Written by: Izzat Rashad B Rosazizi Edited by: Leung Lok Heng & Choa Zhao Xiang Photos by: EusoffWorks
The second match of EUnited’s IHG football group stage got underway last night, with our boys in yellow taking on the blue and white troops of Kent Ridge Hall. The conventional bragging rights that comes with defeating a rival hall; top spot of the group, as well as a favourable semi-final draw were all up for grabs on the field last night and needless to say, our boys were hungry and itching to put on a show for all our endearing fans. After all, it has been two long weeks since our boys butchered PGP by the astronomical scoreline of 12-0.
The day’s proceedings were initially threatened by inclement conditions, with the weather constantly alternating between a light drizzle and a torrential downpour. This erratic weather did not deter our faithful fans, who arrived pitchside armed with both umbrellas and unwavering support. Fortunately for all, the game eventually proceeded as planned, and the marquee match-up of the group finally got underway under the illumination of the floodlights.
The match started positively for Eusoff, who played extremely well in the first half. The Eusoffian matchplay was simple and plain to see; relentless pressure upfront by striker Bima, speedy yet silky gameplay by midfield mavericks Kay Shin and Ashwin combined with the ingenious defending of our defensive back four. This particular tactic paid dividends almost instantly; sloppy defensive work by KR allowed our Asian assassin Jo Kagitani to pounce on a loose ball, coolly slotting the ball past the outstretched KR goalkeeper to make it 1-0. The defenders might point fingers at the waterlogged pitch or each other, but it did not matter to our smiling Sasuke striker, who finally broke his goalscoring duck in this year’s IHG after providing multiple assists in the previous game against PGP.
Silent Japanese Assassin Ninja Jo was a nightmare for his defenders.
Kagitani’s goal evidently had a morale-boosting impact on the rest of the boys, who subsequently began consistently putting in shots that were either slightly off the mark or too close to the opposing keeper. One spectacular shot by Ashwin in particular from outside the penalty box, completely bamboozled the keeper but only rattled the crossbar. Audible reactions of “oohs”, “aahs” and “oh my God who’s that handsome Indian guy” reverberated throughout the onlooking crowd as the referee brought an end to first half proceedings.
Ashwin almost made it 2, but luck was not on his side.
The second half began with a similar intensity as the first; Eusoff dictating the pace of gameplay as opposed to Kent Ridge being limited to a few counterattacks that were quickly snuffed out by our defenders; captain Wenhao, Sports D Amos, rising star Joel and LYLC Wei Shien. The second half also saw the debut of number 60 Matteus Poon onto the IHG football scene. Endeared by many in the Eusoff Hall community, Matteus refused to let his diminished stature define him, as he covered every inch of turf available with his darting runs and heightened spatial awareness in attack.
In defence, Matteus proved to be a real pest in KR’s attempts to piece together an attacking sequence. In recognition of his tireless work in defence, Matteus was awarded EUnited’s first yellow card of the season for a late challenge that could be described as both cynical and tactical.
Surprisingly, this was one of, if not the only time where the referee had to caution a player playing in the actual match. Instead, the referee spent substantial time repeatedly gesturing to the eager supporters on the sidelines to maintain a safe distance from the playing field. Clearly, the supporters in attendance were eager to see if Eusoff could hold on to their slender lead, against a KR team who were slowly gaining momentum and piecing together a few solid passes.
And lo and behold, KR pulled level in the 58th minute of the game. A moment of individual brilliance from KR’s playmaker (coupled with a lapse in Eusoff defensive concentration) allowed him to slice through our defence like a hot knife through butter, before slotting the ball beyond goalkeeper Joshua. With the scores tied at 1-1, the match result now hung in the balance.
While KR needed another goal to win the game to top the group, Eusoff technically could simply ride out till the end to secure the draw which would be sufficient all things considered, to end the preliminary rounds on top of the group. However, judging from the high standards and expectations EUnited set for themselves, it was clear that they were not going to settle for a mediocre draw. As such, we were treated to a palpably tense final minutes of the game, where both teams put in hard tackles and made threatening shots that tested the goalkeepers’ individual skills; further complicated by the wet, slippery nature of the ball in the rain.
The crowd was kept on the edge of their metaphorical seats as both teams came close to scoring the winning goal, but unfortunately that winning goal never came. The referee blew the full-time whistle, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. As most of the EUnited boys would admit, it was not the best showing from our boys, but it showed future opponents what a fraction of their power could do. We are confident that they will turn up the notches in the upcoming semi-finals.
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