El Fut Champs faced a heavy defeat against Le Vecchiette in a league away match at Calthorpe Park 3 on 21 October 2024, with the final score reading 2-7. The match kicked off at 8:00 PM, and despite a spirited effort from El Fut Champs, they were unable to contain their opponents.
El Fut Champs lined up in a 1-3-1 formation, with Freddie Chattam stationed as the goalkeeper. Jack Hart took up the role of central defender, providing the backbone of the defence. In midfield, Lewis Shaqiri operated on the right, while Will Atkinson occupied the left flank, both tasked with supporting both the attack and the defence. Ben Riley played centrally, looking to orchestrate play and link up with the striker, Jack Brunning, who was positioned at the forefront of the attack. The substitutes for the match were Nathan Davey and George Moores.
The match began with Le Vecchiette quickly asserting their dominance, scoring their first goal just three minutes in. A well-placed tap-in from close range set the tone for the evening, leaving El Fut Champs scrambling to regroup. By the seventh minute, the situation worsened for the visitors as a defensive mistake allowed Le Vecchiette to double their lead, again from close range, this time with a right-footed strike.
In a bid to change the momentum, El Fut Champs made a tactical substitution in the tenth minute, bringing on Nathan Davey for Lewis Shaqiri and George Moores for Jack Brunning. Jack Brunning was brought back on to ignite a lost flame, and he did that and more, finding the back of the net, volleying home a cross from Ben Riley. This goal brought the score to 2-1 and briefly ignited hopes of a comeback.
However, Le Vecchiette responded swiftly, scoring their third goal in the twelfth minute, capitalising on another defensive error. The home side continued to press, and by the sixteenth minute, they had extended their lead to 4-1 with a close-range effort inside the box.
As the first half came to a close, the score stood at 4-1, and El Fut Champs faced an uphill battle in the second half. The second period began with renewed determination from El Fut Champs, and in the twenty-eighth minute, Jack Brunning struck again, this time scoring directly from a corner kick delivered by Will Atkinson. This goal narrowed the deficit to 4-2, providing a glimmer of hope for the visitors.
Unfortunately for El Fut Champs, Le Vecchiette quickly extinguished any hopes of a comeback. In the thirty-first minute, they scored their fifth goal with another tap-in, followed by a stunning strike from outside the area in the thirty-sixth minute that left the score at 6-2. The relentless pressure from Le Vecchiette continued, and they capped off their impressive performance with a seventh goal in the forty-second minute, once again scoring from close range.
Despite the heavy defeat, Jack Brunning's performance stood out, earning him the Player of the Match accolade for his two goals. El Fut Champs will need to regroup and reflect on their defensive frailties as they prepare for their next challenge in the league.
