Opponent: Mes Amis
Final Score: 2 – 4 (First loss of the season)
Goals: Hans (Peps)
Spenny (Peps)
Lineup: Andy
Jase, Indian friend, Darryl, Howard
Pete, Shakalaka, Philip, Knighty, Spenny
Hans
SHORT SUMMARY
This one had all the signs of a tough game given Mes Amis were historically strong in this league and we lacked enthusiasm and players for Saturday. On top of that, we had a shaky back line (due an absence of resident defenders), and Jase was called out to play with a 40oC fever. Midfield wasn't much better, with Howard going full back and Philip covering for him in an unfamiliar position.
We were down 3 – 0 at halftime. This was a fair indication of how the game was played; mostly down our throats. We found ourselves for the first time this season, with our backside handed to us in a platter. They dominated midfield as all of our long balls to Hans were intercepted by the 3 defenders that were placed on him (something we want to rethink) and not enough balls were fed to the wings, ending up with both of them edging forward to get the ball themselves. This left holes in the midfield big enough for planes to land. We were down big at the half and I have to say, it was a shitty, shitty feeling given we were at the top of the table. Frankly I didn't think we had it in us to salvage this one. And in the end, we didn't salvage the score, but we got something else instead.
What happened in the second half was probably the most inspiring half that I've been part of since I joined the fellas some 3 seasons ago, where for the first time, I actually felt we as a team were better than each and every one of us individually - lets all admit, there were countless times when we sucked as a team even more than we suck individually, as difficult a thing it is to do. But the second half was a completely different story. We were pissed off at playing the way we did, at being down by so much, but more than anything knowing we had a quality team but were prancing around like fairies, chasing the game. Each one of us really sucked it up and put in a lot of solid, hard work. There was frustration to be sure, not the negative bitching we sometimes engage in (surprisingly frequently and in large amounts from the sidelines) but a constructive frustration that made each one of us run harder, tackle stronger, lookup for each other, and raise the level of play. To do this at 3 – 0 down isn't easy, even for professionals.
Just when we felt it slowly slip away, peps threaded a ball to Hans and we had a first fix of hope at 3 – 1. Witnessing Peps threading anything was a sight to behold but when it translated into a goal, we turned it up another notch. After all, if Peps can do it…. Within five minutes of our first goal we received a free kick 15 yards outside their box and again, Peps, who had flames coming off of his head by now, connected with Spenny to slip home another one. 3 – 2. We were back! And Mes was stunned. With about 10 minutes remaining, we were playing like rabid dogs with spit drying white around our mouths and looking for that equalizer like it was Jessica Alba in a maximum security prison. An equalizer would redeem us as league leaders and restore some pride back into the fellas. Surely, as we worked at it, the opportunity came. Jase finally stopped passing the ball to the opponents and hit me in the open space out front on the right. I managed to shimmy pass all three hundred Mes defenders, turn onto the end line and cross a ball over the keeper to Jase (who had run the length of the field) who was leaning against the far post, some two inches from the goal line. That moment had come and was the highlight of the game – you could see it in slow motion as the ball soared through the air, with everyone staring, holding their breaths, and Jase practically all alone in the six-yard box waiting to score the equalizer and become player of the season/century. You could taste victory, even. We worked so hard for it and it was there for the taking. It felt so good – we were a team capable of this.
So what I want to emphasize is our attitude, work ethic, and the belief that we can come back from a big deficit, as we did in the second half of this game. Some good stuff to look back on and draw upon later. Let's not forget this.
Some really memorable moments in this game, and while Jase managed to head the ball over the cross bar and over the mountain behind the pitch, along with Hans who also thought he had a chance to equalize with a shot from the middle of the field that didn't go as far as Jase's header, but still way off target, these are minor details that take away from the moral of the story. Then there was that goal the Mes scored in the waning minutes of the game that reconciled the score to the top of the page, but again, insignificant details.
Fellas hoorah.
