Match Report - Feb 25, 2006

Score: 0-1 (Jufri)

Players: Steven, David, Daniel, Francis, Chai Liang, Hamdan, Ajis, Charlie, Choong Wei, Wyai Kay, Tony

The Game: And we have it - that fateful day: decked in glorious yellow, the SD Bananas trooped onto the field to face our regular opposition - still very much the Great Whites.

With exactly 11 men and our usual strike force not in the lineup today, YK started upfront with Charlie. Tony started the first half on the left, switching with Charlie in the second half.

Last week's friendly exposed both teams' uneasiness with the offside rule - and the decision today was to enforce some version of it that perhaps we could get some method from its madness. This, however, led to an early goal in the beginning minutes of the game - when the rule wasn't upheld and Jufri scored. However, magnanimity prevailed and the goal and the scoreline stood...and stood...and stood...and stood. And so it was as the SD Bananas failed to penetrate the Great Whites.

The tone was already set in the first half, when Choong Wei scuffed a golden opportunity to direct the ball into a gaping goal and Johnny collected gratefully. In the second half, he spurned 3 chances. Attacking from the right, he put one into the side netting and Johnny palmed away 2 others. Charlie had a header cleared off the line, and the Whites' defenses held up in the ensuing goalmouth melee.

Undeniably, we broke down in the second half. Off colour passing, no communication, too much individual play, little movement off the ball, crosses weren't coming - or just one of those days? But our defence did us proud - ably marshalled by David with Daniel, Francis, Chai Liang and Steven, standing firm in goal.

The fault, then, lies with the offense. Like a banana split, the midfield was anything but well oiled and the strikers anything but deadly. So should Choong Wei have played the ball squarely instead? Would anyone have done so differently? It is understandable - playing each other with such regularity, it is never gonna be an easy affair to pry the Whites open week in, week out. The chances that both teams had of scoring against each other can be counted on one hand.

Tactically, we needed some imagination. But we did ourselves no favours by throwing in the towel, nor by laying the blame squarely on anyone. And as the Great Whites have seemed to evolved, so should we...and no finer time than now, especially in our new yellow polka dot bikinied look!!!

The floor is open to our armchair critics. We welcome all wisecracks, your comments and your laments, views and cues, sense and sensibilities. But be merciful as no player ought to be held solely responsible...none more so than the writer of this post. I thank you all in advance.

Injuries: Teamwork and Character