Resolute performance keeps our pre-season form going...

Queenstown Secondary School, 1700Hrs

SUFI FC 2 Galacticos FC 0

(Law x1, AhCool x1)

A gloomy and damp day probably set the tone for the game as the boys in blue kitted up in their all new all white outfit for the game. Amidst several groans about the quality of the jerseys, we knuckled down and attempted to start loving them. Bleh~

Coming into the game without the likes of hizam, vic, rudee and goal machine juf, it would prove to be an interesting outing as the gaffer experimented with the squad to get an up close and personal look at the rest of the players. Lining up in our usual formation, Allan, donning the new goalkeeping outfit started in goal. Farhan n Jason occupied the full back berths with Ronald (Captain of the day) and Huijie alongside him in defence. With Ws in the defensive screening role, Syafiq and Kassler aimed to provide the necessary support in midfield. The flying wingers were Yasin and Ahcool, with Wong starting upfront as the lone striker.

Right from the start, it was apparent that our relatively youthful opponents were a skillful and astonishingly quick outfit. Perhaps caught out by the level of attacking impetus our opponents had, we were in sixes and sevens for much of the 1st 10-15 minutes. Failure to get a grip in midfield also caused further problems for the SUFI boys. The misery of the start was compounded further when our new acquisition, Yasin got caught in a tangled mess as he swung to clear the ball, only to miss it and then unlucky handled the ball after a bewildering sequence of events. A penalty it was to our opponents and the there was a slight drop in heads from the jokers. Thankfully, Galacticos failed to convert the resulting penalty as Allan probably did enough to put the young striker off.

Going up the other end, the closest we came to nicking the first goal was a thumping header by midfield maestro, Syafiq from a corner kick, however as perhaps it was a sign of things to come, it cleared everything but the frame of the goal. On came, Ozil and Dinietov as we attempted to regain control in midfield. The first goal soon came as some neat footwork by dinietov released ozil just outside the box, and with hardly any backlift, the 'german import' crashed an unstoppable shot past the keeper. 1-0 despite not playing to the best of our abilities. A sigh of relief was heard from the touchline as it was an undeniable fact that our skillful opponents had given us plenty to think about in the 1st half.

The 2nd half soon kicked off with hizam taking his place in defense as well as hoeguan n sianwei filling in on the full back positions. A new midfield trio of mok, lq n law were flanked by speedster wong n ahcool who had been in hot form recently. Dinietov reoccupied his position up top. The 2nd half probably mirrored the 1st as our speedy opponents did all the running and they only lacked the final ball to kill us. Dinietov as usual, as in recent weeks was enjoying a new lease of life as the lone striker as he toiled and tormented our young opponents into submission with his close control and devastating feints that left them for dead. However, he was not the only sparkle as AhCool gradually found his way into the game after some thumping tackles by the super aggressive and accomplished left back of our opponents. He eventually fed off a long goalkick from phileo that saw a mix up, which resulted in the keeper n their last men clashing, leaving ahcool with the simplest of finishes to put the jokers 2-0 up. The man has scored in 3 consecutive weeks and is starting to prove what a great player he is. The rest of the half gradually died out and so it finished, 2-0 to SUFI.

My MOTM: Dinietov. No 2 ways about it. It has been refreshing to watch the man play and to play alongside him as he rediscovers the touches and brilliance that was always apparent but not put to full use in our 1st season. Like i mentioned in the report, he was probably the difference maker especially with our opponents looking to outmaneuver us in the middle of the park. Completely deserved dude. Keep it up.

Gaffers thoughts: 2 train of thoughts for the game. The negative was that we seemed flat at times in both halves and i'm not too sure of the exact reason but there is a need for alot more communication between the guys. The positive was that even though our opponents were more skillful than us, we stuck together as a cohesive unit and defended well. I would like to think of it as efficient football. We proved as well the strength in depth that we have in the squad is frightening. Very Real Madrid like in our play today as the defense n midfield held their own despite the occasional scares. And our attacking trio once again flourished as we countered to great effect. It may not have been pretty football but I can assure you that it is definitely efficient football. I was personally impressed with the level of skill our opponents possessed and perhaps experience won on the day. A good workout for the team as we carry on our pre-season campaign. I can safely say that by playing good opponents week in and out, it can only make us a stronger team by the time the league comes around.

Kudos to all of u guys and it is likely that we will play Questra Vipers next saturday in a friendly. Just so you know, it is a team that is in a class of its own and u can check out more about them in one of the links at the right hand panel.

P.S: ZL, Sianwei and Yasin please remind me to take individual photos for you guys next week. I need them to upload onto the espzen site. Plus, we need to take a team photo with us in our new jerseys!! Someone please remember if i dont. Thanks!

Personnel:

Allan, Phileo

Sianwei, HG, Alaric, Farhan, Jason, Hizam, Ronald, HuiJie

Yasin, AhCool, Law, WS, Mok, Syafiq, Kassler, LQ

Dinie, Wong

Fan in attendance:

Aisyah (Long awaited return of one of the founding members of the WAGS clan!)

Pre-Season Friendly 5

Match Details: (30th Oct 2010, Saturday)

Time: Be at the school by 430pm. SHARP. I will be distributing our new jerseys.

Opponents: Galacticos FC (Good team)

Venue: QueensTOWN Secondary School (Astro Turf Pitch)

(Link: http://www.gothere.sg/maps#q:queenstown%20secondary%20school)

Attire: We will DEFINITELY be wearing our new white jerseys on the day itself. Just bring yourself and whatever compression wear that u need. Do wear shin pads as well cause its a MUST for espzen games. Start getting used to it alright. Thanks.

Expected Personnel:

Allan, Phileo

Sianwei, Farhan, Jason, HG, Alaric, Ronald, HuiJie

AhCool, Wong, Yasin, Law, WS, Mok, Syafiq, LQ, Kassler

Dinie

Fight, fight, fight!

Queenstown Secondary School, 1700hrs

SUFI FC 2 Le Chinois Utd 1

(Weisheng x1, Mok x1)

I will probably give this game a brief summary as my brain is definitely shutting down as I type every single word out now. I know that u guys feel my shag-ness too man. Haha.

The second game was against a group of middle age uncles who flattered to deceive in terms of their appearance. Slightly pudgy and with sagging facial skin, we were led to believe that perhaps a rerun of the 10-1 scoreline that we had against another uncle team was in store. This game also saw the appearance of Yasin who tried to fit himself into the team set-up. Bringing with him an excellent pedigree of footie background, we were looking forward to him lightng up a game that was threatened with frequent flashes of lightning (that saw Wong cower in fear, HAHA sorry bro!) and a sky that seemed to get darker exponentially by the minute.

Phileo started in goal with Farhan, Hizam, Huijie and then HG in defense. The midfield 3 were Syafiq, Ws and Vic. Rudee and Ahcool provided the flanking support with Juf starting up top. Once again, the jokers kicked into gear early on as we drew 1st blood within the first 10 minutes. No danger was in sight when Vic was fouled just inside our opponents half. A quick witted AhCool set the ball down as our opponents were still arguing and in pretty much Xabi Alonso fashion, Weisheng floated an exquisite ball over the keeper and into the back of the net from nearly 30 yards?! What a way to score your first goal. Excellent dude.

Our uncle-like opponents had other ideas as the possessed several speed-demons (wtf?!) who continually bombarded our backline as they adopted a punt and run tactic. Although we were holding out well, it was only a matter of time before we faced a goal threatening situation.

It duly came when a freekick from the edge of our penalty box was floated in more of with hope than with precision. The ball eventually nestled in the top corner with our players feeling disgusted at the way we conceded. The half ended one apiece as the lightning show in queenstown forced both sets of players to hurry off the field.

In the 2nd, Allan started in goal with Kass, Hizam, Alaric and Jason in defense. Mok, Lq and Law were the middle 3, flanked by Yasin and Wong. Dinie provided the focal point of play. The boys in blue expected a tough, physical battle against our overly aggressive and rather unsportsmen-like opponents. And our play in the 2nd half had every bit of fight and aggression that was needed to combat against them. The winning goal eventually came mid way through the 2nd half after Law's sumptuous trick that left his marker for dead, with space in front of him, he accelerated towards goal and calmly laid the ball into the path of ME! with the keeper fully committed and off his line. A second open invitation in 2 games meant that the gaffer certainly had to score, esp from just inside the box and with the goal gaping. Needless to say, if he had missed, it would have been curtains on his playing career. 0.0

The game eventually ran down with the jokers creating several more chances as Wong, Rudee and Juf all had opportunities to finish the game. 2-1 was how it ended.

My M.O.M: It was a rather tough choice as once again, all of us fought hard and did what was necessary. However the one who stood out in my eyes was Dinie. It was probably a combination of his performances in both games but the man definitely did play like his name-sake, berbatov. The ballerina-like touches were coupled with purpose and desire as he weaved patterns around the defenses while in his role up front. I myself was in awe at times at how simple he made playing look. Well done bro and keep it up. And it's not because its your birthday that I decided on this, your performances were really top notch. Cheers bro.

Gaffers thoughts: At the end of a rather LONNNG day, i must say that you guys kept me going through yet another enjoyable weekend. The weather wasn't the best with both the haze and heavy rain, however we pulled through as a team and showed plenty of our strengths. Clinical in the 1st and resolute in the 2nd. We continue to learn more about each other and I cannot stress enough how amazing a team we have become. The spirit is right and everything else seems to be going good for us. Kudos to you guys man! Rest well for the rest of the weekend and look forward to next week's game. It would be a 5pm kick off at the same venue and I am very certain that we would be unveiling our jerseys next week. See you guys then!

Finally, feliz cumpleanos Dinie! May you stay 20 every year bro. And yes, thats spanish, unlike the fake german. Tsk.

P.S: Do take note that as per Huseyn's request, I will change the team blog address to www.sufifootballclub.blogspot.com by Sunday night, 2200 hrs. U will not be able to find the blog at the ysosrs one by then so do keep it in mind ar!

Personnel:

Allan, Phileo

Farhan, HG, Jason, Kass, Alaric, Hizam, Huijie

AhCool, Wong, Yasin (Trialist), Vic, Rudee, Law, LQ, Mok, Syafiq, Ws

Dinie, Juf

Fans in attandance:

Fadilah, Suzie (Rudee's Gf)

Its Raining Goals!!

Queenstown Secondary School, 1500hrs

SUFI FC 6 Jotos FC 0

(Wong x1, Dinie x1, AhCool x1, Jason x1, Law x1, Juf x1)

Due to some psycho-ing by some of the guys, I decided to knuckle down and come up with an 'entertaining' report. Hahaha. Firstly, what a shag and eventful day it was.. The erratic weather definitely did try to play it's part in creating a rather odd mood especially in the 2nd game. Plenty to report on as usual and i guess it is just the story of our team. Always a delight to watch and never a dull moment whether is it on the field or off it.

To the first game against a youthful looking group of Malay boys that called themselves Jotos FC who were also clad in a rather awesome looking yellow kappa jersey. Sadly we couldn't showcase our awesome new jerseys as well but no worries peeps, we will definitely do so next week man! As expected, we had almost a full strength squad that turned up for the game which only lacked Sianwei and Mahdi.

The jokers kicked off the game with Phileo in goal, Farhan and Hoeguan in the respective full back positions and our captain Hizam and Ronald in the middle of defense. Weisheng provided the defensive shield whilst Mok and Syafiq attempted to provide the guile alongside him. Rudee and Wong were the stipulated wing wonders and Juf as usual took up his hotshot position up top.

Fastforward to the game and the jokers were quickly awarded a penalty after Rudee combined excellently with Juf who raced towards goal only to be brought down in the box by the keeper. The keeper soon had to go off as he had apparently sprained his ankle in the collision and thus unfortunately lasted all of 2 minutes in the game. Wong, after much discussions, stepped up and converted from the spot with ease. The early goal probably should have set the tone for the rest of the game, however Jotos soon clicked into gear and began their passing game that caused problems for the jokers on the odd occasion.

Our second goal eventually came courtesy of a long booming throw from Wong and after what felt like a million touches by everyone in the box, Dinie prodded the ball home delicately from virtually on the goal-line with his face (Yes, it wasn't the head). It could be said that our play had not warranted a goal but well, i guess it all counts folks. 2-0 was how it ended at the half.

With a massive squad, the gaffer changed the entirely 11 for the 2nd half. In goal was Allan. Alaric and Jason were at the fullback positions together with the ever present Hizam with Huijie slotting in alongside him. Our very own 3 lunged man, LQ who finally made his long awaited return was in DM while Kass and our new german import, Law made up the midfield 3. AhCool and Vic occupied the winger positions while Dinie-tov carried on in his role up front.

I guess with the 2 goal cushion and a whole new set of fresh legs on the pitch, the jokers proved too much for our young and skillful opponents. As I was busy talking for most of the 2nd half, i will try my best to remember the details of the events leading up to the goals.

3-0: A long punt up saw Dinietov and AhCool bursting their lungs to get to the ball. In an amazing act of self sacrifice, Dinietov somehow managed to block off 2 of the opposing defenders, allowing AhCool to finish expertly from just inside the box. The man is definitely on a streak yo.

4-0: Jason our new left back import who had been having an excellent game, stepped up to the plate and scored a stunning goal. With seemingly no danger as he received the ball on the left flank, he (played a one-two?) that allowed him to find space and time on the edge of the box which he used to great effect as he delivered a peach of a shot that curled straight into the top corner. Stunning effort.

5-0: 4 soon became 5 as it gradually became a competition as to who could score the best goal of the game. Our front man at that time hustled the opposing keeper into a screwed up clearance that fell to the feet of our german import Law, some way outside of the box. With much to do, he beat one player and quickly despatched a shot that eventually arrowed into the net over the despairing dive of the recovering keeper. Another peach of a shot.

6-0: Not contented with failing to score thus far, our goal machine had to add his name to the goalscorers list. With virtually the last kick of the game, Juf swiveled his way past a challenge or 2 and from what seemed like a difficult angle, he smashed the ball home with enough power to plaster a look of resignation on our opponents faces.

My M.O.M: Although there were goals aplenty and once again stand out performances from too many of you guys, Captain Marvel stood out for me throughout the entire game. A commanding presence and quite literally and immovable object in the heart of our defence. Smashing performance from the man. And my man of the match definitely has to be Hizam.

Gaffer thoughts: I may be repeating myself every week, but it certainly does seem that our team spirit is improving with every game. Words simply cannot describe this feeling of enjoyment guys. Everyone worked hard for each other and I guess this improving camaraderie off the field is translating into excellent showings on it. Well done guys. Thanks to jassie boy who came all the way down to catch us in action despite the failure to obtain our new jerseys today. Look forward to u coming back soon!

Personnel:

Allan, Phileo

Farhan, HG, Alaric, Jason, Hizam, Ronald, HuiJie

Rudee, Wong, Vic, AhCool, Kass, LQ, Law, Mok, Syafiq, WS

Dinie, Juf

Fans in attendance:

Jassie boy (Injured), Fadilah, Weisheng's excellent camera ;)

Pre-Season Friendly 3 & 4

Match Details: (23rd Oct 2010, Saturday)

Time: Be at the school by 220pm. SHARP

Venue: QueensTOWN Secondary School

(Link: http://www.gothere.sg/maps#q:queenstown%20secondary%20school)(Astro Turf Pitch)

Attire: Blue Jersey, Black Shorts and Black socks. For keepers, our opponents will be wearing yellow. Do wear shin pads as well cause its a MUST for espzen games. Start getting used to it alright. Thanks.

Game 1:

Opponents: Jotos FC (Link: http://202.150.213.74/Team_about.aspx?id=398)

Time: 3pm - 5pm

Game 2: (At the same venue)

Opponents: Le Chinois Utd

Time: 5pm - 7pm

Guys, do reach the school venue by latest 2.20pm. Huseyn (Our owner) will be coming down to catch our game and he will also want to take team pictures of and with us. I will require your assistance to be down as early as possible to get ready for the game and to also have sufficient time to take a series of team photos and also individual photos which will be used to register for the ESPZEN league. Please have some discipline and at least be wayang in front of him, thanks. Come on time, be prepared on time and also sort ourselves our for the photo-taking quickly. We can revert to our usual nonsensical self once we have settled our off the field stuff.

Furthermore, we will have 2 games back to back to allow all of us to get sufficient game time. Since this is specially organised for the team, i hope that each and everyone of us try to make it for both games. Free jerseys and free games. Its really a no-brainer.

Expected Personnel: (23 Players)

Allan, Phileo

Sianwei, Farhan, Jason, Alaric, HG, Ronald, Huijie, Hizam, Jasmond (Team photo)

Rudee, AhCool, Law, Vic, Weisheng, Mok, LQ, Syafiq, Kass, Wong

Jufri, Dinie

Trialist: Yasin (My MJC senior) (2nd Game)

Annihilation at the Grand Old Dame of Jurong

Old Jurong Stadium, 1500hrs

SUFI FC 4 FC Hospitality 0

(Juf x1, Wong x1, AhCool x1, Syafiq x1)

Hey peeps, the joy behind our victory today has been slightly dampened by the horrible collapse that man utd suffered at west brom today. Do allow me a moment or 2 to search for the pride I felt towards our team after the game.

Back to the events of the day. The boys in blue in what would likely be our last game in our 1st ever spanking blue Thorb jersey, entered the arena-like atmosphere of Jurong Stadium. The jokers gathered early and were well prepared even before the stipulated 3pm kick-off time. The pristine (judged by local conditions) field was the perfect stage for us to showcase our passing skills.

The game kicked off with SianWei in goal, aided ably by Farhan and Jason, our new acquisition at the full back positions together with Ronald and captain Hizam in the middle of defense. Mok acted as the defensive shield as Syafiq and Law provided the midfield guile. The speedsters at the wings were Rudee and Wong as they provided the necessary ammunition for our goal machine, Juf. The game was rather stop-start at times as the jokers took time to adapt to the size of the pitch. However, we did have a goal chalked off inside 5 minutes, when the referee decided to blow for a phantom offside when Juf tucked home from 6 yards after a tantalising run by Wong down the left.

After some more sparring with our opponents who had been flying high in the Espzen division 3 in recent weeks, the break through goal eventually came after an exquisite floated ball over the defense by Player of the Year, Syafiq found our goal machine whose subtle dink over the keeper made it 1-0. After a couple of attacks which almost led to our 2nd goal that included Rudee smashing straight at the keeper after being put through on goal as well as Dinie missing narrowly with a diving header, we finally put more distance between us and our opponents. A fake by Dinie to lose his man before he released wong with a sweet side-rule pass to put the speedster in a promising position. Wong then went on one of his rampaging runs from the left as he skinned his disillusioned markers with ease before finishing with the ruthlessness of a predator. 2-0 was how it finished at the half.

After a series of changes, the jokers resumed the game, hungry for more. And they were duly rewarded after a poor clearance by the Hospitality backline found AhCool. According to the man, he took a touch to set himself up before he smashed the ball that arrowed in from around 25-30 yards straight into the back of the net. Unstoppable and what a beauty it was. Definitely the goal of the day. Sorry wong! Haha.

With space opening up all over the pitch and the Hospitality guys energy got consumed with the afternoon heat, the jokers ran rampant. We were attacking from all angles and contrary to what was perhaps believed, I felt our ball movement was good and incisive leaving our opponents chasing shadows on many a time. But for some indifferent finishing in front of goal that included Benjamin, another pre-season signing, hitting the post after some devastating passing to put him through, Rudee missing twice from good positions which was rather surprising from the man as he had set the bar so high with his performances last season, and Ronald, the scoreline would probably have been larger. However, Syafiq did cap off another fine performance in the middle of the park with a lung bursting run from the central areas before finishing from the tightest of angles to beat the keeper. This rounded off the scoring for the day as it finished 4-0.

My M.O.M: Law. Ozil was everyone in his new position as a central midfielder. His hustling unsettled our opponents and his direct running left our opponents in knots as they desperately tried to stop him. Tireless in defense and yet incisive in attack. Top class dude. And i hope your head does not swell after this.

Thoughts by the gaffer: Im loving the team spirit folks. You guys are all giving me selection headaches with your excellent performances. Special mention to Dinie who was top notch with his devastating close control and amazing range of passing in his time on the field. Your performance probably deserved a goal and I'm sure u will get it soon. Patience bro. From front to back, we stuck to our jobs and did what we could. I'm not going to go to great lengths to praise everyone but although it may just have been a pre-season friendly, we played the way we should and I'm proud of you guys. Keep on rolling man.

Anyway, look forward to next saturday, 23rd Oct as we have back to back games from 3-5pm against Jotos FC and 5pm-7pm against an unknown team. Both games will be at the astro turf of Queenstown Sec. We will rotate the guys and perfect our formation. This will also allow everyone to have sufficient game time and to also fully utilise our team jerseys. Talking about that, we should be wearing our new SUFI FC jerseys by the next 2 games if nothing goes wrong. Team photos will be taken then as well so I hope that everyone will turn up.

Pics of today are up on our facebook group. If u haven't joined, just search under SUFI FC and request to join please!

Personnel:

SianWei

Farhan, Jason, Alaric, HG, Ronald, Hizam, HuiJie

AhCool, Wong, Rudee, Law, Mok, Dinie, Syafiq

Juf, Benjamin

Fans in attendance:

Fadilah (Thanks for coming and taking pics too!), Allan (Injured but still very much involved with the team)

Pre-Season Expectations and Plans

Hey peeps, if u guys were wondering about the plans for pre-season and also the 'transfer policy' for the team which may include a potential selection headache for the new season, here is what i have in mind at the moment.

1) We will need a big enough squad to cope with a 4-5 month long season whereby fixtures are fixed before the start of the season and do keep in mind that not everyone will be available every week for games.

2) Ideally, the team should have enough quality in all positions. This would mean 2 players for each position which would allow for adequate playing time between players. I am expecting a 22-23 men squad.

3) There is an intention to play a 4-5-1 formation which will more commonly by seen as an attacking 4-3-3 formation. This is something that we will work on during pre-season.

4) All of our players from our D2D season will be retained as the team spirit and also team play that we have developed will be vital as we attempt to improve as a team. Only the ones who have informed me of their inability to commit for the espzen season will probably be involved more sparingly with the team.

5) Although the team has seen many of the guys stepping up and proving to be vital players of the team, do know that all 11 starting positions are up for grabs again. A new season, a clean slate and a chance to prove yourself. Once again, commitment (attendance in pre-season games in particular) will be a major point of consideration.

6) I hope that we do not take this pre-season lightly as if we intend to be competitive in our espzen league, we will have to be mentally as well as physically prepared for the league. Having a good 7-8 friendly games to prepare ourselves can only be good for us.

7) Anyway, i would also like to announce that SUFI FC has a verbal agreement with our prodigal son, Mahdi who would be returning from loan and committing to our espzen season as well after he is done with his commitments for the meridian generations team.

8) At the moment, aside from the return of Mahdi as well as Kassler, I am intending to 'sign' 1 left back and probably 1 forward to provide competition and an alternative to our goal machine Jufri. So, rest be assured that we will not have a crazily big squad and the policy of everyone getting a fair amount of playing time remains.

9) Aside from the guys who have told me about the players that they intend to bring as trialists for our team, please do keep on hold any plans to sound out other players alright? Appreciate the effort shown in looking for players. Thanks guys.

So, for now these are the plans. I suppose that with the help that we are getting for our off the field activities, we should only try our best to match that assistance by putting in effort on the field. Hopefully we can make SUFI FC as successful as YSOSRS FC had been.

Apologies if i sound too serious here eh, still... Enjoying your footie is most important. I always welcome feedback from you guys man. Cheers and see you guys tomorrow!

Pre-Season Friendly 2

Match Details: (16th Oct 2010, Saturday)

Opponents: FC Hospitality (Link: http://www.espzen.com/teams.asp?teamno=635&leagueNo=76)

Time: Be there by 215pm. SHARP.

Venue: Old Jurong Stadium (Link: http://www.espzen.com/pitches.asp?pitch=45)

Attire: Blue jersey, black shorts and black socks

Hi guys, we have got ourselves a very good venue for the weekend. Its a huge stadium all the way in the west which was used quite long ago for s league games. Please leave for the game venue early on the day itself and try to go with someone if u are ensure of directions there because the place is pretty darn ulu.

Our opponents are FC Hospitality who are a team in red hot form at the moment in division 3 of the espzen league. So, it could be that we would face a culture shock especially considering that we will also play on such a huge pitch. Whatever the case, go out there and enjoy the venue and experience in particular.

Expected Personnel: 17

Sian Wei

Farhan, HoeGuan, Alaric, Jason, Ronald, Hizam, Huijie

Wong, Law, AhCool, Rudee, Syafiq, Mok, Dinie

Jufri, Benjamin (Trialist)

Doubtful: Allan

Out: Phileo, Kass, Vic, Weisheng

SUFI FC kicks off proceedings with a strong performance

Punggol Secondary, 1500hrs

SUFI FC 2 Zespol FC 1

(Law x1, Juf x1)

A very brief summary of the day's happenings as I allow my body to get some much needed rest after being baked under the hot tropical sun this afternoon.

SUFI FC and Team Goat were presented with their respective medals and trophies this afternoon by the D2D organisers which kick started the events for the day. The customary applause by Zespol who were the guests of the day and also our Division champions, Team Goat probably didn't make it feel any better. The faces of our boys were etched with disappointment at what could have been.

However, fast forward to the friendly game itself against our Div 1 champions, Zespol and the boys were expecting a tough game to kick off our Pre-season campaign. Cheered on by the girlfriends and friends of a couple of the players as well as boosted by the appearance of 2 new trialists, Jason and Benjamin, SUFI burst out of the blocks and duly got an early goal.

A corner was floated in from the right by AhCool and at the far post was Law who calmly finished with a simple header into the net. 1-0 after 5 minutes. Furthermore, it was quite apparent from the start that SUFI were more up for this game than our opponents as we won most of the 50-50 challenges and also kept it tight at the back.

Our 2nd goal duly came when Jufri our goal scoring machine registered his 1st goal of the new season by slotting home after Law's good work down the left. 2-0 against the champs and once again, excellent combination work between Law and Juf.

With a couple of changes at the break, SUFI sought to retain their dominance in the game and on more than one occasion, they probably should have put the game beyond doubt. Mok's amazing miss from just inside the penalty box after a good flick on by Juf was blasted high and wide however in defense, it did hit a divot just as I was about to side foot it. Apologies anyway! Crappy finishing. Zespol did eventually hit back with a goal as the clock ticked down after a dreadful mix up at the back that allowed their left winger to saunter through our backline unchallenged and he duly prodded the ball home, pass the despairing dive of Sianwei. The goal did make for an uncomfortable last 15 however we did well and finished the game strongly. 2-1 to the boys in blue was how it ended.

Gaffers thoughts:

1st game of our pre-season and perhaps our more illustrious opponents were not up for it but in truth, we did put in a good, efficient performance. The defense of Farhan, Ronald, Hizam and Jason was particularly outstanding. Weisheng himself revelled in his defensive-screen role and probably also the added motivation provided from his new CTR boots made him a player different from the one we saw towards the end of our D2D season. Aggressive, strong and yet simple. Good play dude. Our player of the season, Syafiq was also outstanding especially in the 1st half as he toiled and tormented our opponents. The support from the effervescent Vic definitely did complement them well. I also have to give credit to our front trio of Law, AhCool, Juf and then later Rudee for their clinical and incisive movement in front of goal. Of course, Dinie-tov's touches and ballerina like movement that allowed the man to float past challenges with ease was the icing on the cake for the day. Well played guys, and lets work on improving constantly as a team.

My M.O.M: This has happened only once in the history of what was then YSOSRS FC, when goal-scoring machine Jufri, who got a hattrick against Schwarz Star FC in his debut game and thus obtained the M.O.M. Fast-foward 7 months later and what is now SUFI FC, Jason, our diminutive and yet solid as hell trialist came into the game as a complete stranger to the team however describing the way that he fitted into our backline like a glove is no exaggeration. Fast, solid in defense and yet composed enough to play the ball on the ground. The man may only have played his 1st game, however, he looks the complete package as we seek an answer to our left back void. You were everywhere and i can only congratulate you on what was a top class debut. Well done and I am looking forward to more.

Personnel:

Sianwei, Phileo

Farhan, HG, Ronald, Hizam, Jason (Trialist)

Rudee, AhCool, Law, Dinie, Mok, WeiSheng, Kass, Syafiq, Vic

Jufri, Benjamin (Trialist)

Fans in attendance:

Allan (Injured), Aisyah (Thanks for the pix!), Rudee's Girlfriend (SORRY! I cant remember your name!), Syazana, Vic's 'friend', Benjamin's Girlfriend (SORRY, i wasn't introduced to u. Thanks for coming!), Fadilah (Late entry. Me bad!)

YSOSRS FC Player Of The Year 2010

As all of you may know, the voting of our very own player of the season was ongoing over the past 3 days and after tabulating the votes, we can finally crown our very 1st player of the season!

And the award goes to..... our midfield maestro, Syafiq!

Here is a thank you speech from the man himself:

- Hello all, k… so here’s an Oscar winning-like speech.

First of all, I would like to thank those who voted. I also declare that I did not vote for myself. Haha. I would also like to congratulate Fahan, Hizam and Jufri for garnering many votes as well. Considering Syazana voted for me(haha), it was as close as it could get. You guys deserve this as much as I do.

Again, I say that I really enjoy playing for this team, each one of you are quality players that made my misplaced passes seemed like excellent through balls and the occasional mis-controls seemed like intended dummies. In essence, you peeps make me look better than I really am. I believe that this season, we played as best as we could, considering how little experience we had as a team.

Secondly, looking ahead, I hope to be better than the previous season, improve on my shooting and passes really. Also, I would like to see pioneer batch of players to stick together. After all, we are the pioneers of ysosrs(now sufi). And see how we progressed through the years.

That’s about it. Again, thanks for the faith people!

With the crowning of our player of the year, YSOSRS FC will now cease to function as we officially welcome SUFI FC into operation this saturday against zespol fc.

Why So Serious will remain as our motto and our pre-match cheer and it is something that will not change. Similarly, the blog add will also remain as it is. Thank you for the effort to vote and let us all look forward to another season that promises new additions and hopefully more silverware to match.

Pre-Season Friendly 1

Match Details: (9th Oct 2010, Saturday)

Opponents: Zespol FC (Div 1 champs)

Time: Be there by 245pm.

Venue: Punggol Sec (Link: http://www.espzen.com/pitches.asp?pitch=62)

Attire: Blue jersey, black shorts and black socks. (Just keep to our usual blue jersey for this weekend 1st cause i'm not sure when the new jerseys will be ready)

This saturday marks the 1st of our pre-season games and more importantly we will all be receiving our runners up medals on the day itself. Apologies if u were expecting an astro turf field already but as we still have the 1 free game and medals to collect from D2D, it might as well be now rather than later.

Furthermore, we will be working on some new tactics and formations plus trial-ing some new players as well. See you there guys.

Expected Personnel:

Sianwei, Phileo

Farhan, HG, Ronald, Alaric, Hizam, Iman (Trialist), Jason (Trialist)

Rudee, AhCool, Law, Syafiq, WS, Mok, Vic, Dinie, Kass

Juf, Benjamin (Trialist)

Expecting a couple of trialists as we try to improve on the squad for the new season. Welcome them with open arms guys and please... treat them as part of the family. And NO MORE starfish jokes for gods sake.

Voting for YSOSRS FC Player Of The Season 2010 Begins...!

Hey peeps, i would like us to acknowledge the performances of whoever you feel has been our player of the season for the D2D league.

Each player is entitled to 2 votes and although the winner probably gets nothing since we seem to have alot of good stuff going for us now, its a form of recognising his contribution to the team. Voting closes on wednesday night so just go ahead and vote eh.

Anyway stay tuned for details of our friendly game this coming saturday, 9th Oct. We should be having a game organised by the D2D league whereby we will be able to get our runners up medals.

End of season review

I'm sure that most of us have heard, Team Goat have been crowned champions of our division after they beat sos 3-1 in their final game. Without incurring the 2 yellow cards that we would have needed, they have won by virtue of the single point deduction that we obtained as a result of our disciplinary issues. However, regardless of that, we did succumb to Goat in both our encounters with them and as painful as it may be to admit it, the table does not lie and they are above us by that solitary point.

A bitter pill to swallow but should the Goat guys be reading this, congrats on a long hard season and an excellent fight all the way till the end. Congrats on winning the league as well!

So we finish 2nd at the end of our 1st ever official season together. Thank you to each and everyone of you for making it a success. We stuck together through the bad patches and although we did not get the gold, we have grown as a team. I enjoy cliches and im sure that what does not kill us, will make us stronger. This experience will definitely psyche us up for our new season as we face new challenges in our espzen season.

So here it goes, some words of appreciation for each and everyone of the team:

Phileo: Top class keeper, saved us in alot of the matches with your imposing presence and stirling performances between the sticks. Considering that you were thrown straight into the deep end after suffering the fractured ankle is mightily impressive. We will miss you for the espzen season dude. Thanks.

Allan: Experienced custodian and your unorthodox behaviour at times adds life to the team. A safe pair of hands and we all appreciate it. I'm looking forward to you growing with the team in the coming season. Welcome to the group and thanks man. (Mok *Likes!*)

Sianwei: Keeper by nature and always did well when called upon. Doubled up as a top class right back in other instances. Always giving 120% and never failing to impress the gaffer. Thanks ah sianzzzz!

Jasmond: Literally gave a leg for the team. I've always wondered about what could have been in those instances where we were deadlocked with little ideas and where we could have used some of your set piece prowesses. Can't wait for you to be back man.

Hoeguan: Cockster of the team. Suck at throw in's as always, but there is no doubt of your commitment and passion for the team. Raw enthusiasm triumphs over skill in times of need and you did your part to contribute to a great season.

Farhan: Mr versatile. Uncompromising in defence and eloquent in attack. Never uttered a word of complaint when switched to fill in at left back. My personal vote for player of the season for his seamless transition into a role that he was not used to. Any manager would love to have such a player. And i'm lucky to have one here.

Ronald: The man who can play literally anywhere. Always gave his all no matter where he played and was one of those who never gave up regardless of the situation. Another one of those players whom any team would love to have. Appreciate the effort and i look forward to more next season.

Alaric: One half of the quiet twins. I felt you always stuck to your job and rarely put a foot wrong whenever called upon. Do know that i recognise your defensive qualities and we will be putting it to greater use in the new season. Glad that you have fitted in well with the lads too. Cheers!

Huijie: The other half of the quiet twins. Your Lucio-like style of play won over the team and the partnership with hizam at the back has blossomed especially towards the latter end of the season. The clean sheets speak for themselves. Lets work towards more in the future.

Hizam: The captain and the man who leads by example. Never doubted the decision to hand you the armband and i am proud to feature alongside u in the team. I hope to have you lead us to some silverware next season man.

Law: 2nd highest goalscorer in the team and the influence of the man is undoubted. After a season of settling down, i'm pretty sure you will be even better next season. Let the mixture of superstar players in you come out. 23 is yours bitch.

Ahcool: Another quiet lad who went about his business flying down the wings without ever complaining. The tail end of the season saw the man emerge more and i'm pretty sure with more time, you will be back to your epic best.

Rudee: So many goals, so much life and he is only 6 yrs old. Glad to have made such a great friend and a top class player with the right attitude. We will do it next time round bro.

Wong: The difference maker on many occasions. Scored the best goal of our season against Coke IMO. Dont worry man, we will work on the team tactics as soon as pre-season starts i promise.

Weisheng: Blighted by niggling injuries throughout the season but always yearned to feature whenever possible. The highlight was definitely the 2nd game against coke where you starred both as player and as manager. A injury free season next time round and we will see more of you im sure.

Syafiq: The man mountain in the middle of the park whose presence greatly benefitted the team. Your dominating performances on the pitch deserved much more than just the 2nd place. We will not fail next time round.

LianQuan: Always maintained the belief that if you had featured more, perhaps the team would have been more stable during the middle periods of the league. Unquestionable effort whenever you played and my only hope is to be able to pick you more often next season. Thanks dude!

Vic: The latest addition to the group and you have impressed me with your all action performances. More game time together with the rest and i have no doubt you will be a force to be reckoned with.

Kassler: Didnt play much after picking up a serious ankle sprain when it just seemed as if you would feature heavily in the business end of the season. A class act in those few games and i believe with more game time as well as more gelling in with the lads, the team can only improve with your contribution. I look forward to it.

Dinie: The magician. I have always maintained that image of you in my mind since our 1st ever game. They may have been sporadic during the D2D season but do know that the entire team has absolutely no doubt about your ability and my wish is to see more moments of those magic in the new season. Dinie-tov bro.

Jufri: The top goalscorer and the man who literally bleeds and sweats YSOSRS. 20+ goals in a 20 game season. The record speaks for itself. You did everything u could bro. The support crew will look at helping you out more by chipping in next season. Thanks. We will row together no matter what man! Woooots!

All the girlfriends: Cant emphasize enough how much i appreciate all of your presence and support each week. Thank you for understanding the boys' needs to play football at least once every week and thus sacrificing some dating time. Truly do appreciate it.

So thats about it peeps. Cheers, and lets start kicking some balls starting next week man. To all who turned up at the dinner gathering, it may have been simple but i personally felt it was nice having the opportunity to have the time to sit and chit chat. I believe this is the start of an amazing journey that we will have together as a team. Gay? Perhaps. But who cares as long as we are happy.