Siang Ngo) and his fellow Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo and former Mavericks FC player Jeremiah, gave the event a star-studded feel.
Staunch supporters cheered both teams on as Charles blew the whistle for kick-off. The tempo of the game started slowly as the Outsiders sought to play a more fluid passing game. The deadlock was broken within 5 minutes into the game. Pre-match rumours of Amir being involved in match-fixing scandals were squashed when the flamboyant winger took a pass from Zhi Fei, and without breaking a sweat or his stride, skillfully side-footed the ball into the net. Looking up into the stands, Mourinho was seen chatting up an African babe sitting next to him in the VIP stands, seemingly oblivious of what's happening on the pitch. But his trusty sidekick Jeremiah was seen jotting down some quick notes.
The game then carried on strangely, with the ball being played mostly on the right side of the pitch. Calvin showcased his skills with some penetrating runs down the right, combining well with Jerome for some beautiful linked up play. In the center, Seng Yew, Wei Jie and Chung Wei were involved in the gritty affair of winning the ball back and distributing it quickly to either Zhi Fei or Amir. And by now, the team was increasingly annoyed by Chris's hysterical laughter at the back. The right back just couldn't contain his joy at being deployed as left back so that he could train his left foot. But throughout the match, what the centerbacks observed, was him relying on his dominant right foot. But credit to him for putting up a commanding performance nonetheless.
The Balookutians were playing on the counterattack and relying on their illustrious midfield to thread the ball through to their forwards. But the backline of Mavericks FC stood firm, until..a Steven Gerrard inspired run by the Balooku forward found him one on one with Alex and his toe poke was enough to draw his team level in the 19th minute. With the score at 1-1 and Chris still high on ecstasy, the game carried on with Mavericks dominating possession in the opposition half. Then, Faizy's clearance found Amir, and with a stupendous touch on the outside of his left boot, he gleefully flicked the ball onto the path of who else, but Mr. Essien (Chung Wei). The on-charging pit bull and his tireless running was finally rewarded as his shot from a tight angle whistled into the roof of the net like a "ronaldo rocket". 2-1 to Mavericks.
The introduction of midfield magician Kee Siang was imminent as Seng Yew experienced what every Balooku player would likely experience in their training sessions - a Balooku. A clash of heads left the cultured midfielder with a swollen bump, while his assailant was unsurprising unharmed due to their rigorous training sessions. A pointer which Jeremiah would have surely noted down. Fleet footed Fuad and his friend also came on as substitutes and shortly after, Fuad's flick-on found the lurking Zhi Fei, who smashed the ball home after some shaky handling by the Balooku's keeper, whose jersey made him seem as though he came out straight from a 1990s Pepsi's commercial. So the eventful first-half ended 3-1 in favour of Mavericks.
The second period started with long balls being bombarded into the Maverick's half as Balooku seeked a more direct approach. Legendary centerback Clement, whose aim is to equal Ryan Giggs's record of 759 club appearances, cleared most balls directed towards him. And he even gave us a quick course on African folk dance, to the delight of the home fans, as at one point, he danced with the ball between him and his opponent in the middle of the park. Then, one such long ball from Balooku's impressive right back threw the game wide open as their forward flicked the ball into the net. Alex's excellent reflexes enabled him to make a magnificent save but alas, even lady luck couldn't keep the ball out. Score: 3-2
In the 79th minute, with Chris finally starting to settle into his left back role, he began a marauding run which found him in the far end of the pitch. He played a perfectly weighted pass to Jerome who calmly evaded a defender and thundered the ball into the net, giving the team an unassailable lead.
Yet, Balooku somehow got a penalty at the other end of the pitch as Clement was adjudged to have obstructed a Balookutian from getting to the loose ball which was like 5 feet away from them. Scenes from Thursday's Champions League Final flooded back into the players' memory as the Balookutian stepped up to take the spotkick. The referee went through the full motion of a penalty kick, perhaps because he was seriously.. damn bored la. Pre-match practice of penalty kicks gave Alex supreme confidence, as most of us tried to renacted the most memorable one that night, the slip and miss by Mr. Chelsea. However, the Balookutian no.14 calmly converted and this was followed by a 5 minute Didier Drogba typed celebration which the referee Charles joined in. This madness stopped only when Cristiano Ronaldo who came down from the VIP stands, signed on Charles's shirt and calm him down. To avoid being mobbed, Ronaldo was quickly escorted away. Jeremiah, who was also down to the field, took out a black marker pen too; desperate to find someone's jersey to sign on, but he was quickly mobbed by angry Africans for stepping onto the sacred grasslands of their Adugen-nehnehpuchi Stadium.
So the match ended 4-3 in a high scoring match which saw Mavericks winning and dominating possession. Probably the team could have killed off the game at 4-2 by parking Clement's Mitsubishi in front of Alex's goalpost.
Balooku's Man-Of-the-Match: Probably the right back. Oh. No. It should be their no.5, who provided the play of the game - a headbutt to Seng Yew, leaving him with an exclusive premium souvenir, the finest only reserved for the selected few, the trademark Balooku's Balooku - Quality assured, 3 days warranty.
Maverick's Man-Of-the-Match: Zhi Fei, making his comeback to the team showed what the team sorely missed in recent games. As a targetman, he provided a focal point to Maverick's attacks. And combined with his shooting prowess and dogged determination, he created an extra attacking option by providing a different dimension of play.
Comments: Midfield displays from Kee Siang and Amir were nothing short of world class, with them waltzing past defenders like they weren't there. With some teams in the Barclays Premier League, La Liga, Serie A proned to parking their team bus in front of their goal, Jose Mourinho would surely have taken note of how easily defences were sliced apart by the 2 midfielders' runs and through balls. Or has he?
Surely notes from his sidekicks are gibberish to him if he believes he is the only "Special One." Let us observe a minute of silence to mourn the unappreciated efforts of his note-takers, especially, (enthusiastically) I'm-as-great-as-Luis-Figo-because-I'm-Portuguese-too! Jeremiah.
Location: Abandoned African Grasslands along Tampines Ave 5
Kickoff: 3pm
Opponents: Balooku Utd
Starting line-up: Alex, Chris, Chuan Ji, Faizy, Calvin, Jerome, Chung Wei, Wei Jie, Seng Yew, Amir, Zhi Fei
Substitutes: Clement, Kee Siang, Fuad, Fuad's Friend, Fuad's Friend's Bro
FT Score: 4-3 (HT Score: 3-1)
Goals: Amir ('5), Chung Wei ('31), Zhi Fei ('40), Jerome ('79)
Assists: Zhi Fei, Amir, Fuad, Chris
Yellow Card: Clement
Injuries: Seng Yew (head got balooku)
MOM: Zhi Fei
Mavericks FC experienced a taste of African football at its best with a visit to the much famed Adugen-nehnehpuchi Stadium in Tampines in a tantalizing clash with Balooku Utd. The team was looking to build on their emphatic 4-0 win against the Orangees FC amidst a carnival-like atmosphere, filled with African chants and songs all around the stadium. The presence of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho (who was believed to be keeping tabs on wing wizard Amir and midfield maestro Kee Siang Ngo) and his fellow Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo and former Mavericks FC player Jeremiah, gave the event a star-studded feel.
Staunch supporters cheered both teams on as Charles blew the whistle for kick-off. The tempo of the game started slowly as the Outsiders sought to play a more fluid passing game. The deadlock was broken within 5 minutes into the game. Pre-match rumours of Amir being involved in match-fixing scandals were squashed when the flamboyant winger took a pass from Zhi Fei, and without breaking a sweat or his stride, skillfully side-footed the ball into the net. Looking up into the stands, Mourinho was seen chatting up an African babe sitting next to him in the VIP stands, seemingly oblivious of what's happening on the pitch. But his trusty sidekick Jeremiah was seen jotting down some quick notes.
The game then carried on strangely, with the ball being played mostly on the right side of the pitch. Calvin showcased his skills with some penetrating runs down the right, combining well with Jerome for some beautiful linked up play. In the center, Seng Yew, Wei Jie and Chung Wei were involved in the gritty affair of winning the ball back and distributing it quickly to either Zhi Fei or Amir. And by now, the team was increasingly annoyed by Chris's hysterical laughter at the back. The right back just couldn't contain his joy at being deployed as left back so that he could train his left foot. But throughout the match, what the centerbacks observed, was him relying on his dominant right foot. But credit to him for putting up a commanding performance nonetheless.
The Balookutians were playing on the counterattack and relying on their illustrious midfield to thread the ball through to their forwards. But the backline of Mavericks FC stood firm, until..a Steven Gerrard inspired run by the Balooku forward found him one on one with Alex and his toe poke was enough to draw his team level in the 19th minute. With the score at 1-1 and Chris still high on ecstasy, the game carried on with Mavericks dominating possession in the opposition half. Then, Faizy's clearance found Amir, and with a stupendous touch on the outside of his left boot, he gleefully flicked the ball onto the path of who else, but Mr. Essien (Chung Wei). The on-charging pit bull and his tireless running was finally rewarded as his shot from a tight angle whistled into the roof of the net like a "ronaldo rocket". 2-1 to Mavericks.
The introduction of midfield magician Kee Siang was imminent as Seng Yew experienced what every Balooku player would likely experience in their training sessions - a Balooku. A clash of heads left the cultured midfielder with a swollen bump, while his assailant was unsurprising unharmed due to their rigorous training sessions. A pointer which Jeremiah would have surely noted down. Fleet footed Fuad and his friend also came on as substitutes and shortly after, Fuad's flick-on found the lurking Zhi Fei, who smashed the ball home after some shaky handling by the Balooku's keeper, whose jersey made him seem as though he came out straight from a 1990s Pepsi's commercial. So the eventful first-half ended 3-1 in favour of Mavericks.
The second period started with long balls being bombarded into the Maverick's half as Balooku seeked a more direct approach. Legendary centerback Clement, whose aim is to equal Ryan Giggs's record of 759 club appearances, cleared most balls directed towards him. And he even gave us a quick course on African folk dance, to the delight of the home fans, as at one point, he danced with the ball between him and his opponent in the middle of the park. Then, one such long ball from Balooku's impressive right back threw the game wide open as their forward flicked the ball into the net. Alex's excellent reflexes enabled him to make a magnificent save but alas, even lady luck couldn't keep the ball out. Score: 3-2
In the 79th minute, with Chris finally starting to settle into his left back role, he began a marauding run which found him in the far end of the pitch. He played a perfectly weighted pass to Jerome who calmly evaded a defender and thundered the ball into the net, giving the team an unassailable lead.
Yet, Balooku somehow got a penalty at the other end of the pitch as Clement was adjudged to have obstructed a Balookutian from getting to the loose ball which was like 5 feet away from them. Scenes from Thursday's Champions League Final flooded back into the players' memory as the Balookutian stepped up to take the spotkick. The referee went through the full motion of a penalty kick, perhaps because he was seriously.. damn bored la. Pre-match practice of penalty kicks gave Alex supreme confidence, as most of us tried to renacted the most memorable one that night, the slip and miss by Mr. Chelsea. However, the Balookutian no.14 calmly converted and this was followed by a 5 minute Didier Drogba typed celebration which the referee Charles joined in. This madness stopped only when Cristiano Ronaldo who came down from the VIP stands, signed on Charles's shirt and calm him down. To avoid being mobbed, Ronaldo was quickly escorted away. Jeremiah, who was also down to the field, took out a black marker pen too; desperate to find someone's jersey to sign on, but he was quickly mobbed by angry Africans for stepping onto the sacred grasslands of their Adugen-nehnehpuchi Stadium.
So the match ended 4-3 in a high scoring match which saw Mavericks winning and dominating possession. Probably the team could have killed off the game at 4-2 by parking Clement's Mitsubishi in front of Alex's goalpost.
Balooku's Man-Of-the-Match: Probably the right back. Oh. No. It should be their no.5, who provided the play of the game - a headbutt to Seng Yew, leaving him with an exclusive premium souvenir, the finest only reserved for the selected few, the trademark Balooku's Balooku - Quality assured, 3 days warranty.
Maverick's Man-Of-the-Match: Zhi Fei, making his comeback to the team showed what the team sorely missed in recent games. As a targetman, he provided a focal point to Maverick's attacks. And combined with his shooting prowess and dogged determination, he created an extra attacking option by providing a different dimension of play.
Comments: Midfield displays from Kee Siang and Amir were nothing short of world class, with them waltzing past defenders like they weren't there. With some teams in the Barclays Premier League, La Liga, Serie A proned to parking their team bus in front of their goal, Jose Mourinho would surely have taken note of how easily defences were sliced apart by the 2 midfielders' runs and through balls. Or has he?
Surely notes from his sidekicks are gibberish to him if he believes he is the only "Special One." Let us observe a minute of silence to mourn the unappreciated efforts of his note-takers, especially, (enthusiastically) I'm-as-great-as-Luis-Figo-because-I'm-Portuguese-too! Jeremiah.
posted by The Outsider at
12:20 AM
