Men’s Soccer Semi-finals: A Match Hard Fought!

Written by: Deborah Khoo

Edited by: Adriel Leong

The KE Men’s Soccer team on Saturday night played 90 minutes of truly inspirational, determined football against a Eusoff lineup that, unfortunately for us, had lady luck on their side for the day. The 3-1 score disguised a game of solid defending and razor-sharp attacking by a KE side – comprising veterans playing in their swansong appearance and fresh blood making their IHG debut.

H takes a free kick into the Eusoff penalty area

Kicking off at 8:30, the game opened with IHG veteran Horace (affectionately known to one and all simply as “H”) and Athletics captain Arjun upfront, slowly wearing down the Eusoff defence from the get-go.

Our midfield was anchored by Fred and Captain Marvel – Guan Long, who truly complimented each other. They comfortably switched interplay between attack and defence, turning defensive manoeuveres into opportunities for counterattack within a blink of an eye; skillfully clearing the ball or stealing possession and swinging the ball downfield to our strikers and wingers.

Captain Guan Long prepping for counterattack

With Jun Kiat (best known to Keviians as JK) on the right wing and his erstwhile similarly named counterpart CK (whose true identity as Chuang Khet was known only to a select few up till that day) on the left, KE’s Red Knights had the opposing yellow shirts scrambling, after countless balls were lobbed or thrown into the Eusoff penalty area. Time and again, JK skillfully dribbled the ball down the left wing, leaving Eusoff’s defenders with no choic ebut to attempt tackles that won KE throw-ins – much to the delight of the supporters present who gamely provided stunning, multi-lingual variety of cheers.

Midfielders in battle

KE had several good chances as Eusoff’s defending was out of sorts, and their attempts at counterattack was no match for our four-strong backline. Yannick, who since Tuesday had played 5 consecutive days of IHG matches, played left back with freshman Zhi Kai on the right; not forgetting Arnold and Ramen who provided crucial support from the centre. Nelson, also KE’s Floorball captain, proved to be KE’s own Rock of Gibraltar as he shut Eusoff out throughout the entire first half, denying them even in a highly stressful one-on-one challenge towards the conclusion of the 1st 40 minutes.

Yannick clearing for KE

At half-time, the score remained squared at 0-0 a piece. After a quick regroup, the team was back re-energised and hungry for a goal. CK and Arjun – incidentally the smallest and most towering player on the field respectively, were repeatedly the target of Eusoff defenders. CK’s small size belied his blazing sprinting ability, which with Arjun’s incomparable strides often left Eusoff defenders chasing in their wake.

JK preparing to take what would prove to be the decisive free kick

The elusive goal finally came! – at the 60th minute. KE’s domination of the match came to fruition as JK fired an unstoppable free kick which simply left the Eusoff goalie astounded, when he could not keep the ball from crossing the goal-line. With the red-clad supporters in elation, the team deservedly celebrated scoring against their much-vaunted opponents, who apparently 6 IVP players and an S-League player in their ranks.

KE celebrates!

The game went on with a quick substitution of Junfeng coming on for Fred. KE’s defence remained astute and Arnold provided timely, level-headed clearances against Eusoff’s growing desperation in attack. Unfortunately, KE’s joy was cut short as Eusoff managed to equalize ten minutes later following a dogged battle in KE’s half.

KE continued to do battle, and with eight minutes left of play, 09/10 captain Cunzhi came on for CK, whose efforts during the entire match against opportunistic defenders and ill-timed tackles had left him with a mud-caked shirt which was now more brown than red. Cunzhi began to threaten from the onset, taking crucial free-kicks that bolstered KE’s counterattacks.

The defence prepares for a corner

However, heartbreak came for the Reds as Eusoff added 2 more goals in the dying minutes of the game. The match ended 3-1 in their favour, an unfortunate result that rewarded opportunity and lady luck over the steady and confident football that KE had displayed. Despite the odds and against the ticking clock, our players continued to pressure their defence and win free kicks, attacking relentlessly till the final whistle.

This was truly a game where tension ran high and spirit was aplenty. It is notable that despite the scoreline, our players took the initiative to cheer the supporters in appreciation, and the opponents for the match. The sportsmanship that they displayed underscored their love for the game and ability to look beyond the pressure of a big match. From their antics on Saturday, our opponents would be hard pressed to match us in this respect.

As CK mentioned, this match is indeed an indication of the greater things to come for KE Soccer. Though many of the familiar faces on the team will be graduating, this season’s experience will no doubt drive the new blood to greater heights, as they seek to fill the legacy left by their seniors. Rather than marking the end of one IHG campaign, this match shows beginning of a new team waiting to prove their mettle at next year’s IHG!

KE Soccer 10/11