PMC 11-a-side Invitational League: CMC vs PMC (11th September)

Some heavy showers earlier in the day did not deter players from turning up at St Patrick's School's astroturf field to take on CMC on their homeground. By kickoff, it was not the weather, but illness that had deprived the team of Sean and Damien, in addition to Steve, who had to travel for work. This was already in addition to defensive mainstays Mark (injured), Jeremy Sin (family commitments) and Daniel (National Service) being unavailable. With only 14 players available and a completely changed backline, it was a good thing that Jeremy Tan called to see if he could get involved and his presence was very much welcomed.

Kickoff was prompt at 5pm, without even devotion, as the referee had called the players to the pitch for the game to commence. Kevin briefed the players on the speed of the pitch and the need to play our own brand of passing game, instead of long balls. The team selection had to call on the versatility of many players and the 11 lined up in this fashion:

Yi Jun - Lincoln

Jingzhong - Kevin - Kee Min - Jacob

Maurice - Andrew - David - Dominic

Michael

It was clear from the first whistle that CMC was going to capitalise on its speedy forward Iskandar to wreak havoc on PMC's defence. A number of early balls found him marauding into Michael's penalty box and it took timely interventions from Dominic, Andrew, David and Michael himself to clear the danger. On the occasion that he did get a clear shot on goal, he shot wide, and also hit the bar. PMC had almost no play on the ball at this stage, with play being broken up in midfield with lots of interventions and players being closed down quickly. In trying to utilise the wings, the final ball into our attacking third did not bear much fruit. It was thus not surprising that CMC drew first blood. Another one of CMC's quick balls to Iskandar found him being able to turn both Dominic and Andrew, leaving him with only Michael to beat. He did this, but the ball hit the post. However, he was quick enough to be first to the rebound, and even though Jacob had tracked back to the line to defend, Iskandar made no mistake from close range.

From there, it looked like it was going to be CMC all the way, but PMC tried to move the ball quicker into attacking positions, and finally a clear-cut opportunity fell to Yi Jun when he had only the GK to beat, but fired high instead. PMC was getting a bit more play of the ball, especially on the wings, but was caught out by a 'sucker punch'. A break in PMC's momentum and concentration was caused by a 'silly' incident involving Iskandar kicking the ball away after the referee blew for offside, and Michael's verbal dispute with CMC's Adrian Tan. From the ensuing play, Adrian himself was able to capitalise on the lapse in concentration by firing a long range shot past Michael from the left wing. It was 2-0 to CMC and things were not looking too good for PMC.

Credit to PMC at this stage to keep plugging away and making a positive change by bringing Weijie on as an AM for Lincoln. Shortly, Jacob had to limp off, and Neil returned to competitive soccer at RB, with Dominic pushing up to RM. It did not take long again for Weijie to make an impact, as he had done in the previous 2 matches. Working well with Jingzhong and Yi Jun, Weijie closed down CMC's last man, robbed him of the ball and was one-on-one with the GK, who managed to parry his shot, but only in the path of the onrushing Jingzhong, who made no mistake with the goal empty. It was a timely end at to the 1st half, with the score at 2-1 in CMC's favour.

The sky was dark, but it did not rain

The referee directs traffic

The half-time team talk focused on getting everyone on the same page with regard to communicating and playing more of the ball to feet, and using the triangle approach to breakdown the CMC defence. Jeremy Tan came on as CF for Yi Jun and Nigel started at LB, in place of Maurice. The start of the 2nd half was more even, with nothing much to show for each team in the 1st 20min. Much of the danger to PMC was cleared well by Andrew and David in the middle. From defence, Neil played a number of good balls forward for half chances and nothing more. From a freekick, everyone (including CMC) thought that PMC would equalise as Weijie beat the offside trap to find himself one-on-one with the GK, but he did not shoot early enough and was harried off the ball by the recovering defence. At this time, Jacob returned to the fray, replacing Kevin, with Dominic moving in the centre of the park and Jacob resuming his duties at RM. It seemed that PMC would be made to pay for wasting the earlier chance when a flowing move down CMC's right flank saw the ball float beautifully to Iskandar, who crept in between Andrew and Neil to nod the ball into goal for his 2nd of the match. Being 3-1, it seemed that PMC had only pride to play for, but the most amazing comeback took place.

Yi Jun came on the field to replace Weijie and with a 2 pronged attack, PMC started to give more problems to CMC's backline, especially in closing down their defenders. The comeback started when Jacob, Jingzhong and Yi Jun pressured the defence into giving up the ball, and Jingzhong made CMC pay for their mistake from a tight angle. The final substitution saw Lincoln return for Jeremy Tan, and his swap with Jingzhong was a masterful move. With Jingzhong playing up front and using his speed to capitalise on tired legs, he was able to take a through ball by Jacob in his stride to again beat the GK in a one-on-one situation. With the score at 3-3, everyone was happy to take the 1 point, but increased confidence led to a sweeping move, started by Lincoln on the left, who played a cross field ball to right. The move then involved Kee Min and Jacob, leading to Jingzhong again being played into space to complete the most impossible of comebacks. With still 5min left to play, it took some steely defence, concentration and commitment from everyone to make sure that PMC held on for all 3 points when the referee blew for full-time.

It was a most remarkable game with many learning points about commitment to the cause, communication with one another, confidence in team work etc.. etc... We thank God for the victory and for bringing us to the next stage of our development as a Soccer Team.

Our 4-goal hero, who should have taken the match ball home!

Update on Jimmy

Hi everyone, I'm sure many of us have been keeping Jimmy in our thoughts and prayers during these few months when he was undergoing treatment for Leukemia. We'll be glad to have received the following email from Jimmy, to know that he has recovered:

Dear Brothers in Christ,

This is to inform you that I have completed all my chemotherapy treatments. Doctor has also confirmed that all Leukaemia Cells no longer exist ~ Praise The Lord! I am recovering well as far as my health is concerned, great appetite and high is spirit, except that my hair is growing very slowly. Follow up reviews with Doctor will be on a monthly basis for 6 months, subsequently every 3 month and finally, once a year (5 years maximum).

I thank God for his people like you, who have constantly walking with me during this treatment period. I would like to say a BIG thank you to all of you for keeping me and my family in your prayers and may God bless each one of us, forever and ever.

"If You look at the world, You will be distressed, If You look within, You will be depressed, but, if You look at Christ, You will be at REST"

So friends, when you are down and out, turn your eyes into Christ and you will find He is the BEST!

Your old friend,
"Uncle" Jimmy

Today, Jimmy made his return to church after a long absence, and many members of the Soccer Community were there to welcome him. Michael and I took the opportunity to snap a photo with him and to encourage him, through the fact that we have much less hair than him!

Soccer Fellowship (3rd September)

Soccer Fellowship is on this Saturday, 3rd September at Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School* (yes, the one in Pasir Ris!). The session will be from 3 - 5 pm.

Please bring BOTH a BRIGHT and DARK jersey so that we can split the teams evenly.

Please pray for good weather! If you suspect the session is cancelled, please check the blog/email for more information before you head for the field. Cancellation of session will be broadcast on the blog and by email immediately when we are informed by Sports Council.

*The address of Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School is 11 Pasir Ris Street 41. The entrance to the field is next to the bus-stop along Pasir Ris Drive 4. If you are driving, the car park nearest to the school field is the Multi-Storey Car Park at Block 458A. The map of the area around the school can be viewed HERE.

PMC 11-a-side Invitational League: PMC vs AMC (28th August)

The inaugural PMC 11-a-side Invitational League kicked off on Sunday 28th August with PMC playing their 1st home match against AMC. The league has been organised by AMC, CMC, PMC and RLC to keep their competitive soccer teams fresh during the off-season, with the early completion of this year's Agape Cup. The Invitational League would be positioned as a series of home and away friendlies, instead of a full-blooded competition. Each team would play 6 matches (3 home and 3 away) till end of October, and the League will end with a prize-giving dinner hosted at PMC.

The first match of the League was blessed with very good weather. Kevin started off with devotion (in keeping with the Agape Cup tradition), sharing about perspectives through a story (click here to watch the YouTube video) and encouraging all to take a different perspective of situations we face, in order to shape actions and behaviours positively. This would be especially helpful when we see things from God's perspective, and not always our own.

AMC and PMC players getting ready, while the referee inspects the field

Everyone gathers for the pre-match devotion

AMC players listening to the devotion

PMC lined up in its now familiar 4-4-2 formation:

Steve - Lincoln

Jingzhong - Marcus - Kevin - Jacob

Damien - Mark - Jeremy - Daniel

Michael

The match kicked off with AMC enjoying the lion's share of possession. Even though it was clear that the team on the field was far from being its strongest side, the pedigree of AMC teams never fail to shine through. Passing the ball swiftly to the wings, crosses were whipped in with deadly accuracy, only for poor finishing to prevent the opening goal from being scored. When AMC was stopped down the wing, shots were fired from outside the box, but again, PMC's GK Michael was not troubled for the moment. It took PMC quite a while to find its footing, but playing too many long balls meant losing possession regularly and needing to soak up much pressure. When there was some time on the ball, PMC was closed down quickly by the AMC players and chances were few and far between. It was no surprise when AMC finally took the lead. The ball found its way to AMC's nippy forward #30 (Chuan Hao) who took a pot-shot at goal. Jeremy was there to intercept but good only deflect the ball high and over Michael, who stood no chance as the ball looped into goal. It was 1-0 to AMC. PMC tried to get a better grip on the match after this initial setback but shots by Steve and Jingzhong hardly troubled the AMC GK Gopal. Andrew and Yi Jun came on for added firepower, in place of Steve and Lincoln. Half-time came with AMC fully deserving their one-goal lead.

1st half match action

Players from both teams took in some much needed fluid during the break and used the time to evaluate their gameplans. PMC in particular, knew that they had to play their own game of passing football, instead of the highly ineffective long balls of the first half. PMC also made some half-time changes, with Maurice coming on for Mark, Weijie for Marcus and Rusydi for Jingzhong. Taking to the field, PMC's changed gameplan started to bear fruit quickly. A number of swift passes saw chances by Andrew and Yi Jun, but they did not trouble Gopal. The best chance yet was a speedy counter-attack which saw the ball move from Michael, to Jacob on the right wing. He played Andrew in on the right, who swung a perfect cross to an un-marked Yi Jun in the middle, who headed wide from 6 yards out. AMC was certainly let off, and made PMC pay for it when within 5 minutes a long ball was not cleared by PMC, allowing AMC's Brian to make his way into the box and shoot pass Michael at his near-post. It was certainly a sucker punch for PMC. Not letting their heads drop, PMC continued to trust in their passing game and finally pulled a goal back. Again, good work down the right saw a deep cross whipped in. This was met by Rusydi cutting in from the left and his first time volley gave Gopal no chance in the AMC goal. It was 2-1 and all to play for. With the match in the balance, players' tempers also began to rear its ugly head. A scuffle from the #7s of both teams saw some pushing and shoving. Credit to the referee for stepping in to calm things down without the need to show yellow cards. However, within minutes PMC's Daniel had lunged in with a two-footed tackle on an AMC player and the referee had no choice but to show him the first yellow card of the match. As substitutions were made and play ensued, the closest PMC came to an equaliser was a shot from Weijie which ricocheted off the bar. PMC could not complete its comeback and the match ended 2-1 in favour of AMC.

Soccer Fellowship Report (20th August)

About 20 players turned up for soccer fellowship on a windy saturday afternoon, amongst them, we welcome Sean (Andrew's friend), as well as Marcus back out after 2 weeks of incamp confinement, looking as fit as ever. Of course not forgetting 2 very young talented home grown player whos still learning their trade in football! Jeremy opened up the session with a devotion about the current debt crisis and how we should face it in a gratifying manner.

Jeremy sharing devotion

Getting ready for soccer!

Soccer session were split between the whites against blues & reds. JZ open up the scoring for the whites within minutes of kicking off, drilling a low shot beyond Maurice reach. Goals were plentiful in the game with Tim grabbing a couple for the coloured team. Cant really recall all the scorers, but noted that the session ended with the whites winning 6-3. Moments of good football plays were seen as both teams string afew decent passes, with 1 touch one-twos before the final shot. A very encouraging display overall as PMC look towards another friendly come this sunday.

Thankfully the session ended with no players getting any major injuries and Jeremy closed the session with a short prayer.

Soccer Fellowship (20th August)

Soccer Fellowship is on this Saturday, 20th August at East View Secondary School*.

The session will be from 3 - 5 pm. Please bring BOTH a BRIGHT and DARK jersey so that we can split the teams evenly.

Please pray for good weather, from the night before! If you suspect the session is cancelled (and even if you don't), please check the blog/email for more information before you head for the field. Changes to the location of the session will be broadcast on the blog and by email immediately when we are informed by Sports Council.

*The address of East View Secondary Secondary School is 3 Tampines Street 42. The entrance to the field however, is along Street 41 (directly across the street from block 428). If you are driving, you should turn into Street 41 from Tampines Avenue 7. I would suggest parking at the open-air car park around blocks 425, 428 & 429. The map of the area around the school can be viewed HERE.

Friendly match vs HFC Report (14th August)

Saying it was a hot afternoon could have been perceived as an understatement. It was scorching. To top it off, the 'burning' from the 15th day of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar meant that the air was thick, making breathing difficult for some. Nonetheless, the enthusiastic players gathered at East View Secondary to take on Harvester Football Club (HFC), a side whom we have not taken points off during our past Agape Cup campaigns, losing 3-1 and 4-0 in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

By the time the very 'enthusiastic and professional' ref blew for the kick-off, only 13 of our players had turned up, and we lined-up in the following 4-4-2 formation, with Daniel captaining the side for the match:

Steve - Lincoln

Jingzhong - Kevin - Weijie - Jacob

Michael - Mark - Jeremy - Daniel

Sean

Play started very evenly, with both sides enjoying some possession. It was evident however, that there would be 2 contrasting styles of play for the day. PMC were trying to use some slick passing on the ground to play their forwards into space, resorting only to the long balls during set-pieces. HFC, on the other hand, used every opportunity they had to launch high balls to their giant #8, Sasi who would either control and run at goal, or knock the ball on for the speedy #9, Leong. This combination caused some headache for Mark and Jeremy in the centre of defence, but nothing much came out of it initially.

On PMC's part, some good running by Steve and Jacob resulted in pot shots on goal, but nothing much else. After 10min, Kee Min was ready to get some action and came on for Weijie. At about the 15min mark, Dominic arrived and took Lincoln's place at CF alongside Steve. This gave a bit more attacking thrust and bite but there were still no goals to show for either team. It really took a 'moment of madness' as some would call it for the first goal of the game to be scored. Michael was caught in possession at LB and although Jeremy managed to win the ball back on the edge of the box, he too delayed his clearance, allowing HFC's Leong to steal the ball and beat Sean in a one-on-one situation. The easy goal gave HFC the impetus to attack and they launched quite a number of long balls to Sasi, many of which were snuffed out by Mark and Jeremy. On the occasion that the ball broke through the defensive wall, Sean was there to clear the danger. As the half wore on, Lincoln came back on the field for Jacob, Weijie took Kevin's place in midfield and Nigel had a run-out at LB for Michael. The half ended with it being 1 - 0 to HFC.

Still smiling at half-time despite being 1 - 0 down

After a brief half-time team talk by Kevin, the players trotted back on field for the 2nd half. The emphasis was to communicate more and play the ball to feet, early. Damien had arrived to take the LB spot and the rest of the team was largely intact from the one that started the match. Again, there was nothing much in it in the 2nd half for either team. HFC's regular dangerman #10 Kannu had arrived on the pitch and threatened with some runs as well as 2 freekicks, but these did not trouble Sean.

For PMC, Jingzhong made a couple of long range attempts on goal which were easily caught by the GK. Kevin had a first time volley high and Steve had a couple of half chances. Jacob was doing tremendous work on the right, both on the offensive and defensive end, completely nullifying the left side of HFC. At the 20min mark, Weijie came on to replace Kevin and was immediately involved in the play that led to the equaliser. On a fast break, he played the ball from the left to Steve, who found space to run and shoot. His long-range looping shot caught the HFC GK completely off-guard, who could do nothing except watch it nestle into the top left-hand corner of his net. It was 1 - 1 and all to play for.

PMC really took the wind in their sails and pressed for the winner. This cavalier approach almost cost them when a goal bound effort from a corner beat Sean, but Mark was there to clear off the line. This missed opportunity cost HFC as from another swift move, Jacob played Steve in, who only had the GK to beat. His shot was parried, but it fell nicely to Weijie, who made no mistake from 10 yards despite having a HFC player on the line. It was 2-1 and despite some late pressure from HFC, PMC held on for a 1st time victory over them.

Kevin closed the match with a team talk, commending everyone for their determination and also highlighting the need for more composure, as there were still occasions of unnecessary words with the referee and playing the ball when the referee had already whistled to stop play.

For HFC's version of the match, read here.

The growing trophy collection

Last week, I received another 2 trophies from the recently concluded SoccerTron 2011. 1 was for participating in Agape Cup 2011, and the other for finishing Runners-up in the SoccerTron Crown. As I added the 2 trophies to the collection in the church office, I realised how many we have accumulated since 2006. While many of the trophies were not for being champions, I fondly remember all the memories we shared on the field, and look forward to many more to come. Thanks to one and all from the Soccer Community who have contributed to this collection.

Soccer Fellowship Report (6th August)

A very warm saturday afternoon greeted the usual PMC soccer regular khahkis at EV. We also welcome afew new friends of Choon Heng joining us for the first time, and also Kris joining us again after a long time. The session begin with Maurice opening with a devotion sharing the great love of Jesus Christ, reminding us christians of our Lord and Saviour as well a pondering thought for those who have yet to come to know our Lord.

Maurice sharing devotion

Stretching for the game

The guys are then divided into their colour top, with the Bright ( Red and white) [8] vs the Dark ( Black and Blue) [7]. The Dark played with a little more handicap, as their average age is definitely alot greater than the Bright plus the 1 man down, hence the onus is for the younger Bright team to take the game on against the Dark.

It was a very high scoring session, given the huge pitch, though only maximising 3/4 of the pitch by a total of 15 players on it. Team Bright were able to make use of their younger legs to open up and score first. Almost everyone got on the scoresheet for team Bright, as they play a rotation of GK policy. For team Dark, Maurice was the GK for a larger part of the time and almost single handedly kept their team in the session after the first half, and with Ronnie being the most influential player for team Dark, being all over the pitch despite his age and chipping in afew goals as well. Literally.

The session ended with Jacob closing us in prayer; timecheck close to 6pm! In other words everyone has had a runout for close to 3 hours! Definitely a very good workout session!

Some points from the small gameplay, many small aspects of the game can be observed and improved on for each and every individual player, even as the session was carried out in a friendly manner. From accuracy of short passes, long passes, first touches, movement off the ball, positioning on the field, crosses from wide areas to the final finishing shot. And of course, a large pitch means physically, fitness is going to be a big test. Especially so for 1 v 1 challenges and sprints. Definitely room for much improvement, as we head towards a series of competitive 11-a-side games.

Just my share of thoughts from the session.

Soccer Fellowship (6th August)

Soccer Fellowship is on this Saturday, 6th August at East View Secondary School*.

The session will be from 3 - 5 pm. Please bring BOTH a BRIGHT and DARK jersey so that we can split the teams evenly.

Please pray for good weather, from the night before! If you suspect the session is cancelled (and even if you don't), please check the blog/email for more information before you head for the field. Changes to the location of the session will be broadcast on the blog and by email immediately when we are informed by Sports Council.

*The address of East View Secondary Secondary School is 3 Tampines Street 42. The entrance to the field however, is along Street 41 (directly across the street from block 428). If you are driving, you should turn into Street 41 from Tampines Avenue 7. I would suggest parking at the open-air car park around blocks 425, 428 & 429. The map of the area around the school can be viewed HERE.