11 Feb: KE Steamrolls Past TH Into The Finals - Soccer (M)
Soccer (M)
KE vs TH: 3-0
Expectation hung heavy in the air as both teams took to the field. With memories of the thrashing (0-14) in last year’s prelims still fresh in the minds of many, emotions were running high, both on the field and off. Two thrilling action-packed halfs later, not only had the boys in red beat TH in yet another semis and claimed revenge, they had achieved history – a first ever appearance in Soccer finals in recent memory
It was a tense affair as the match got underway. Both teams were giving it their all, no punches pulled. Our determination was broadcast plainly when, early on, a particularly crunching tackle by Yanhua resulted in the TH #7 being injured and forced an early substitution on their part. Yet, for all the pressure, the deadlock persisted till almost the end of the half.
Team TH’s strategy consisted mainly of exploiting their greater fitness & speed, running down the flanks and cutting inwards. However, this was quietly ably defended by our wing-backs, Kevin & Terence who matched their speed and weighed in with tackles, effectively denying them any clear chances in the first half. The closest they came to scoring was through a free-kick, which looked well on target before being cleared by the center-back Stefan, a veritable wall in defence.
In contrast, our play was more varied, mixing in incisive running by our wingers, with long balls down the center. We often launched quick counter-attacks from the defence, and Nicolas’ (the keeper) goal-kicks were always menacing, arcing over three quarters of the field. Our forwards kept up the pressure on the opponents end, forcing them into hasty clearances and fouls. Dead-ball specialist, Hansley, came agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock with one free-kick, which sailed inches over the crossbar.
Particularly outstanding (in more ways than one) was our star striker, Horace “H” Owino. The 1.8m giant dominated the field and seemed to posses an uncanny ability to get to clearances and crosses, shrugging off defenders with ease and holding the ball till support arrived. But physical strength and aerial superiority aside, he was also (almost unfairly) gifted with speed and skill, making him a constant menace that occupied much of the attention of TH’s defence.
It was the latter that showed in the build-up to our first goal. Receiving a short pass, H turned his defender deftly and took a few steps before cutting back to Raymond. Shrugging off a weak challenge from a defence in disarray, he then laid the ball off for the onrushing Remus who unerringly smashed the ball into the back off the net – and supporters went wild! We’d drawn first blood! 1-0 to KE!
Jubilant, they resumed play intent on getting more from a visibly shocked TH side. However, it was barely a few minutes before the half-time whistle blew, signaling a respite. Amidst celebrations and back-patting by the excited supporters, Kevin, the captain, warned his side against complacency and the importance of being grounded. After all, the ball is round, as the saying goes, and it can still go either way – the winner was yet to be decided. Thus, it was a properly sobered and determined team which took to the field to play the second-half.
TH started aggressively, clearly intent on winning it back. There was more visible pressure on our half of the field, resulting in their winning their first corner-kick soon after. The chance, however, went begging as the ball overshot everyone and rolled harmlessly out he sidelines. They kept up the pressure though, and our players obviously felt it, as we kept gifting them a few corners and free-kicks.
However, it was not one-sided all the way. Amidst the pressure, H initiated a fast break, getting the ball and passing to Remus who sprinted half the field before passing to Hansley. After evading some defenders and leaving the keeper stranded, he hit a shot that flashed across the goal-mouth, drawing a collective groan from the supporters. He soon had another chance minutes later, as a free-kick was awarded at the edge of the penalty box close to touchline, but what looked like a well-struck goal from the stand turned out to be on the wrong side of the net. The tension was palpable as we looked for that one more goal to ensure the points.
Halfway in to the second half, disaster struck for TH. Receiving the ball in our side, Yanhua turned and sprinted down the flank, weaving in and out. Spotting H unmarked at the corner of the box, he sent in a low cross, which H delightfully converted, sending it to the low end of the goal out of the reach of the keeper; KE 2 - TH 0.Once more KE erupted in joy, as H ran to the corner flag and celebrated with his team-mates swarming around. In the euphoria, the odd fact that there were no supporters anywhere near that particular flag, and that he was basically shouting at imaginary people on the grandstand, was overlooked.
Nerves now settled, our team started to play with a more relaxed and laid-back attitude, contrasting heavily with TH who were displaying signs of increasing desperation. Our players were enjoying themselves, and it showed - we were creating chances with relative ease as TH spread themselves too thin. There was a minor shock midway through though. More good work by Yanhua and deft manouevering by Hansley had left Husong with one defender and the keeper to beat and beat them he did, only to realise the whistle had gone off a fraction of a second earlier - Yanhua was down. However, he was back on his feet a few minutes later, the only loss being our almost-goal. The knock must have affected him though, for not too long later, after H brought the ball down the side and passed it to him with no one left to beat, he skied the ball from about 5 yards out. His shocked look was mirrored by the supporters, who’d been hoping for more.
Late into the game, Remus was replaced by Thomas. By now, our players were passing the ball around leisurely, yet still looking for the third goal. Backed by a solid defence that left the keeper with nothing to do, we reduced them to taking long-range potshots, one of which bounced awkwardly and flew just over the crossbar. Otherwise, Nicolas had only to collect loose balls and weak crosses, and did not have any saves to make throughout. As the seconds ticked by, our opponents became increasingly urgent and poured forth in desperate hope, only to have us hammer in the final nail in the dying minutes.
Once more, it was H who did the deed - latching on to a ball by Husong, he outsprinted his markers, and facing the keeper 1 on 1, coolly slotted in the ball to take our tally to 3. Once more the bench erupted, once more the TH players were left reeling, and once more he repeated the inexplicable celebration at the isolated corner flag while supporters looked on bemused. A few minutes later, the final whistle blew signalling the end of a tense and well-fought match. Final score: KE 3 - TH 0.
***
As the player celebrated with a post-match huddle and song, the supporters were no less fervent in their jubilation. Denyse, who’d been a loyal supporter for many games so far despite not staying in hall, said she was ‘proud & happy’, as we got revenge for last year’s humiliation. It was a feeling shared by yours truly, as knocking them out of the semis more than made up for that loss. Several others expressed surprise that our team was actually ‘that good’, and despite having achieved more than our initial target, the the general sentiment was one of barely-concealed excitement at the prospect of yet another gold.
Soccer captain, Kevin, when asked the prospects for the next game, only smiled ‘let’s enjoy the match’. He said we had ‘good players, good feeling playing and having fun’. Furthermore, the team was buoyed by the fact they we have not lost a single game this tournament. His views were complemented by Terence, who commented that it was a ‘disciplined performance’. ‘We had 3 shots on target to TH’s 0, and we made each count,’ he added impishly, ‘Nicolas had no save to make at all - we’re that good!’.
Thus the game ended, with a good show and good feeling all round, earning us a date at the Finals against KR. Do come down to SRC at 5pm Tuesday, for this most unlikeliest of finals. It promises to be memorable and nail-biting match - let’s cheer them on as they strive to make history with our first ever soccer gold!
- Viknesk
6 comments February 11, 2007
