Written by: Chua Han De Javier
Edited by: Angelina Grace Pandiman
Photos by: Eusoff Works
Instead of the usual blistering sun, today’s semi-finals saw Eusoff Ultimate playing on a field bathed in moonlight – a welcome change indeed. However, it seems like they can perform regardless of the lighting conditions, as they pulled through to emerge victorious with a 3-2 win against Raffles, earning them a spot in the finals.
Line 1: Bryan, Kevyn, Ruoyin, Elis (4-3, W)
Starting off with smooth, quick passes, line 1 kept the pressure on their opponents right from the start, with Raffles trying their best to deny their attempts to score, the disc just slightly out of their grasp. An unguarded pass straight to Elis in the endzone brought Eusoff their first point of the day, which they followed up swiftly with another point, putting them in a 2-0 lead. However, Raffles was unwilling to back down, managing to maintain possession but playing on the safe side, passing back and forth while waiting for the right opportunity to score. This seemed to have worked, as they managed to score 2 consecutive points to put them in a tie. Seemingly neck to neck, both sides managed to score a point each, with Eusoff managing to score another point to put them in a 3-3 tie nearing the last few minutes of the game. This led to sudden death after the end of 15 minutes, with line 1 giving their all to score and end the match. Even with a change to a 3v3 match when Elis had to stop due to an injury, the rest of line 1 was undeterred and continued to fight on, with Ruoyin finally making a solid catch to give Eusoff a very close 4-3 W.
Line 2: Yiyin, Keng Han, Glenn, Ryan (3-4, L)
This note-worthy line consisted of captains (and ex-captain), a formidable line indeed – each talented in their own sports but also in ultimate, the sport that united them. Swift passes between the line guaranteed an easy score just one minute into the match, which they followed up with aggressive defence to prevent Raffles from catching up. Points were going back and forth just like the disc, with both sides taking turns to score until a tie at 3-3. Nearing the end of the match, every play counted, with timeouts being called to dispute the disc in a bid to gain any possible edge. A well-attempted layout defence by Ryan to deny Raffles a score was unfortunately not enough, with Raffles taking that match in another close fight.
cant tell who this is but at least we all can tell that this is a great mid-air catch from eusoff!!
Line 3: Linus, Sulynn, Isaac, Joel (7-1, W)
Determined to avenge their teammates, line 3 scored in a flash within the first minute of the match. The chemistry between this line was apparent, with the disc repeatedly exchanging hands and finding its way to the endzone. Line 3 pulled away with a 4-1 lead, with Linus scoring 3 out of the 4 points. Someone please check if this man has magnets for fingers. The wind picked up during the match, but the increased unpredictability of the disc did little to affect them, as they upped their defence to make sure the point Raffles had scored would be their only one. An effortless catch by Sulynn further widened their lead, and to wrap it up, Joel truly lived up to the name of Joeljet, flying across the field to capture the disc in the endzone and ending the match with an easy 7-1 win.
Sulynn may be small but her defense is strong, causing RH to fumble!
Line 4: Nat, Joel, Xintian, Jan (2-5, L)
Up against a more demanding line from Raffles, attempts to move the disc down the field proved to be a challenge. Raffles managed to slip through their defences, coupled with a few quick interceptions to score 3 consecutive points. Unwilling to concede, line 4 fought hard to take back a point, with Nat and Joel passing in synergy straight to the endzone. On to mirror half, a long throw by Nat sent the disc soaring across the field, with Xintian ready in the endzone to secure the point. However, Raffles managed to maintain the lead by scoring another point, and eventually managed to win the match with a score of 5-2.
Line 5: Jabir, Mingsheng, Randall, Jovina (7-1, W)
With Eusoff and Raffles neck to neck at an overall score of 2-2, it was up to line 5 to play the deciding match and bring back the W. Starting off strong with yet another early score, a long pass sent the disc sailing straight to Mingsheng, giving them a 1-0 lead. It seemed like this was merely not enough as line 5 proceeded to score another 5 consecutive points – a whopping 6-0 – aiming for the point cap of 7 to end the match. Attempts by Raffles to maintain possession were futile, with Eusoff’s impenetrable defence blocking them at every step. Or almost every step, as Raffles managed to sneak in one last point, before line 5 took the game back with Randall scoring the 7th and final point to claim the overall victory against Raffles.
both seem hella focused but Jabir easily slips through RH's defense~
Today’s match was certainly more of a challenge for Eusoff compared to the previous matches, a true test of their grit and skill to see if they were worthy of making it to the finals – and they did indeed prove to be worthy. 3 matches down, 1 more to go – the final step in their quest for gold. The final stretch is just up ahead, and they seem to be ready. Are you?
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