Outsiders Secure First Victory over S-Team
Date: 21 June 2008
Location: Pig's Heaven Arena
Singapore Chinese Recreation Club
Kickoff: 3pm
Opponents: S-Team
Starting line-up: Alex, Roy (guest player), Chris, Seng Yew, Raymond (guest player), Hakim (guest player), Wei Jie, Chung Wei, Amir, Zhi Fei, Faizal (guest player).
Substitutes: Clement, Jerome
FT Score: 5-3 (HT Score: 5-1)
Goals: Zhi Fei ('7), ('16), Amir ('24), Wei Jie ('34), Jerome ('44)
Assists: Amir, Hakim, Zhi Fei, Chung Wei, Wei Jie
MOM: Chung Wei
Mavericks FC notched a relatively comfortable 5-3 win today against S-Team to record their first victory over their traditional rivals. Despite the raucious home support, the home team were left stunned by the end of the first half which saw them trailing 5-1 down.
Most of the home fans at the Pig's Heaven Arena had already left the stadium by then to have an early dinner at a nearby prata shop in Farrer Park while the rest chose to go and enjoy the cricket game which was going on beside the stadium instead. Nevertheless, it was a different S-Team side in the second half as they pulled 2 goals back, although it was a case of too little, too late as the Outsiders held on to a well-deserved victory.
The Mavericks were severely depleted in defence, and a makeshift centre-back pairing of Chris and Seng Yew was deployed with loan signings Roy and Raymond as full-backs. Chung Wei and Wei Jie continued at centre-mid after their great games last week against X-S FC, with winger Amir on the left and highly-rated new signing Hakim starting on the right. Zhi Fei played behind target man Faizal, another last-minute loan signing, upfront.
Despite a man-of-the-match performance last week, Jerome was benched alongside Clement as the Mavericks Board looks to take disciplinary action against the two players for arriving late on match day after a heavy night of partying. Defence stalwart Chris parties all nite every nite, yet he makes it on time on matchdays. Definitely, a good role-model for the two players to follow.
Zhi Fei broke the deadlock in the 7th minute with a fine right-footed finish after a trademark flamboyant run from the left from winger Amir, which brought about a brief silence to the home crowd. However, S-Team equalised almost immediately, after a misunderstanding from the Mavericks defence. This did not dampen spirits as the impressive Hakim shone on his debut, showing great footwork on the right, before releasing Zhi Fei who finished it with aplomb to restore the lead.
From here on, the Outsiders embarked on a 20 minute goal rush, with the midfielders dominating in midfield. After great build-up play, Amir ran onto a lay off from Zhi Fei and beat the defender for pace before placing it into the bottom corner of the net. 3-1. Chung Wei was instrumental in creating the fourth goal as he released Wei Jie onside, with Zhi Fei and Amir clearly not obstructing play despite them being in an offside position which television replays confirmed. Wei Jie was left with a simple task of placing it past the keeper into the bottom left corner of the net to make it 4-1.
Jerome was brought off the bench to kill the game off and he rightly did so just seconds after coming on as he ran onto a great pass from Wei Jie before slotting it into the net. Then, striker Faizal could have been put on through on goal if not for a blatant foul from behind on him in stoppage time. Alex made an amazing save as well, diving full stretch from a rasping shot from outside the box from the S-Team winger. Half-time score 5-1.
An expletive-laden, hard-core, boot-kicking, hair-drying half-time team-talk from the S-Team's manager Mang Ki Bu-Sok (which needed 6 different translators due to the players being of different nationalities) ended with him being sent to watch the game from the stands after match officials pulled him apart from a tunnel bust-up with man-of-match Chung Wei. A pity though, for the much celebrated ex-footballer, who was named in the "FIFA 100", Pele's selection of the 125 greatest living footballers in the world.
S-Team, however, got their groove back for the second half. And dominated for brief periods, as they pulled a goal back after another misunderstanding in the Maverick's makeshift defence. Another soft-goal was conceded half-way through the second-half, which ended up with Roy, who otherwise had a great game, putting the ball into his own net, giving S-Team a lifeline.
However, the Outsiders held on, and could even have furthered their lead, after the scintilating runs of Jerome as well as shots from Faizal, Zhi Fei and Hakim. By now, the fans from the home side who went off to watch the cricket game earlier on had returned to the stadium, in the hope of a comeback (as well as they had nothing to do since the cricket game had ended). However, it was not meant to be as Ref Charles blew for the final whistle. Final Score: 5-3.
Location: Pig's Heaven Arena
Singapore Chinese Recreation Club
Kickoff: 3pm
Opponents: S-Team
Starting line-up: Alex, Roy (guest player), Chris, Seng Yew, Raymond (guest player), Hakim (guest player), Wei Jie, Chung Wei, Amir, Zhi Fei, Faizal (guest player).
Substitutes: Clement, Jerome
FT Score: 5-3 (HT Score: 5-1)
Goals: Zhi Fei ('7), ('16), Amir ('24), Wei Jie ('34), Jerome ('44)
Assists: Amir, Hakim, Zhi Fei, Chung Wei, Wei Jie
MOM: Chung Wei
Mavericks FC notched a relatively comfortable 5-3 win today against S-Team to record their first victory over their traditional rivals. Despite the raucious home support, the home team were left stunned by the end of the first half which saw them trailing 5-1 down.
Most of the home fans at the Pig's Heaven Arena had already left the stadium by then to have an early dinner at a nearby prata shop in Farrer Park while the rest chose to go and enjoy the cricket game which was going on beside the stadium instead. Nevertheless, it was a different S-Team side in the second half as they pulled 2 goals back, although it was a case of too little, too late as the Outsiders held on to a well-deserved victory.
The Mavericks were severely depleted in defence, and a makeshift centre-back pairing of Chris and Seng Yew was deployed with loan signings Roy and Raymond as full-backs. Chung Wei and Wei Jie continued at centre-mid after their great games last week against X-S FC, with winger Amir on the left and highly-rated new signing Hakim starting on the right. Zhi Fei played behind target man Faizal, another last-minute loan signing, upfront.
Despite a man-of-the-match performance last week, Jerome was benched alongside Clement as the Mavericks Board looks to take disciplinary action against the two players for arriving late on match day after a heavy night of partying. Defence stalwart Chris parties all nite every nite, yet he makes it on time on matchdays. Definitely, a good role-model for the two players to follow.
Zhi Fei broke the deadlock in the 7th minute with a fine right-footed finish after a trademark flamboyant run from the left from winger Amir, which brought about a brief silence to the home crowd. However, S-Team equalised almost immediately, after a misunderstanding from the Mavericks defence. This did not dampen spirits as the impressive Hakim shone on his debut, showing great footwork on the right, before releasing Zhi Fei who finished it with aplomb to restore the lead.
From here on, the Outsiders embarked on a 20 minute goal rush, with the midfielders dominating in midfield. After great build-up play, Amir ran onto a lay off from Zhi Fei and beat the defender for pace before placing it into the bottom corner of the net. 3-1. Chung Wei was instrumental in creating the fourth goal as he released Wei Jie onside, with Zhi Fei and Amir clearly not obstructing play despite them being in an offside position which television replays confirmed. Wei Jie was left with a simple task of placing it past the keeper into the bottom left corner of the net to make it 4-1.
Jerome was brought off the bench to kill the game off and he rightly did so just seconds after coming on as he ran onto a great pass from Wei Jie before slotting it into the net. Then, striker Faizal could have been put on through on goal if not for a blatant foul from behind on him in stoppage time. Alex made an amazing save as well, diving full stretch from a rasping shot from outside the box from the S-Team winger. Half-time score 5-1.
An expletive-laden, hard-core, boot-kicking, hair-drying half-time team-talk from the S-Team's manager Mang Ki Bu-Sok (which needed 6 different translators due to the players being of different nationalities) ended with him being sent to watch the game from the stands after match officials pulled him apart from a tunnel bust-up with man-of-match Chung Wei. A pity though, for the much celebrated ex-footballer, who was named in the "FIFA 100", Pele's selection of the 125 greatest living footballers in the world.
S-Team, however, got their groove back for the second half. And dominated for brief periods, as they pulled a goal back after another misunderstanding in the Maverick's makeshift defence. Another soft-goal was conceded half-way through the second-half, which ended up with Roy, who otherwise had a great game, putting the ball into his own net, giving S-Team a lifeline.
However, the Outsiders held on, and could even have furthered their lead, after the scintilating runs of Jerome as well as shots from Faizal, Zhi Fei and Hakim. By now, the fans from the home side who went off to watch the cricket game earlier on had returned to the stadium, in the hope of a comeback (as well as they had nothing to do since the cricket game had ended). However, it was not meant to be as Ref Charles blew for the final whistle. Final Score: 5-3.
posted by The Outsider at
6:13 PM
