Wings? Just Falling…

Hady Mirza FC: 6
Redbacks: 1

Venue: ITE Simei
Scorer: Azam (p)

The Spiders could really use some wings just now. Too bad those things are alien to an arachnid. We faced off against a team which had Asian Idol, Hady Mirza, in it. Yes, that Hady Mirza, no other. Perhaps that explained why we were playing like a bunch of wide-eyed, teenage autograph hunters. We had more supporters than usual, but we wondered if it was for us. It was almost prophetic then that Hady got the first goal after we got our bearings totally off when dealing with a free kick.

We managed to equalize when Ridzwan earned us a penalty. This time, it was Azam’s turn to fulfill his prophecy. Having declared his interest in taking the next penalty, he hit this one with a lot of venom that the keeper failed to keep it out despite getting a hand to it. From that moment on, everything went downhill.

Fauzi’s weak throw lead to the 2nd goal and more abject defending allowed one of their players all the time in the world to place the ball beyond our keeper’s reach. It was not much different in the next half as our hosts scored three more goals to make it an emphatic victory.

In all fairness, we had our chances to get ourselves back into the game. We carved out a lot of chances, some one-on-one breakthroughs. However, we cannot seem to beat their goalkeeper, who was in outstanding form, making some point-blank saves. Our manager, Azam, tried to get another penalty by attempting a dive in the opponents penalty area, but the only thing he earned was tons of laughter all around. Way to go, boss.

In the end, it was a story of have and have-nots. They had good finishing, we didn’t.

Fluffing Our Lines

Redbacks: 2
Dark Blues: 2

Venue: Woodgrove Sec Sch
Scorers: Rizwan, Jaz
We managed to salvage a draw in a game we perhaps should have won. The Spiders failed to exhibit the one-touch football that we successfully executed from the previous week. Even so, we had a chance to open the scoring early in the match. Rizwan made a nuisance of himself and was brought down in the box. Kai stepped up to take the penalty and the usually dependable midfielder ballooned his effort.

However, Rizwan continued to trouble the Dark Blues with his enterprising running and scored the first goal of the game. He played a neat one-two with Irwan before finishing coolly. The Dark Blues got the equalizer when their striker managed to hit a looping header which Fauzi had no chance of keeping out. Things remained the same until half-time.

Azhar expressed his displeasure at the team’s performance and demanded that things change in the second half. After making some customary changes, the team showed a marked improvement. Unfortunately, it was the Dark Blues who would take the lead through the weirdest of manners. Undeterred, the Spiders continued working to get ourselves back into the game.

A flash point broke out when an opponent kicked Ming in the back when the winger was sprawled on the floor. Ayyub stepped forward to defend his brother. Amidst all the confusion and chaos, the Redbacks continued playing and scored the equalizer when Jaz’s effort found the back of the net off a huge deflection. Both teams had chances to win the game. In the end, they had to be happy with a draw.

When asked if he would relinquish his penalty-taking duties, Kai replied, “Missing penalties happen to some of the greatest players in the world. I have no doubts in my ability. I have the best penalty-taking record in this team. I’ll just continue practicing and mark my words, when another chance comes my way, I will put it away.

On a more serious note, the players would like to wish Aki’s mother a speedy recovery from her operation. We will keep her in our prayers and hope to see Aki back on the field soon. Take care bro!

Full Of Character

Redbacks: 5
Clementi: 5

Venue: Woodland Ring Secondary School
Scorers: Ming, Zaini, Azhar(2), Mok

Down by 3-0 came back 5-5. It’s every commentator’s dream to be involved wit such a intriguing game.

Spiders turned up in numbers although the wheather was not in favour of having a soccer game.  During the team briefing simple instruction were given to play the simple game and players restricted to 2 touches max unless goal opportunity where all the individual flair would have to pull out from the bag. From last kick about that the Spiders had at Woodgrove Sec, Capt noticed that Redbacks have the ability to play beautiful simple game with fluid movement creating space and opportunity. It just a matter getting mentally ready before even receiving the ball.

3 - 0 down 20 minutes into the game, we still enjoying the game and we can see confidence in everyone faces to overcome the deficit. True enough the first goal came from the Ming with a well taken individual effort. Then came the Zaini superb flying header off Ayubb’s corner. First half ended 3-2 in favor of the oppponent.

Still maintaining the formation, going into the 2nd half, opponent added 2 more goals, ’gifts’ from Redbacks FC. Formation was switch 3-5-2, where Irwan partnering Faiz to create havoc and opened up the oppponent’s defence. Their defence panic that allowed the Midfielders to inject depth to the attack. Azhar pulled 2 goals back to make 5 -4. Then came the rocket from Mok which saw the game ended 5 all.

We must believe we can continue to play the simple game where we saw every movement having the intent of helping to create space and opportunity for fellow Spiders.

Izan…..wish you a speedy recovery, make sure you rest the muscle.  

 

Some Videos of the Trip!

Report on Kluang Trip

Thomas Veterans: 2
Redbacks: 3

Venue: Kluang Stadium, Johore, Malaysia
Scorers: Ayyub (2), Ming

We gathered at Woodlands MRT station to set off on our journey. A blow was dealt when our goalkeeper, Sharizan was unable to make the trip due to an administrative error that is becoming customary for the odd Redback. Thanks to Mas Selamat, travelling via Woodlands Checkpoint was out of the question. We set off to Tuas instead and within an hour, we were in Malaysia. Torrential downpours greeted us along the way as we drove on the expressway.

Had lunch at Machap where everyone had a chance to sit back, relax and have a great chat with one another. This is another reason why we make it a point to have such overseas trips. It helps to build team cohesion and promote camaraderie. At about 5pm, we made our way to Kluang town. At town, we made a stop at a local sporting goods store to purchase a souvenir for our hosts. The players showed great enthusiasm in signing the ball, pretending that we were famous footballers going on a tour. Anyone ever thought that our names would be kicked about?

There was one last stop before we went to the stadium, a local chendol store which served EXCELLENT chendol. One of the best I have ever had in my opinion. A secret recipe passed down from generation to generation according to Bai, our tour guide for the day. It was truly refreshing and despite worrying that it might affect our play, we were in high spirits.

Every player was looking forward to the prospect of playing our very first night game in our short but illustrious history. The last time we were at the stadium, we were blitzed by our opponents. We were eager to make amends for the loss, even though we were up against different opponents.

Game Report
The first half was a cagey affair. Our hosts got into the rhythm first, stringing passes around with ease and confidence. Once our midfield got settled, we began winning more balls and launching attacks. Our opponents may be a little older than most of our players, but they certainly showed that they were up for it. Thomas Veterans’ attacks were more dangerous. However, poor finishing prevented them from taking a lead.

The Spiders scored against the run of play. Ming hit a cross into the box, a defender half-cleared it and the ball fell to Ayyub. With no other option, he hit a shot that found the corner of the net. It came from a fortunate deflection, but the Redbacks were not complaining. It helped settle some nerves. Our hosts were not going to take it lying down. They kept up the pressure and were soon rewarded. A swift counter attack resulted in their striker having all the time in the world to bring a cross under control and smashed it into the net. No chance Fauzi.

The game sparked into life in the second half. With the injection of more attacking-minded players, our attacks became more threatening. We reclaimed the lead through Ayyub once again. Having endlessly tried his luck in free kicks in previous games, he finally hit the jackpot, hitting a near-perfect free kick that left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot. We doubled our advantage not too long afterwards. Nordin released Ming on the left wing and the diminutive winger scored to give the Spiders some breathing space. That goal would prove to be the winner.

We were unlucky not to add to the score. Wan had the ball in the net twice but was adjudged to have been in an offside position on both occasions. Fauzi kept our lead safe too as he claimed every cross and parried shot after shot. His best save had to be one off a corner. The header had “GOAL” screaming all over it before Fauzi flung himself and palmed it away. However, there is no way to explain how he allowed a shot to squirm under his body, giving Thomas Veterans a lifeline. After the second goal, our team tightened teams out and were happy to push the ball around and let time run out. That was how things ended.

To celebrate the victory, we indulged ourselves with dinner and more merry-making. Accompanied by the Man City-Chelsea game in the background, laughter and happiness were in abundance. Another memorable trip as always. Next up, another K.L. trip in June during the Euro 2008 period? Keep the month free as this will be another event not to be missed.

Kluang Trip

Gentlemen,

Our football trip to Kluang will be ON this Saturday, 5th April 2008. We need to settle some admin matters prior to the trip.

1) We need you to confirm your attendance for the game. As of yesterday, only Ayyub has confirmed his absence due to reservist duty. Raizal has been listed as doubtful. That means we are expecting everyone else to attend. Please confirm your attendance to any one of the exco members or your anchor points. Please do not make us sms you endlessly and beg for a reply. SMSes cost money. Let’s be fair to everyone.

2) Are you driving? If you are, can you give some teammates a lift? If yes, how many can you take in. We are trying to figure out transportation arrangements. For now, Irwan and Hisham have confirmed that they are driving. For those drivers who are giving their teammates a ride, please furnish the cost that the passengers would have to pay.

Azhar has set the meeting point to be at Woodlands MRT station taxi stand at 12pm. We will play the game at night and according to what I was told, we will return to Singapore that very night. Bai, please confirm this detail and how much are we expected to pay for match fees.

If there are any queries, please contact any of the exco members. Thank you and looking forward to see all on Saturday.

Go Redbacks!

Goal-Shy Spiders

Northvia: 2
Redbacks: 0

Venue: Chua Chu Kang Sec Sch

At 4.30pm, the Spiders received a last minute change of location. Worries of a lack of manpower was soon dispelled as we turned up at CCKSS. We were looking to build on the past week’s victory. Our opponents were Northvia, a solid unit that would provide a sterner test for the Redbacks.

It was a tight affair from the very beginning. Our cause was not helped when our flavour of the week, Irwan, limped off with a pulled muscle. Without a target man to play off, our attacks were noticably blunt and aimless. We are hoping that Irwan can shake off his injury for our upcoming tour. Our opponents were carving out numerous chances but poor finishing denied the game its opening goal in the first period.

We started brightly in the second half as we became more adventurous in our attacks. We began to win more challenges in midfield and string more passes. However, our players failed to muster up a decent chance. Northvia, however, made the most of the little chance they got. The first goal was awarded despite the Spiders protesting that Faizal was fouled by their number 7 in the process. They got a second goal through the very same number 7 who slalomed past Sharizan to tap the ball into an empty net.

Over the weeks it has become clear that the Spiders are experiencing problems in attack. We failed to test the keeper on a regular basis and our shots were mostly off-target. Considering that the goalkeeper had no gloves on, it is quite disappointing that we did not do better. However, it must be celebrated that we were able to hold our own against a strong team. We made them work hard for their win and it is something for us to build on in the coming weeks.

Wan, Wan, Wan!

Redbacks: 3
Clementi: 1

Venue: Woodgrove Secondary School
Scorers: Irwan (2), Ridzwan

The Redbacks pulled off a great win through a patient and disciplined approach. The shock of day clearly belonged to Irwan, who scored two opportunistic goals. Not to be outdone, our other Wan, the smaller one, added a third late in the game.

It was not easy sailing as we struggled to cope with the speed and flair of the Clementi players. We weathered the storm, thanks to some super saves by Sharizan. It was a tight and cagey affair where both teams carved out decent chances to break the deadlock. Irwan came close on two occassions when he was put through on goal, however he was unable to convert. The half ended goalless as the Spiders urged one another to keep focused on the game and have faith that the goals will come.

The game started brightly in the second half. Both teams believed that they had what it takes to earn the victory. From a counter attack, Faiz broke free on the right. His nudged the ball past the onrushing keeper and Irwan was there to tap the ball into the empty net. We then went to sleep and allowed Clementi to score from a free header via a corner. Both teams, buoyed by the goals, went for the jugular. Irwan scored a second with a cool finish when he was put through on goal by a through ball by Azhar.

Clementi poured men forward in search of an equalizer. Specific instructions to mark their number 7 was heeded and the playmaker did not have much space to stamp his authority on the game. We were forced to camp in our half for prolonged periods. However, when the chance came to score, we capitalized. The goalkeeper completely missed a pass by Ayyub and Irwan, who had been overlapping tirelessly throughout the match, gleefully accepted the gift and scored his first ever Redbacks goal.

It was a superb display of counter-attacking football. A victory well-earned. A truly memorable game indeed.

But not as memorable as Man Utd beating Liverpool by 3 goals to nil….

Announcement on Training

In view of the ongoing monsoon season, please take note that training will only be conducted in the event of good weather. No training in the rain as we do not wish for any of our players to be plagued by fever, cold or flu. Plus, we do not want anyone to be burned to a crisp by an unexpected bolt of lightning. For those who want to be sure, you may call Khairil or Abang Sani to check the status of training.

On top of that, we hope that more players will try and make time to come down for the sessions. Support lah members2 sendiri. Peace. Hahaha!

Benedetto’s Revenge

Benedetto: 3
Redbacks: 1

Venue: Commonwealth Secondary School
Scorer: Ming

After a long hiatus from AFL competition, Redbacks returned to face our first opponents in the league this year. This time, our hosts exacted sweet revenge as they fought to a hard-earned victory over the Spiders. The team was at a bare minimum with only 10 players available for selection at kick-off. A cautious 4-4-1 formation was employed and we were successful in keeping our opponents at bay.

Our resistance eventually broke as Benedetto scored from a good counter attack, with their player sneaking in at the far post to score. It remained that way at half time. With more players arriving, we made some changes hoping to make an impact in the game. Our search for an early equalizer in the second half backfired as Benedetto added a second. We failed to deal with a free kick and once again conceded at the far post.

Not that we were giving the game up that easily. Ming pulled one back after latching on to a brilliant through pass by Ayyub. Although the keeper came out to unnerve him, Ming kept his composure and lifted the ball over the onrushing keeper. Having come so close in previous games, relief was clear for all to see and Ming ran across the pitch to celebrate his maiden goal for the Spiders.

In searching for an equalizer, we inevitably left gaps at the back and Benedetto scored yet again from another breakaway. The goal came after their striker crept in at, yup, the far post yet again. That was how the game ended.

After the game, we reflected on a few learning points from the game. We felt that we are still not utilizing our short passing game. Credit to Benedetto, they closed us down really fast and time and again, we struggle to perform against such hardworking teams. Generally we are still toothless in attack, lacking a serious goal threat. Our strikers are still struggling to combine well with the midfield and each other. We can still do much defensively as it seems we are still leaking goals easily. In Azhar’s words, we were “gifting goals to our opponents”. We hope we will learn from our mistakes and strive to do better in the next.

No worries, we’ll get there.