MOF SEASON 5 DIVISION 1
ROUND 5
LE SEBEN FC vs KAMIKAZE
28 April 2014
3pm Pasir Ris Secondary
Kamikaze entered this match on the back of one of the worst run of matches in their 10-year history. But if they were to play the role of a club in serious crisis, their players absolutely forgot their lines, as Kamikaze romped to a convincing 6-1 victory over Le Seben FC.
Le Seben were no pushovers themselves. They were last season's Division 2 runners-up and a seasoned campaigner in the MOF leagues. However, Kamikaze approached this game with focus, determination and an attacking fervour that they have long been associated with. In all honesty, the going was not always easy - The team was still struggling to shrug off the psychological scars of the 3 defeats and confidence had clearly taken a hit. This was visible in the failure of taking clear chances and the continued presence of mispasses all over the park.
However, just when the nerves were looking to tip over, Gerard stepped up to exert control and authority over the proceedings. With his midfield lieutenant Doctor running box-to-box with energy, Gerard had time and space to pick his passes and when the team earned a free-kick at the edge of the box, thanks to a mazy run from Pratheep, the team knew that something special was on the cards. Gerard did not disappoint too, as he curled the free-kick over the wall and it rebounded on to the far post before rolling to the other and crossing the line. If the first set-piece was class, the second was just outrageous. This time it was Pira, who put the opponent left-back to the sword as he shimmied past him and drew the foul inside the penalty box. Gerard stepped up to take the penalty, and he virtually strolled towards the ball, before unleashing an unstoppable shot to the corner with absolutely no backlift. The keeper was not the only stunned face on the pitch.
The second-half started where the first-half left out. This time it was Safar who got in on the act, dancing down the right-wing before laying off to Gerard who completed his hat-trick with a sweet strike to the far post. There was still time for more excitement as Fazail played himself to form after a dreadful run of games, to play Sasi through with a defence-splitting pass. Sasi made no mistake too as he showed everyone what he is capable of. Muse then capped off an excellent game for himself as he scored after excellent work from Havey to find him inside the box. Vijay then managed to get in on the act, after being put through with a brilliant through-ball from Prem that caught the defence off guard. There was still some work to do, which Vijay duly obliged with an excellent left-footed finish from a tight angle. Le Seben did manage to grab one consolation goal, but that was not going to dampen the moods of the Kamikaze faithful who managed to heave a collective sigh of relief.
Vice-Captain Prem summed up the mood,
"There have been many theories about our lack of form, but the truth is the level of competition here is high and we need time to adapt. 1 win is not going to change anything, but what we are most happy about is that our style of play has returned. The boys played with so much zest and energy and kudos to the management for having kept the spirits and confidence up even during testing times. We will now forget about this game and start preparing for the next."
KAMIKAZE!!!
Squad: Victor (GK), Suresh Uspo, Eng, Anand Spaceship, Dinesh Manjan, Gerard, Karthik Doctor, Fazail, Pratheep Muse, Vijay, Havey, Prem, Barathi, Sasi, Safar, Pira
Goals: Gerard (3), Sasi, Pratheep Muse, Vijay
Assists: Pratheep Muse, Pira, Safar, Fazail, Havey, Prem
Final Score: Le Seben 1 - 6 Kamikaze
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