Futsal Fellowship Update!

We're all looking forward to Futsal Fellowship on 3rd November! So far, 4 teams have already registered, so this means that Futsal Fellowship is CONFIRMED for this Saturday!

It looks like most of the teams from the PMC Cup are getting together to press their claims for being a top Futsal team as well. They are-

Ages United (White)
Woody Tree Football Club (Black)
Boys Brigade 23rd Company (Blue)
The Brazilian Job (Red)

Let's Futsal this Saturday!

Futsal Fellowship [3rd November]

With the Springfield pitch being closed for refurbishment until the end of December, Soccer Fellowship will continue in November 'Futsal' style. The 1st PMC Futsal Fellowship will take place on 3rd November Saturday, from 4 - 6 pm @ the Uber Sports Arena along East Coast Parkway. It is located at the old Waterfront Tennis Centre, where Burger King and Long Beach Seafood are. Click here for the map. Parking in the facility is chargeable, but if you park at Car Park C3, it is free.

Here are the instructions for the Futsal Fellowship-

1. Sign up as an individual or as a team of 6.

2. Each player is expected to contribute $6 towards the rental of the pitch.

3. Registration will close when 24 players (4 teams) have signed-up.

4. Each game will be 5-a-side (1 GK, 4 outfield players & 1 sub).

5. Each game will last 15 mins in one-continuous period of play.

6. There will be unlimited substitutions allowed.

7. A robin-league will be used so that each team plays 3 matches.

*if response is overwhelming, the number of teams will be increased to 5, with each match being reduced to 10 mins and the fees reduced to $5 per player.

So start signing up before all the places are filled!

Soccer Fellowship Report [20th October]

About 30 people turned up for the final Soccer Fellowship session @ Springfield for 2007. There were enough to form 2 teams with substitutes. Everyone was eager to get in on the action on a fine afternoon. Before play started, Kevin shared on the theme of 'doing and not just saying', based on James 1:22 which reminds us- "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." He encouraged all players to do good to others and gave thanks for the commitment of the PMC Pastors and leaders who have been very supportive of the Soccer Community over the last 2 years.

After devotion, Choon Heng and Ronnie proceeded to captain the Blues and Whites respectively. With subs waiting to come onto the field from the sidelines, all the players were ready to give their all during their time on the pitch. The match started very brightly with good moves on the part of both teams. The standard of play and quality of passing looked to have improve over the course of the year and there was much more fluidity in the play as compared to some of the earlier matches during the year. Most of the play was contained in midfield with Kee Min doing the hard running and tackling and Ronnie stringing some good passes for the Whites. For the Blues, it was direct running from the wingers that gave the Whites trouble. However, most of the danger was snuffed out by very able defenders of the day- Adrian and Jeremy Sin for the Blues and Mark and Kevin for the Whites. When they were called upon to work, both goalkeepers, Michael Chua and Yuen Wai, were also in fine form. It was only past the mid-way mark of the first half that the 1st goal came. A move from the left wing by Damien found the ball making its way to the middle, where Ronnie was able to beat the last man and shoot past Michael Chua into the far corner of the goal. Damien and Daniel Low were in fine form for the Whites and in a rampaging move on the right, Daniel Low's cross found John with only Michael Chua to beat to put the Whites 2-0 up.

The 2nd half started very positively for the Blues. Even though it was the Whites who kicked off, a pass to the feet of Mark ended being intercepted by Jeremy Sin who turned Yuen Wai to pull 1 goal back for the Blues. Sensing a fight back from the Blues, the Whites pressed to extend their lead by pressuring the Blues on every free kick and corner until a corner from the right found Leong Loo open to fire the ball onto the horizontal and back down into goal. The 2 goal cushion had been restored for the Whites. With some substitutions mid-way into the 2nd half, Leong Loo found himself the hero on the other end. Having beaten Kevin for pace, Jingzhong raced down the left flank with only Leong Loo to beat, but the former PMC #1 raced out of early enough to smother the ball with his body and clear the danger. However, Jingzhong was not to be denied and a good through ball sprung the Whites' offside trap and Jingzhong cooly turned Leong Loo to slide the ball into an empty net. Both sides continued to press for another goal, but there were none left in it. Final score-

Whites 3

[Scorers- Ronnie, John & Leong Loo]

Blues 2

[Scorers- Jeremy Sin & Jingzhong]

Soccer Fellowship [20th October]

The year is quickly coming to an end and the final Soccer Fellowship session of the year @ Springfield will take place this coming Saturday, 20th October, from 3 - 5 pm.

It has been a wonderful year of Soccer Fellowship and we really thank God for His faithfulness to the Soccer Community. Let's come down and have our final kick-about of the year on the Springfield pitch before the ground is closed for refurbishment in November and December.

As usual, come down with BOTH a White & Blue top for this session!

If the school is closed, parking is @ the HDB block behind the school.

Let's pray for good weather and see you there!

Soccer Team Training Report

The Soccer Team had their 1st training session with Coach William on Saturday, 13th October. The session started with John leading in prayer, thanking God for the opportunity to train and develop as soccer players. When the training started, most of the 21 players had already turned up. Coach William focused on the following aspects of soccer during the first 1 hour of the session-

1. Stretching
2. Warm-up
3. Stopping the ball with the instep
   
4. Short Ground Pass
5. Long Ground Pass
6. Double-action moves

The next half of the session focused on match play. In 2 teams, the players competed and tried to put into practice what Coach William covered during the 1st half of the session. It was clear that one team was faster, fitter and passed the ball much better, coming out 4 - 0 winners over the other side.

John closed the session in prayer before the players headed home.

Soccer Team Training [13th October]

The Soccer Team will be having its 1st training session with Coach William this Saturday, 13th October @ Springfield Secondary from 3 - 5 pm.

To facilitate team identification during training, please bring/wear BOTH a Red & Blue jersey for this session.

As the school looks likely to remain shut on Saturdays, please note that entrance will be from the rear and parking can be found at the HDB block of flats.

Soccer Fellowship Report [6th October]

It was a really hot afternoon. The ground was dry and it was scorching. Nonetheless, the enthusiasts in the Fellowship duly turned up, about 20 in total, to contest with one another under the sun. John led in devotion before the start of the play. He shared on the topic of contentment with the scripture reference being Philippians chapter 4, verses 11 - 13, which says "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

Bangshi & Raymond walking onto the field


Daniel practicing some kicks before the match

After devotion, the teams were formed for the kick-off. In the first half, it appeared that the Whites would always be a step behind the Blues. The warning signs were there when many misplaced passes by the Whites were swept up by the Blue midfielders. The first goal came when Kevin was not quick enough to control a square pass from Bevan and the ever-prowling Choon Heng was there to steal the ball and score from a one-on-one situation with White keeper Maurice. From there, the Blues built on their speed down the flanks and in an almost similar situation, Jingzhong was able to find himself with only Maurice to beat, to make it 2-0. The Whites were not learning from their sloppy passing and inability to move the ball up the field consistently. The Blues' 3rd goal was another carbon-copy of the first 2. Moving the ball down the middle and outrunning the White defenders, it was Kee Min's turn to round Maurice and slot the ball into an empty net. It was only after being 3 goals down that the Whites started to recover and press for some goals. After some sustained pressure and 2 corners, a well-flighted ball from Damien's corner found Daniel unmarked to head strongly into the net. With further pressure, the Whites came close again but the ball only found the upright! Unfortunately, the good work was undone when the Blues scored again through Choon Heng after the defence was unable to contain him a second time. With the half nearing its completion, the Whites managed to get a free-kick from a foul. Daniel stepped up and rifled the ball into the roof of the net, amidst protests that the Blues keeper Justin Luo had been impeded. However, the goal stood, making the half-time score 4-2.

In the 2nd half, the Whites looked to get back into the match, even though they were playing 1 man short after Michael Lim's departure. Switching to a more aggressive formation and pressing for the goal, the Whites put plenty of pressure on the Blues, however with little outcome as shots either went wide, or were saved by the keeper. It was thus inevitable that the Blues started scoring again, and in quick succession. Kee Min and Jingzhong both netted their seconds and John also got into the act by heading in a 7th for the Blues. It was only in the final seconds that the Whites produced a swift counter-attack. Moving the ball from defence to attack, Bangshi ran down the middle of the park to slide a pass to Kevin cutting in from the left, who was able to take the ball pass Blues keeper Raymond and end the match by scoring the final goal. Final score-

Blues 7

[Scorers- Choon Heng (2), Jingzhong (2), Kee Min (2) & John]

Whites 3

[Scorers- Daniel (2) & Kevin]

Soccer Fellowship [6th October]

Soccer Fellowship is ON this Saturday, 6th October @ Springfield Secondary School.

The session will be from 3 - 5 pm.

This week, the leaders will pick the teams OLD SKOOL style, one at a time from the group that turns up on the day itself so please bring BOTH a BLUE and WHITE jersey. If we can form more than 3 teams, then we will play round-robin style.

Also take note that we may not be able to use the Springfield Car Park during this period of school examinations, so do be prepared to use the HDB Car Park instead.

Do come on time for devotion before play starts!

Please pray for good weather and See you there.

Above-23s .vs. Under-23s Match Report

It was a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon as the players from both teams took to the field in what was to be a true exhibition match – a match which players from both sides had a chance to showcase their talents for Coach William to see.

Before the match started, Maurice led the Soccer Team in devotion. His sharing focused on the issue of pride, and how as players, we should look at ourselves humbly and also not to look down on our fellow players as we all belong to the same team, and can contribute in unique ways to its overall development.

The game started at a fast pace, with the Under-23s looking to capitalize on their fitness and pace to penetrate the opposition defence. Chances were nevertheless few and far between until Choon Heng broke the deadlock. A free kick lifted into the box from over 25 metres out seemed harmless; but the Above-23s’ defence allowed the ball to bounce and Choon Heng took the advantage by heading the ball past a stunned Michael.

The onus was on the Above-23s to search for the equalizer now and in doing so, they had to commit more men forward. This opened up their defence to swift counter-attacks from the Under-23s. However, more drama was to unfold when Kee Min was brought down inside the Above-23s’ box after a surging run from midfield. The resulting penalty was fired over by Jingzhong, a surprising outcome which undoubtedly galvanized the Above-23s.

Despite the miss, the Under-23s rallied together and another one of their counter-attacks yielded a goal. This time, Rusydi sprang the Above-23s’ offside trap and raced onto a through-ball from Sheldon. His cutback at the byline found Jingzhong, who was left with a simple tap in.

The game wore on with close chances created on both sides after a combination of nervy defending and attacking genius. Ronnie had combined excellently with Adrian on the Above-23s’ left flank to deliver good crosses into the box which were not finished by the Red strikers. Nevertheless, the score remained 2-0 to the Under-23s at half-time.

The second half started with the Under-23s looking to extend their lead over the Above-23s. Darren came on for Bevan in a striker-for-midfielder swap, the intention obvious. The Under-23s tried to pass the ball around the back and create chances. However, they found the Above-23s vastly improved after making a few changes of their own.

As the second half progressed, the Above-23s gradually took control of the game through their careful passing. The loss of a man in midfield for the Under-23s was also starting to tell as more balls found their way through to the Above-23 strikers. The Above-23s’ breakthrough came from a corner. The Under-23s’ culpability in the air was dreadfully exposed when Andy rose unchallenged at the far post to head home the first goal.

This seemed to shake the Under-23s from their sleep and they pressed forward in an attempt to grab the lead. Their efforts paid off when Michael spilled his catch from a corner. The goalmouth melee that ensued resulted in Kee Min poking the ball into the net from inside the 6-yard box.

The game was then lit up by two pieces of individual skill worthy of special mention. Choon Heng, pulling on a Red shirt in an emergency substitute role, responded magnificently with a solo effort ending in a blistering shot from an impossible angle that left the entire Under-23s defence shell-shocked. Damien soon restored the Under-23s’ two-goal lead with a superb left-footed volley from outside the box. This after coming close with a piledriver from 25 yards that whistled over Michael bar.

Fatigue began to wear the Under-23s’ midfield thin and the Above-23s took advantage, carving out scoring chances which took last-minute interventions from Jeremy Tan, Jeremy Sin and Isaac. Michael also pulled off good saves at his end from a few Under-23 attacks: the pick of them, showcasing his positional awareness, from a near-post header from Jingzhong after a flowing move from the Under-23s.

Nevertheless, it was the Above-23s who had the last say as John headed home unmarked at the near post after the Under-23s’ culpability at defending corners was exposed again. The Above-23s searched for a final goal in the dying minutes but none materialized and the match ended 4-3 to the Under-23s. Final score-

Under-23s 4

[Scorers- Choon Heng, Jingzhong, Kee Min & Damien]

Above-23s 3

[Scorers- Andy, Choon Heng & John]

Calendar of Events [October 2007]

Hi everyone, the calendar of events for October has been posted on the side-bar panel. Do mark the dates on your calendar and we're looking forward to have you join us.

The deadline for the poll has also been extended. So far, we have an overwhelming number of Liverpool supporters, some gunning for Manchester United, but none supporting the rest? Do have your say before we move to the next poll.

Have a great October everyone!