Some afternoon showers in the Eastern parts of Singapore cast doubt on our 1st Agape Cup match of the season, but when the team arrived at the Hiding Place, we were greeted by dry ground and sunshine. It was perhaps coincidental that the 1st 6 players to arrive were all Liverpool fans - Steve, Michael, Maurice, Mark, Kevin and Dominic. They were hoping that it was a positive sign for the big game to be played that evening. One by one, the rest of the team arrived and all on time, gaining time to warm-up.
First Team Coach & Manager for the season
Warming up like this helps you shoot well & sting the GK's fingers
Limbering up time
Singspiration and sharing was led by PMC for the match, with Maurice leading us in song and Kevin sharing about building a solid foundation for every area of our life, be it academic, professional or spiritual. The scripture reference was Matthew 7:24-27.
After the S&S, the teams huddled together for their briefings before heading to the field for kick-off. Manager Adrian explained the philosophy of having a strong team throughout the match, and started the team in a 4-2-3-1 formation:
Kelvin
Daniel - Jeremy - Mark - Damien
Kee Min - Kevin
Jacob - Dominic - Jingzhong
Martin
It was clear from kick-off that our opponents were speedy and fit, closing us down very quickly when we had the ball. They were also confident passers, swinging the ball out wide to their wingers on many occasions, who used the space well to threaten our backline. In the first 15min, it was all AMC2. Their captain (#5) was clearly the target man, knocking on high balls and playing the ball intelligently. On one occasion, the #18 had a good chance on the right but blasted his shot against the post. As the half passed, the PMC team started to settle into the match and produced a number of good moves. On one occasion, Jacob found himself in space from a through pass by Kee Min but his shot on the right was wide. Martin and Jingzhong also combined on a couple of occasions but could not convert the chances. Soon, Jacob had to withdrawn due to illness, with Rusydi replacing him. The rest of the 1st half was a tight affair with many combative interceptions from our backline, led by Jeremy and Mark. Damien also stretched a number of times to play dangerous balls to safety. The 0-0 scoreline reflected an even half.
A number of changes were made at the half to keep the team fresh and strong. Sean came in for Kelvin as GK, after the former had an excellent half. Kevin left the field for Weijie, with Jeremy moving into DM. Steve came on for Martin, who had a hamstring pull. The 2nd half started in same fashion as the 1st, with AMC2 pressing for a goal. The team handled the pressure well and also had Sean to thank for a 'world class' save when AMC2 managed a stiff shot on goal. Mark also showcased his entire repertoire of sliding tackles. PMC then started to find their groove and won a couple of corners, as well as direct free-kicks, that Rusydi did well to keep on target. Steve had the best opportunity during the match, as his stiff shot stung the fingers of the AMC2 GK. A foot or 2 to the GK's right or left, and that would have been our 1st goal of the season. On the defensive end, some reshuffling took place after Damien had to be subbed out after an excellent match. David came on as AM, with Dom dropping to DM and Jeremy to LB. The re-shuffle held out well. The match was headed for a draw until an unfortunate goal was conceded with 5min to go. A cross from our left flank was well cleared initially, but the ball was played into the box a 2nd time. Weijie was 1st to it but his attempted clearance ricocheted off an AMC2 player and into the path of another, who made no mistake from 10 yards out. It was a bizarre goal to concede and a painful one given the circumstances. The PMC tried to find an equalizer by pressing forward, but AMC2 cleared the danger well and rejoiced at the final whistle. They knew they had gained 3 points through fortunate circumstances.
Subs and Manager watching from the shed
Match action
During the post-match talk, Adrian focused on the positives - hard work, effort, commitment and discipline. He also thanked Michael for his support as an un-used sub. We would also like to thank Wei En and Raymond who came to support the team. With 6 games to go, Martin reminded the team that we had all to play for. Adrian closed in prayer, asking for healing from all the minor injuries sustained and Jacob to recover from illness.
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