Final Score: East Boyz 2 : 1 MFC (Calvin)
They say that true heroes are born from adversity. Though it might be an exaggerated claim, MFC players today showed what they are made up of in facing the East Boyz with a thread bare team.
A total of 11 players made it for the pre season match today. The lack of substitutes meant that the same 11 had to avoid injury and finish the game. What's more, the torrential afternoon rain rendered the pitch almost unplayable, with puddles of water and mud everywhere, making running even more tiring.
Despite these conditions, the 11 players remained focused on the task. During a simple pre match briefing, Walter briefed everyone on their roles. MFC played in a 4-4-2 formation, with Guo Xian and Chris Tan spearheading the attack. Defence consisted of Walter, Firdaus, Big Eric and Silas who took over Howard's place. Gerald, Alex, Jonathan and Calvin occupied midfield and Cross took his spot between the posts.
The East Boyz were Howard's friends and made up of mostly Indians. They were technically blessed and fast on the counter attack. Noting that, MFC players knew they had their hands full. Further more, the referee that took charge was a new referee; it was unclear how his brand of refereeing would affect the gameplay.
The match started and MFC took control from the start. There was good interplay between defence and the midfield and the passing between players was good depsite the waterlogged field. Despite this, there was no clear attempt on goal and it stayed that way till Guo Xian's introduction in the game as a first half substitute. His hard running at the East Boyz defenders troubled them and he had a few attempts on goal which went wide.
MFC was really showcasing some good passing and switching of play from the right to the left flank. The midfield was up to form today, with Alex and Gerald protecting the defence and controlling the gameplay, restricting East Boyz to few chances. Jonathan and Calvin were also posing a threat on the flanks, outrunning the defenders a few times. However, it was East Boyz who broke the deadlock. A poorly cleared corner found its way to an attacker in front of Cross and he reacted fastest, duly putting the ball beyond Cross from very close range. It was heartbreak for MFC, who had ran their lungs out and up to now, looked more threatening. The half time whistle came soon after the goal.
The players could sense the match was there for the taking and when proceedings resumed in the 2nd half, MFC continued where they left off, putting the East Boyz under pressure. To East Boyz's credit, they improved in the 2nd half as well, having more direct attempts on goal but each time, either the MFC defence or Cross prevented them from extending their lead.
It was a game for the neutrals as both teams had decent chances. It was not long before MFC found the equalizer courtesy of a header by the shortest player in MFC- Calvin. The East Boyz goalkeeper misread a wonderfully floated cross from Alex's freekick, leaving 4 MFC players and other East Boyz defenders timing their headers. However, the ball missed them and fell to Calvin who headed the ball in from close range.
With both teams looking for the winner, tempers were starting to flare. The East Boyz were particularly guilty of this as many times, they felt injusticed by the referee's decisions. A quick succession of 3 yellow cards in 10 minutes were awarded to East Boyz for mostly dissent. Not backing down, MFC tried to get the winning goal. With just a few minutes left, MFC almost got it from a goal mouth scramble but Gerald's shot ricocheted off the left goalpost. Chris and Guo Xian's partnership upfront almost produced the 2nd goal; Guo Xian tore down the left flank and his cross into the box just missed Chris Tan's diving header.
The East Boyz also turned up the pressure and they came close on a few occasions. The MFC defence denied them the chances and spaces needed to find their 2nd goal; emergency left back Silas and right back Walter making crucial blocks from East Boyz's runs down the flanks and the invisible defensive wall put up by Eric and Firduas blocked off attacks.
Ultimately, the referee had the last say on the outcome of the game when he awarded a penalty to the East Boyz. One of the East Boyz striker broke free of the defence and was one on one with Cross. Cross showed courage to come off his line to block off the striker and in his dive for the ball, the striker was brought down. It was a shame for Cross who performed well today, making a few good saves to keep MFC in the game. The referee's whistle for the penalty was cheered by the East Boyz and Gerrard, their influential midfielder put away the penalty with only 3 minutes of stoppage time left.
The match ended 2-1 to East Boyz leaving the MFC players to wonder what might have been. Despite the loss, it was a match with plenty of positives; Balanced gameplay between players, lots of hard running and communication and with a little more luck in front of the goal, MFC could have been celebrating. It was surely a sign of better things to come.
High Points
1) to 11) The 11 players who did so well today: Cross, Walter, Eric, Firdaus, Silas, Gerald, Alex, Jonathan, Calvin, Chris Tan, Guo Xian
12) Good and balanced overall gameplay
13) Improved performance from the midfield, especially Alex who was fast in releasing the ball to spark off attacks
14) A lot of persistence and hard running; players were covering up for each other, making it harder for East Boyz to find space
15) The new referee was quite fair in his calls; we love his no nonsense approach!
Low Points
1) The rain made the pitch almost unplayable
2) Lack of substitutes
3) Howard should have played for us
4) No photos to showcase the mud, dirt, sweat and grime and Calvin's muddy face!
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