Written by: Jireh Tay
Edited by: Cheng Kai Wen
Photos by: Eusoff Works
In this heated semi-finals, both sides were aiming to go through this in order to face the titan TH in the finals. RH looked to be the underdogs of this match as our side were the ones who had more experienced and skilful players.
Going into the first regu, our captain decided to put in a younger pair of legs, Nauman instead of the usual Ethan to start, while Umar and Haiqal stayed as constants. The first set was a breeze as EH blew away RH with a score of 15-6 in just 5 mins. However, RH switched gears after that set and played way more aggressively, throwing one-touch headers to our side instead of setting up conventional 3-touch plays. This proved effective on their end as they managed to steal the next 2 sets 13-15 and 16-17. Ethan was then forced to enter the court in order to reverse the tides. With pressure mounting on our side, the cheers of our crowd helped lift the spirits of our team as we took back the 4th set 15-9. Finally, it all boiled down to the fifth and last set of the first regu, where the winning team would take the first game. RH wasn’t going to let up without a fight as they stayed close to us in scores throughout the match, neither side giving up a lead to the opponent. RH managed to break through our defense in the late game as they led 11-14. Then, an important timeout was called on our side. As things looked bleak for us, the wise words said by the captain seemed to have worked wonders (Keefe can share?) as we held on to our defense line well and served great balls, making RH fumble as they became desperate to close off the game. Our side really displayed their grit and nerves of steel as they took home a clutch 5th set 17-15.
Umar looking intently at the ball with his precise receives.
With the first regu in our pockets, it was time for the real deal to come on as Keefe, Shawn, and Said entered the court for the second regu. With such an intense and tight first regu, it was as if RH could actually have a chance of winning the match. However, the senior line-up was there for a good time, not a long time. They held the reins throughout the first set as Said calmly set up play after play for Shawn to do his incredible jump headers that left RH absolutely dumbfounded. To add on to that, Keefe’s defense and serves were from another world as he left the opponent scrambling on their end. The first two sets ended with a one-sided 15-9 and 15-10. For the third set, CJ came in for Said instead to clock in some game time, the only thing that changed was the sub as our side continued to ruthlessly hammer RH, leaving no opportunity for them to get a comeback. Shawn then ended the game with a solid thumping header, ending the third set 15-11, giving EH the second regu and the overall win over RH.
#45 Shawn with his head of steel as he skillfully avoids the opponent.
Sepak Takraw Semis vs RH
Overall score: 2-0 to EH
1st Regu: Ethan, Umar, Haiqal, Nauman
Set 1: 15-6 to EH
Set 2: 13-15 to RH
Set 3: 16-17 to RH
Set 4: 15-9 to EH
Set 5: 17-15 to EH
2nd Regu: Keefe, Said, Shawn, CJ
Set 1: 15-9 to EH
Set 2: 15-10 to EH
Set 3: 15-11 to EH
With the win over RH, the stage is set for EH to face off TH in the finals as TH aims to defend their title as champions while EH is fighting to knock off TH from their throne next Thursday(12/1) from 6pm to 9pm. Catch it live on SMC instagram or through the telegram commentary. See you there!
Comentários