Ending the year with a win!

Bendemeer Sec, 1500 Hrs

YSOSRS FC 4 Sengkang Rangers 3

(WS x1, Simon x1, Santosh x1, Rudee x1)

Have a great new years day celebration folks!!

Personnel:

Phileo

Jason Amin Simon HG Eugene

Rudee Mok WS Wong Santosh

Yas

New Years Eve Special!!

Time: Be there by 2.30 PM

[Friendly game or not, don't be late. I'll be making use of this to try out new combinations]

Opponents: Sengkang Rangers FC

[Link: http://www.espzen.com/teamsdiv.asp?teamno=461&leagueNo=95]

Venue: Bendemeer Sec (Astro)

[Link to venue: http://www.espzen.com/pitches.asp?id=9]

Attire: White Nike Top, Black Shorts and Black Socks

Expected Personnel: 13

Phileo

Jason Amin HG Simon(Trialist) Eugene

Rudee Mok Yas WS Santosh Wong

Dinie

Plain and simple, let's go there to enjoy our football. More of the flowing passing football from last saturday will be awesome too. Let's end the year with a bang folks!

X'mas eve extravaganza

Bendemeer Sec, 1500 Hrs

YSOSRS FC 5 Rosso FC 0

(Juf x1, Rudee x1, Santosh x1, Izwann x2)

Hohohohoho... And merry christmas to all!!

Personnel:

Phileo

Jason Dinie HG Eugene

Rudee Wong Mok Syafiq WS Law Santosh

Juf Izwann

Stuff of dreams

A fairy tale cup run is what we always dream of and with hope, that is exactly what we will do once the EspZen Champions Cup 2012 kicks off. A huge hurdle awaits us in the form of EspZen Primero if we get through our qualifying round but games like that are just what we love. A true test awaits so we shall see how it all pans out eventually.

Get psyched you jokers!

Christmas Eve Special

Time: Be there by 2.30 PM

[Friendly game or not, don't be late. I'll be making use of this to try out new combinations]

Opponents: Rosso FC

[Link: http://www.espzen.com/teamsdiv.asp?teamno=755&leagueNo=95]

Venue: Bendemeer Sec (Astro)

[Link to venue: http://www.espzen.com/pitches.asp?id=9]

Attire: White Nike Top, Black Shorts and Black Socks

Expected Personnel:

Phileo

Jason Dinie HG Eugene

Rudee Wong Mok Syafiq WS Law Santosh

Juf Izwann

Fine Margins

1st Toa Payoh Sec, 1500 Hrs

YSOSRS FC 1 FMFC 3

(Izwann x1)

It is necessary to own up when a mistake is made in order for the entire unit to move on and learn from it. The game today was such a mistake. From the gaffer's poor tactical decisions in the 2nd half, to the team's failure to keep their shape and etc.. Finally to the lax marking which led to the 1st 2 goals. As a team, we lost concentration and were not able to prevent ourselves from going down to a defeat to our fiercest rivals.

The positives on the day certainly had to be Izwann's impressive shift up front in the lone striker's role. His pace and finesse provided us with a very useful outlet and our lanky frontman certainly did not disappoint. Off some good pressing in the 1st 30 minutes of the initial half, Juf dispossessed the FM centreback and fed Izwann some 30 yards from goal. Our newest hotshot took a touch to set himself up before curling a superb lobbed shot over the keepers head to put us a goal to the good.

We did have a couple of half chances soon after with one in particular being a poorly cleared ball by the FM keeper that unfortunately wasn't punished. Our next best chance came when Izwann was found free in the middle of the box after some excellent work by a tenacious Juffie boy but the finish failed to match the poise our lanky target man showed whilst jumping up to head the ball. Any where else but the centre of the goal and we would have been level.

MOTM: Izwann gets it for his powerful running up front that had the FM backline troubled for most of the half. Allan was a close 2nd as he saved the team on at least 2-3 occasions from some 1 on 1 chances that had the man screaming for more protection in front of him.

Gaffers words: We learn and we move on as always. Close battles with FM as we are used to but we will give them a better game next time round hopefully. 2 friendly games over the festive period before we embark on a long run of games that will define our season. Rest well and get this defeat outta our system boys!

Changing of the guard

*Our outgoing captain in the middle alongside the gaffer

Appointed as the first ever captain of YSOSRS FC in 2010, our very own man mountain at the back has been a quietly influential character within the dressing room for the last year and a half. Well loved by all, Hizam has decided to take a step back for the upcoming season and to hand over the reins of the captaincy to another individual within the team.

Our man has got personal reasons for doing so, and this includes studies which may eat into his time on the weekends. Citing the need for clean handover before the start of the season, Hizam officially ended his tenure as the club captain in the cancelled game against Babylon FC 2 saturdays back.

However for those who are worried, our man will continue to be a mainstay in the backline whenever he can and his commitment will never be in doubt. We thank him for always being there for the team throughout the ups and the downs of our short history!!

And just to summarise the achievements the team has earned under his leadership, a runners up medal in our D2D season, a 3rd placed finish in Div 2 of Espzen, a 3rd placed finish in Div 1 of Espzen as well as a runners up medal in the Saturday League Cup. We have come very very close against quality opposition and I would conclude it as a successful tenure for a small developing team like we are. Thanks zam!!

And so, we now move onto a new chapter that will be led by our new captain...

Ronald!!

*Our newly instated captain on the left

Gladly taking over the captaincy, the self driven vice captain of the past season has already vowed to lead us to stronger showings in the coming season. And true enough, in his 1st game as captain, the boys started the season with aplomb as the side rattled 10 goals past Sporting TGA and that certainly resonates well with the gaffer.

There ain't no need for a change of command parade but what we do know is that with this handing over of captaincy, the vice captaincy is up for grabs and it will remain vacant till further notice. Let the jokers continue to prosper and we remain hopeful of another unforgettable season up ahead.

And.... we meet again

Time: Be there by 2.30 PM

[We started with a bare 11 last sat. Let's try to make it early this time round]

Opponents: Fake Madrid

[Link: http://www.espzen.com/teamsdiv.asp?leagueNo=95&teamNo=720]

Venue: First Toa Payoh Sec (Astro)

[Link to venue: http://www.espzen.com/pitches.asp?id=36]

Attire: White Nike Top, Black Shorts and Black Socks

[We will be debuting the new Red tops. But just bring our Fulham white ones anyway]

Expected Personnel:

Allan

Asraf Wong Amin Matt Ronald Hizam Jason

AhCool Rudee Mok Syafiq WS Ubai Law Santosh

Juf Izwann

Stunning start to the campaign

Temasek Sec School, 1500 Hrs

Sporting TGA 0 YSOSRS FC 10

(Izwann x2, Santosh x2, Juf x2, Habib x2, Rudee x1, Jason x1)

The first game of any season can more often than not be written off as a warm up match. Teams often struggle to shake off the rust after their pre-season break and thus slow tempo games are frequently seen. However, after the start made by Team Intense last season which saw them wrap up the title with a consistent run of victories from the get go, the bar has been set very high for the current new campaign.

Heading into our 1st game for Season 9, the jokers who initially had a strong squad of 18-19 bodies, saw their numbers wilted down to a mere 13 guys as match day came along. With the alarming rate of dropout, we were thankful to have last minute appearances from our custodian Phileo as well as the ever committed Jason who came straight from the jungles of Tekong and onto the Temasek Sec astro turf. Top notch.

With the gaffer held up at his dreaded outpro station in Gedong, team matters were left to both Ronald as well as Juffie boy with the boys being sent out in their familiar formation to stifle the likely aerial assault of the ang mo's in TGA. However, the 11 jokers took to the field and failed to read the script when they instead dazzled in an overwhelming show of attacking prowess which left our adversaries gasping for air.

There was evidence of what was to come as Law shimmied and danced his way past a whole host of TGA players before unfortunately showing his worse side with a finish that failed to complement his magical dancing feet in the early moments of the game. Straight to goal action now:

1-0: Jason our leftback created a reenactment of a typical Ashley Young move by feinting to one side and cutting in field before unleashing a curling rightfooted shot from the edge of the box that nestled sweetly into the back of the net. U beauty!

2-0: Izwann, making his debut for the jokers used his pace to perfection as he blitzed past the TGA backline to finish smartly.

3-0: Couldn't remember the exact details but i believe it involved neat play between Izwann n Juf before the latter smashed home a cut back from his young protege. Only 30 minutes gone but the pair were showing signs of developing a real quality partnership.

4-0: A long missle guided ball from the back by Ronald found Izwann once again clear of the defense and the boy went on to place a shot beyond the reach of the outstretched arms of the keeper. 4 up with 23 minutes gone. Heaven didn't seem too far away here.

5-0: Our nepalese monster joined in the goalscoring as he came alive and burned his marker before cutting in from the left and finishing in the far corner.

6-0: Not content with just doing it once, our boy wonder replicated the move from his first goal and subsequently netted another just 4 minutes later.

7-0: Sorry Juffie boy, but i really couldn't remember much here although i do know that our hotshot made it 7th heaven just before the referee signaled for the end of an exhilarating 1st half performance by the jokers.

The 2nd half was a comparatively slower affair as the boys failed to capitalize on a strong first half performance and the game became rather scrappy initially. Yet there were positives aplenty with passing football becoming the order of the day. With farhan in uncompromising mood and dealing comfortably with their nigerian winger and also having our own magician dazzling from the back, it was probably sooner rather than later that we would stretch our advantage over TGA. Perhaps most heartening for the gaffer was the fact that our marquee signing of the season Ubai who seemed to fit into the team like a glove with the boys around him showing great confidence in moving the ball around with sweet 1 touch short passes that had not been seen much in the past.

8-0: Returning boy wonder turned man mountain with a growing ass as well, Bib slotted home a laser guided through ball from Ubai. The finish was class and we have genuinely missed the presence of the boy especially after his enforced absence due to the A's last season. Welcome back again!!

9-0: The only thing i remember about this goal is the amusing expression of relief on his face. Dee smashed home a rebound when the keeper could only palm a long shot directly into his path. Our veteran winger saw his effort cannon in off the underside of the frame of the goal and had he missed, he would probably have retired from football for good. Well done though for keeping up the record of scoring in our first league game for the 2nd season running anyway!!

10-0: Bib netted his 2nd off a counter attack that saw Dee swing in a delightful ball from the right that defenders could not reach and the keeper could not come. Thumping it home with controlled aggression was our hahahahabeeb...!! Our young man celebrated by subbing himself off to take a puke in the toilet. 30 minutes of pure magic from him both on and off the field. Heh.

MOTM: I would go with Farhan for this one as he was in one of his hardcore 'you-are-not-gonna-get-pass-me' mood. Having the supposedly dangerous nigerian winger in his back pocket all afternoon, he was part of a cohesive unit that deserves all the plaudits for a fine performance.

Gaffers words: Good start however we have no time to be complacent yo. Much more to come from a really high quality squad that we have for the season and I cannot wait for how it would be like when we hit top form. Well done boys for registering our biggest league victory and we have perennial rivals FMFC next saturday waiting in the wings. I am already licking my lips in anticipation for yet another classic game against them. Rest well folks in the meantime!!

Personnel:

Allan Phileo

Farhan Ronald Dinie Jason

Habib Rudee Santosh Mok Law Syafiq Ubai

Juf Izwan

New boys. Big boys.

Time: Be there by 2.20 PM

[Guys who need a lift from the west or north, please make arrangements by yourselves. Thanks]

Opponents: Sporting TGA

[Link: http://www.espzen.com/teams.asp?teamno=648&leagueNo=95]

Venue: Temasek Sec (Astro)

[Link to venue: http://www.espzen.com/pitches.asp?id=86]

Attire: White Nike Top, Black Shorts and Black Socks

[New guys, just bring your own white top first. I will bring the red jersey for usage if it doesn't clash.]

Expected Personnel: 14

Allan Phileo

Habib Ronald Dinie Farhan

Rudee Santosh Syafiq Ubai Mok Law

Juf Izwann

YSOSRS FC Players Player of the Season (EspZen Season 8)

Hello ladies and gentlemen and to all who have spared a moment of their day just to have a peek at the latest ongoings occurring within the team. Welcome folks!

Today as we always do after a long hard season of footballing action, we recognise and acknowledge the standout achievements of a specific individual within the team. After a long grueling online poll from YSOSRS players of past and present, we have finally crowned a certain individual, the jokers Player of the Season for EspZen Season 8.

That accolade goes to our Nepalese boy wonder, Santosh Magar!! Without too much time wasting, here is what the 17 going 18 year old lad has to say about the honour of being only the third YSOSRS FC Player's player of the season. It was also a perfect opportunity for the young lad to practise on his GP for next year. Killing two birds with one stone ya!

Aww wow, thats great i feel great :) Erm oh my writing skills suck but i will try my best, here i go, haha..

It has been a rollercoaster journey with the team, with good, best and not so good times, but no doubt full of fun, enjoyment, sheer pleasure spending and playing with the team. I would like each and everyone whom had helped me, gave me tips to improve from our keeper Allan to our striker Juf, I appreciate it a lot and I will surely take note of it.

Oh yah, how can i forget my selfishness in late passing or dribbling. Haha I am not fully groomed yet and am still in my learning journey. Hope that all of you can forgive me, haha. But I will consistently continue to keep improving myself with the experiences and guidances.

Thanks for making me feel comfortable with guys like law,ronald, ahcool, jas, juf, rudee and etc... It has been a wonderful journey :)

Of course how can I forget you haha (mok i assume, hahahaha). Without you I wouldn't have gotten the opportunity and words aren't enough to describe it here, haha it means alot to me especially when it concerns soccer. All in all, thank you very much!!

The team showed character, teamwork, determination, perseverance and hunger from the start of the season till the end of our final cup game although our meeting with the St Andrew team was a bit of a joke. Haha 4-0 loss but well it's part of the game. We lose some but we have to try to win more, haha!!!

Hopefully I can keep contributing and keep playing with the team for as long as I can. Thanks to the whole team from the guys, supporters to the hot chicks haha, kidding.

Have a good christmas holiday ahead and enjoy yourselves!!

Mok's words:

Lets see, where do i start. I'm sure many of you have heard of how I approached Santosh and eventually convinced him to join our team. That in itself is a story for another day. But the process from strangers to a crucial part of the team more than 6 months later is nothing short of amazing.

Anyhow, I believe that the foundations set by the entire team over the 1st 2 seasons made us the perfect platform for a player such as Santosh to shine. He may be young as hell but he certainly does not lack in quality footballing wise. A match made in social footballing heaven perhaps? But it is as much of an honour for him to be playing with us, as it has been for us to have him in the team.

Being the top scorer of the Division last season with 11 goals in 14 games justifies that as well. It is undeniable that he has added another edge to our overall game and also certainly made us better players as well in the process. It has been a real pleasure managing someone with the quality and commitment of the young lad as he missed only one entire game last season. Thank you Tosh and despite the age gap, you have definitely bonded well with the boys in the team and once you turn 18, we will certainly be hitting the clubs with you!! Likewise, we hope that you can play with us for as long as possible and see you back in the team real soon yo!

3 weeks too long

Time: Be there by 2.20 PM

[Be there bright and early boys]

Opponents: Babylon United

[Link: http://www.babylonunited.com/]

Venue: St Wilfred Complex (Astro)

[Link to venue: http://www.espzen.com/pitches.asp?id=78]

Attire: White Nike Top, Black Shorts and Black Socks

[New guys, just bring your own white top first. I will bring the red jersey for usage if it doesn't clash.]

Expected Personnel: 15

Allan

Farhan Amin Ronald Hizam Dinie Eugene

Ahcool Law Mok Syafiq Ubai Asraf Wong

Izwann

YSOSRS FC News Update

Hello to all you jokers and it has truly been 3 weeks too long for us. Anyhow, just so that the blog does not go completely dead, here are a couple of updates whilst the team embarks on it's final stretch in the exam-anathon. Well done to those who have already completed theirs and all the best to those who are almost there yo!

Firstly, on the 5th of Dec, Sat 3pm we will play our one and only 'Pre-season' game against a very strong outfit known as Babylon FC. I personally do not know too much about the the individuals that make up the team however I have heard of the impressive results they have had over teams such as Singapore Vipers whom they beat 2-1 not too long ago. Just so you know, the venue of our game will be at St Wilfred!! A beautiful sized astro pitch and it promises to be a severe test of our abilities but more importantly, it will certainly provide us with a really good run out.

Secondly, for the ones who haven't heard, the team has made 3 new exciting signings that will be unveiled or have already been seen in and around the team. New signings are always an exciting aspect of every pre-season and with several notable departures from the camp it was imperative that the gaffer had to pull out all the stops to ensure that the boys maintain the competitiveness with the arrival of the new season.

The signings have certainly already created a buzz around the camp for they will definitely add an edge to the team's play. A combination of raw talent and experienced magical ability is to be looked forward to so let us welcome these boys/men with open arms in the coming weeks! The faster that they settle down and bond with the rest of you, the better it would be for us as a team. No doubts about that folks!

Well, that wraps up a little splash and dash of YSOSRS FC news for now so rest well in the meantime and keep yourself fit as our customary roller coaster ride begins in a week's time. Adios amigos!

P.S: Btw, voting for last season's player of the season remains open for the next couple of days, those who haven't voted, please do soon!! Thanks boys.

The future is bright...

Queenstown Sec, 1500 hrs

YSOSRS FC 2 Big Belly FC 0

(Asraf x1, Wei Xiang x1)

Yup so the time is now where I am available to give a summary of the day's events at a waterlogged Queenstown Sec pitch. Heh.... Anyway, the incessant rain provided us with the perfect excuse to give the game a miss and I am sure many of our regular guys would have preferred to just curl up in bed and snooze the afternoon away. Well, we didn't.

Gathering at the infamous Queenstown Sec pitch where we had suffered defeats on our last 2 visits, 3-1 to Intense and 4-0 to St Andrews, the team was split right down the middle with trialists on one side and regular peeps on the other. There was an air of anxiety as the new boys attempted to get to grips with the strange environment but all of that was soon thrown out of the window once the game kicked off.

*Check out the cool pics of a game in Brazil where torrential rain turned the stadium into a swimming pool!

With Big Belly starting with only 9 men, this allowed us to pass and move the ball around, perhaps something that we were not entirely used to. As there were times in which we struggled attempting to adapt to the atrocious conditions. Regardless of that, our best chances soon came about with some imperious running upfront by Izwann and also some really nifty footwork down the wing by Mimi. 3 trialists started in the 1st 11 and it has to be said that they bedded in pretty decently. The 1st chance was a result of some direct running by Mimi who squared the ball across the face of goal for an onwaiting Izwann and me. With only the keeper to beat and positioned almost nearly right in front of goal, yours truly smashed the ball as hard as i could. Yet as fate would have it, the keeper pulled off an instinctive save from point blank range to keep the score at 0-0.

1-0: Trialist Asraf who had shown much promise since coming on midway through the half galloped forward from his central mid position and pounced onto a through ball after a neat exchange of passes between Izwann and Law that tore open the belly backline. The finish was either really lucky or really special as an outside footshot from just inside the box nestled into the bottom right corner of the goal to put us 1-0 up.

The 2nd half saw changes aplenty but the game plan was still the same. Our backline was hardly troubled as a makeshift partnership of Amin and Huijie stood up to anything that was thrown at them very very well.

2-0: An attack down the left which involved Eugene who was certainly an outstanding find and AhCool saw the latter break free into the belly's box early in the 2nd half. Weixiang who had taken over the lone striker role did not wait to take a touch as once again another stunning outside foot finish found the top left hand corner with the keeper soundly beaten.

Our opponents did have their chances from corners in particular as their imperious size gave them the advantage. Hitting the base of the post with one and scraping the top of the bar with another yet the feeling was that we were more or less in control of the game. Well, we should have put the game to bed as Izwann who eventually came on again, outpaced the belly backline easily and ran down the right channel. Sending an inviting ball across the box, an onwaiting ahcool somehow ballooned his chance over the ball with only the keeper to beat. That wasn't the end of our clear cut chances for minutes before the end, another simple looking through ball by the impressive Izwann saw him slice apart the belly backline and gave Law the perfect opportunity to seal the game. Taking a touch forward and setting himself up, it seemed as if there was too much time for the lad as he eventually toepoked the ball straight at the keeper. Apparently he had tried to lift the ball over the onrushing keeper. We saw none of that. Haha.

So that wrapped up a wretched time in front of goal for us but a pretty decent performance overall on a rain soaked saturday afternoon. Plenty to look forward to as the future looks bright!!

Any signings will be announced in due time as the jokers take a much needed 3 week and 2 saturday break. Thank you to the trialists who made it for the game today and it was a pleasure boys. Cheers!

Prepping for the future

Time: Be there by 2.30 PM

[Gonna see a couple of new faces so let's try to have a meet and greet before that]

Opponents: Big Belly FC

[Link: http://www.espzen.com/teams.asp?teamno=674&leagueNo=87]

Venue: Queenstown Sec (Astro)

[Link to venue: http://www.espzen.com/pitches.asp?id=122]

Attire: White Nike Top, Black Shorts and Black Socks

[Bring your own white jerseys for the time being]

Expected Personnel: 16 (Final)

JasonWong (Guest Player)

JunHao (T), Alfian (T), Amin, Huijie, Jason, Eugene (T)

Tarmimi (T), Rudee, Mok, ZL, WS, Asraf (T), AhCool

Wei Xiang (T), Izwann (T)

A dream ends but we go home with renewed vigour

1st Toa Payoh Sec, 1500Hrs

YSOSRS FC 0 Team Intense 1

The jokers had a game plan on the day and we stuck to it. It is a game plan that we will be hoping to use more as the new season comes along. Well, just to fill the imagination. Think Man City in their maiden season under the oil-rich arabian owners... And compare them with now. Yup, it is our hope and fingers crossed, that is what we will be like in time to come.

A game of fine margins and we were arguably the better side in the 1st half in particular with the boys chomping at the bit and biting into every challenge. With chances few and far between both sides, it was likely that one goal would win the game.. Well it eventually came midway through the 2nd half as we conceded a soft goal from an Intense corner. Lax marking and it was 1-0.

For the vast majority who would like to know, Intense are a thoroughly competent side who are likely to represent Espzen in the upcoming League of Champions. Made up of accomplished Combined University players, they have quality oozing through the squad. Us on the other hand, journey man and competitive amateur footballers who have been climbing the rungs of the social football ladder gradually and we certainly gave it as good a fight as we could. You could see the fighting spirit in the eyes of the jokers as we fought hard, yet unfortunately, we came up short as the referee eventually blew for full time.

The handshakes and complimentary words by the match officials as well as the kind words of our opponents at the final whistle will certainly inspire us to keep on fighting in the coming season. We were so near, yet so far. But make no doubt about it, as the squad goes from strength to strength with fresh faces in the coming season... There is hope that once again we will be right up there and challenging in whatever competitions we feature in. No easy games as usual but I am proud and pleased at the efforts put in by the jokers this season.

We have grown through the tribulations as well as the successes boys and I am sure we will keep it going for as long as it takes. Stick together my friends. One more game next week before we earn ourselves a well deserved break.

So yeah... much love folks. Much love. And we out. For now.

The time is now

Time: Be there by 2.20 PM

[Let us be ready and prepared for whatever is to come]

Opponents: Team Intense

[Link: http://www.espzen.com/teams.asp?teamno=675&leagueNo=87]

Venue: 1st Toa Payoh Sec (Astro)

[Link to venue: http://www.espzen.com/pitches.asp?id=36]

Attire: White Nike Top, Black Shorts and Black Socks

[For those who don't have, please bring your own white jersey tops. Thanks]

Expected Personnel: 19

Phileo

Farhan, Ronald, Huijie, Hizam, Jason, Amin, Jars

Rudee, Santosh AhCool, Law, Mok, WS, Syafiq, LQ, PK

Juf, Dinietov