Hall Seven 2- 0 Hall Three
Team Se7en erupted with euphoria as the night ended on a sweet note for its players and fans, where goals from either side of the break not just ensured they won the GOLD but also meant that they have now won it THREE times in a row, which is a remarkable feat..
The match was played in a quick tempo with both sets of players giving their all, and no sign of it turning into a one-sided affair. Hall Three had reason to feel aggrieved, having lesser rest time than Team Se7en, but they could not argue about the two perfectly good goals they conceded. When the second goal went in, courtesy of Firdaus, who although had all the time in the world and the entire goal to aim at from close range, was still calmness personified enough to stick it into the far post. That moment was of great relief to Team Se7en which virtually meant that the tie was all but over, but the tempo and fight clearly wasn’t going to fizz off.
I felt the game was won because the team stayed disciplined and were tactically sound. That was probably the key. Much has been said about the abundance of skill and pace that Fazly, Hall Three’s star player, also national Hockey player, possessed. In games past he had been turning heads with eye-catching performances, dribbling past his hapless markers with ease. His tenacity and work-rate matched his talent too, which showed he was no prima donna. However, Jonathan, Se7en’s captain, had pointed out to his team mates of Fazly’s ability and tendency to dribble so he had advised them how to deal with him properly by not committing too early and to stand a proper distance apart so the next player could be well-placed to challenge for the ball if Fazly had gone past his marker.
True enough, throughout the course of the game, Fazly ran his heart out, but tried too hard to carry his team’s attacking burden all by himself, repeatedly trying to carve openings by beating his marker. But Se7en’s players stood firm and made sure he almost never cleared more than one player, although they were a tad lucky that on several occasions, Fazly failed to spot open team-mates on the wings he could have laid passes to. But that was an inevitable consequence of trying to mark Fazly tighter and stay more compact. Today, we were all given a lesson and appreciate the fact that team sports is still a team game after all. For all of one’s individual brilliance, that isn’t sufficient to win. When the right tactics are applied, it is virtually impossible to break when the players are disciplined, focussed and know their roles, inscribed into their muscle memory. I felt our guys showed us that today.
At the other end of the pitch, Fazly’s national team-mate, Se7en’s star player, Kai Bin, was running defenders scared and ragged with his electrifying pace on the ball, superb balance, direct yet intelligent running and close control. This made for an exciting match, and thankfully, Se7en will be bringing home the GOLD yet again. Kudos to Hall 3, for trying very hard and contributing to this sporting spectacle. We really could see it in their faces that they really wanted it desperately, which in part, led to their frustration boiling over at times, which didn’t really aid their cause. But nonetheless, a really good game put up by Hall 3.
Looking ahead, let’s hope things stay rosy for the hockey guys, who have and hopefully will bring more honour and glory to Se7en’s sporting scene. They have a great spine of players, with Kai Bin leading the line ever so well with his experience and ability, and Stanley at the back, a figure of calmness, composure and good positioning egging the freshies on, reminding them the nitty gritties and so on. At the wings they have willing, fit and hard runners, and that can only augur well for the future. Pepper that with the array of technically adept players across the field, from Steven to the Squatters, and what you get is, VICTORY!
CONGRATULATIONS, TEAM SE7EN! You have made everyone’s day! May the girls team next emulate your victory and sterling performance!
Written by Scott Loh
