| Maestro FC's roller-coaster X League season! |
| Season Review by Gerald Tan |
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| Maestro FC's maiden X League season can be described as a roller-coaster ride, with numerous ups and downs throughout the 14 matches. Though relegation was confirmed after defeat by fellow strugglers Arima Singapura, the team won in terms of gaining valuable experience and building more friendships. All Maestros can certainly look back with pride at how the team fought hard, to earn the title of "Comeback Kings"! The Beginning of the X League Comeback Kings After playing at Katong for 3 years, it was time for Maestro to grow and learn new experiences. The team needed a formal competitive league which advocated non violence and fair-play. The X League was all of that, together with its promise of 3 match officials, astro pitches, match balls and organizer's presence for EVERY game. And kudos to the organizers, they delivered on their promises. However, even before the league started, Maestro was rocked by the financial scandal of ex-player Alex Sim's failure to repay club funds he lost. This led to a police case which is still currently on-going. The finance fiasco aside, the league experience can be described as professional, as felt by every Maestro who stepped on the pitch for the very first game against Vipers FC. A point was earned from that game, as Big Eric's goal from his new attacking role helped Maestro play out an entertaining 3-3 draw against a gutsy Vipers. A second point was earned after Maestro earned another 3-3 draw against Budak Pondok. Hakim's long range finish ensured another point for the Bees in a heart stopping match where Maestro recovered twice from behind. Maestro earned the Comeback Kings title after a third 3-3 draw, this time against Arima Singapura. Coasting 3 - 0 at halftime at a sunny Springfield school, Arima was in for a rude shock when Rong An scored 3 goals in the second half. That game raised Rong An's profile in the league as his 2 free kicks ala Cristiano Ronaldo beat Arima's keeper from long range. An amazing hat-trick of 3-3 scores meant that Maestros were unbeaten after 3 games. Victory at last! A win was badly needed after a run of 3 draws and the first defeat meted by X League leaders Espanyol Elite. The opportunity for a victory came against Vipers FC and Maestro needed no invitation, with Rong An and Big Eric coming up with 2 goals to secure a crucial 2-0 victory. This kick-started Maestro's season as Budak Pondok was disposed off as well in a rousing 5-2 victory. Augustine and Chris, stand-in captains for Walter and Gerald, unleashed the attacking trinity of Guo Xian, Rong An and Norris in a 4-3-3 formation. The move paid off handsomely as Maestro romped home to a 5-2 victory, the largest win for Maestro in the X League. A third win was almost achieved against K-1-K FU only for spoils to be shared due to a late goalkeeping error which saw K-1-K FU sneak in their equalizer to make it 2-2. Nonetheless, it was a great first 7 games in the X League season with 2 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss. Maestro slips into the relegation battle After an encouraging start to the league, Maestro was slowly sucked into a relegation battle after 3 back to back defeats against the top 3 teams in the league. A penalty and defensive lapses gifted Espanyol Elite an easy 3-0 win, followed by more mistakes in the goalkeeping department gifting Sinombre FC a 4-1 win. Marceles Juniors' 4-0 win summed up a miserable February which saw only a poor return of 1 goal for the Bees in 3 games, courtesy of Abhi's Nani-resque effort against Sinombre FC. A big part of the reason for the slump and the goal drought was due to the absence of star striker Rong An as he was away on filming duties for the First XI reality television series. The striker's influence was sorely missed as he had the ability to change the outcome of the game, striking fear in the opponents. Without him leading the attack, Maestro often felt lost on the pitch and demoralised off it. Maestro determined to end with a fight! With 4 games left in the season, a determined Maestro fought hard in a bid to preserve their top flight status. It was a run of tough games, against teams placed above Maestro and a tricky relegation decider against Arima Singapura who were having a good run of late. Sinombre FC was the first of the 4 games. Having thrashed Maestro 4-1 earlier, the stage was set for another Maestro defeat; except Maestro had other ideas. On a sunny morning in Springfield Sec, the Bees stunned Sinombre twice in the first half with 2 well taken goals from Rong An. Rattled, Sinombre fought back hard in the second half to preserve their third place position but they were up against a resolute Maestro defence which repelled wave after wave of attacks. Though Sinombre pulled a goal back, the Bees endured a nail biting finish to the victory. Next up was K-1-K FU, a team also eyeing a third place finish. A scrappy match which saw K-1-K lead 2-0 with 30 mins to go, Maestro lived up to their Comeback Kings reputation by scoring 3 goals to clock up a fourth win of the season. Rong An and Hakim were the goal scoring heroes while the team put up another defensive show. A valiant effort rewarded with relegation With 2 games to go, Maestro were neck to neck with Arima Singapura for the unwanted last relegation spot alongside Vipers FC, Budak Pondok. The next game where Arima would face off against Maestro was arguably the most important game of the season. Victory or defeat for either team could result in different fortunes- a victory could potentially see the winners nip a third place finish while defeat would confirm relegation. It was do-or-die time for Maestro. Both teams knew the importance of the game. Arima and their family supporters filled the stands at Marsiling Secondary, creating a Cup final atmosphere. With a weakened squad without Hakim, Norris, Rong An, Guo Xian, Big Eric, the rest of the Maestro knew that they needed a resolute display, with slices of luck to see Arima off. Fortune and hard running however belonged to Arima who battled back to a 4-1 victory after falling behind early on to a screamer of a goal by Maestro. Howard produced what could be the goal of the season when his long range lob just after the half way line caught the keeper off guard. The final whistle confirmed the contrasting fates of the 2 teams- Arima Singapura with a shot at third place while Maestro FC effectively relegated. A dead rubber, beer and reflections With relegation confirmed, the final league game against Marceles Juniors posed little meaning for the Bees. With motivations low and 4-0 down at half time, even the Heavens seemed to agree when it started to pour heavily with lightning, ending match 20 mins into the second half. A post match celebration with beer and grape juice to celebrate the end of the season was a bitter sweet experience. In the company of good friends and "brothers", knowing that some of the players will be leaving for good or will not be available for extended periods evoked sadness. The reality of relegation also made some players realise that Maestro needs more improvement. The rebuilding has already begun, with Captain Walter and Gerald looking to rebuild the team with fresh blood to boost the ranks, while keeping the committed Maestro players around for the new X League season starting in mid April. Maestro players will also need to improve on their individual skills such as passing, shooting, heading to ensure that Maestro FC can rise to the new challenge come mid April! On behalf of Maestro FC Captain Walter, a big thank you to all Maestros for your commitment and effort throughout the season! |
Season's Top 10 High Points
1) Consistent good form throughout the season Mr Versatile - Jonathan Low
2) In Gary's absence, Calvin's good performance between the posts kept Maestro on course for wins against K-1-K and Sinombre
3) Good punctuality among some players- Augustine, Big Eric, Kartik. Notable punctuality improvments shown by Abhi, Jonathan, Howard, Rong An
4) Rong An's overall performance as lead striker and his unforgettable hat-trick salvo against Arima Singapura
5) 5-2 win against Budak Pondok. The biggest win for Maestro
6) Discovery of Big Eric's effective-ness in midfield and as striker
7) Hakim's performances on the pitch and his goal contributions
8) Astro turf + 3 officials + no violence on the pitch
9) Comeback Kings title clearly shows Maestro's determination
10) Coffee shop sessions after the matches helped with team bonding
Season's Top 10 Areas for Improvement
1) Weak turnouts for the last few matches
2) Lack of attackers in the absence of Rong An, Guo Xian and Norris
3) Maestro players needs to be more calm on the ball and improve on first touches
4) More fitness and running needed of all the players
5) Long term absent / departure of Maestros - Brian, Gary, Jason, Paul and soon Big Eric
6) Non-committed players. The rebuilding of the team can hopefully sort this out
7) Calvin's hospitalisation after a facial injury suffered on the pitch
8) What is the X Card for?
9) Where is our money, Mr Alex Sim?
10) Poor attendance in the most important game- relegation decider against Arima Singapura
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