After a break of nearly 4 weeks, to celebrate the festive season, Kamikaze were back on the footballing trail with two back-to-back matches fixed.
The first of it was played against Nitroz FC at the old homeground, Gan Eng Seng Sec. Mixed feelings of nostalgia and weariness filled the hearts of Kamikaze, as this was the first match in a long long time to be played without a referee and the players knew it was gonna be hard to adapt.
Hard it was, as within 3 minutes of the kickoff, Nitroz wonderkid Ameer dribbled past 3 Kamikaze players, who were not sure whether to pull the offside trap or defend deep, to open the scoring. However, the goal did not daunt KKZ, as they played with their heads still held high. And the attitude paid off, as Seelan swept in a tantalising corner that was met by a sublime volley by KKZ's very own wonderkid Haravin. Scores were level, and a great game looked to be in the cards.
Great game it was, but not for KKZ. Within the next 20 mins, Nitroz put 3 past KKZ and shock began to engulf the Kamikaze faithful. To their credit, Kamikaze attacked with all that they had. But a combination of bad finishing and frantic defending by Nitroz ensured that Nitroz headed to the break with a comfortable 4-1 lead.
Past perfomances showed that KKZ has a major problem with improving their performances in the second half. On top of that they were facing a 3-goal deficit. And to make the matters worse, the goalmouth that they were attacking was muddy and battered after just a half's play, which meant that it can only get worse. The signs looked obvious. Kamikaze were headed to their first defeat in 8 games.
But... Like i always say... The soccer gods had other ideas. A morale-lifting team-talk, by Haresh, a change in tactics to play 4 defenders back and a self-belief in the hearts of the players made sure that the second half was a different game.
Kamikaze attacked from the word go, and won every single challenge. A free-kick taken by Nayee, at the edge of the box saw him missing the target narrowly. But it was not too long before KKZ pulled one back. Habib controlled a pass and knocked it on to Havey, who didnt have to think twice to unleash a shot that comprehensively beat the keeper and burst into the nets. The score was 2-4 to KKZ's disadvantage, but the momentum was clearly on their sides.
Nayee played in what was one of his better games and he made the performance count as he picked Habib out with a delicately passed through-ball. Habib made no mistake from the 6-yard box as he toe-poked the shot into goal. The score was 3-4, but KKZ were already looking forward to win it.
Maybe that was the mistake, as the game took a dour tone after that. Plays became scrappy and Nitroz attacked with more vigour. They could have even managed a goal, if not for some excellent defending by Haravin, Achu and Nash. Haravin in particular was praised for his never-say-die spirit and was touted as definitely a player to watch in future games. The KKZ faithful hopes that he blossoms into a more matured player as the potential is undeniable.
However, as the clock read that only 10 mins were left, KKZ sprung into action. They were determined not to let their unbeaten streak end and launched into wave after wave of trademark Kamikaze attacks. Anand Spaceship, Haresh and Havey all had a wealth of chances, but could not convert. Just when it looked like it wasn't goin to be Kamikaze's day, a stroke of magic turned it all.
Havey took a throughpass from Haresh on the left flank and proceeded to silkily dribble past 3 defenders before smashing a venomous shot, to double his goal tally and grab Kamikaze's equaliser. The equaliser dampened Nitroz' morale and Kamikaze could have even snatched a late winner, but they just couldnt convert. In the end, the game ended to become Kamikaze's first draw, in the D&D era. But it sure will rank as a memorable one.
There were several positives that could be taken from the game. The first being the spirit and composure that the team showed even when they were down by 3 goals. Nayee's improved performance that won him the man-of-the-match award was also welcomed by the team. Kamikaze's depth of talent was also revealed as they played this game without Midfield dynamo Gerard and solid Centreback Francis. However, the one lesson that Kamikaze should learn is to keep their focus for the entire duration of the game. Focus is the new mantra of Kamikaze, and watch this space to see it unfold..
Kamikaze!!!
Match Stats:
Final Score: KKZ 4 Nitroz FC 4 (1-4)
Goals: Havey (2), Habib (1), Haravin (1)
Assists: Seelan (1), Habib (1), Nayee (1), Haresh (1)
MOM: Nayee
Overall Standings:
Goals:
(4): Haresh, Nayee
(3): Ghaz
(2): Barathi, Vinnie, Vicky, Dinesh Manjan, Habib, Havey
(1): Gerard, Satheesh, Jayraj, Ismail, Faizal(East), Anand Spaceship, Hari, Haravin
Assists
(4): Anand Spaceship
(3): Barathi
(2): Gerard, Haresh, Seelan, Habib
(1): Vicky, Vinnie, Ghazali, Hari, Prem, Nayee
MOM
(3): Nash
(1): Gerard, Manjo, Anand Spaceship, Francis Pow, Hari, USPO Suresh, Nayee
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