The Name of the Game??

After missing out twice for the kick-off, the media team made an early appearance at the Cage, armed with two whistles and a CD, courtesy from Sailor Girl. But as the seconds ticked away, only seven turned up in what is to be the lowest turn-out ever at The Cage. Driven to desperation, Wenchong got three foreigners over and the usual game took twist. It’s now Ang Mohs versus our boys in The Cage. Just before KO, Patrick announced his arrival by requesting for an interview from the media. But when queried about his punctuality, he said, “Good question, I’ll answer you after my game.” Against opponents of bigger built, our boys displayed more delicate touches and stick their game plan to the ground. Precise passing, sharp shooting ruled their game. The “boing” sound of the ball being kicked was rarely heard. Suddenly, U.N.C.L.E. shouted, “Junior! Junior! Boh music?” (Meaning “no music”). Junior ran to the “referee” with the CD. But it turned out that the player can’t play this particular

Our boys made their debut on the blue pitch. It took some time for them to settle down to play on this new turf. Moreover, they were playing with the blue ball. The Media Team thought that was stupid until we realised that the new ball “lau hong”. So, blue ball on blue pitch. Only nine players turned up. It was four against five. Admond went back to his place between the sticks, and Bryan Wong arrived twenty minutes later. At the other end, Alan Tern was playing keeper cum referee. Calling out fouls and dishing out cards. With plenty of space and more work to be done, players took turns at goal on our side. When Chin kept goal, he was brilliant – much better as a keeper than a player – and insisted Rongming keep out of the goalkeeper’s area. But there was no chance for him to keep out Peter’s goal - a powerful shot from an acute angle. Determined to prove critics wrong, U.N.C.L.E. came out of his corner, with his new blue hair (another blue), added variations to his play and scored a s

With the PSI lurking around the unhealthy zone, I couldn’t help but wonder “will there be KO at The Cage tonight?” But the spirit of our boys remained unimpeded as the official media team went on a scouting trip for a new player. The Cage has been a hit with our boys. The media team missed the unveiling of the rookie, with regrets. A “player” who has been with the “boys” for a long time decided to hang up “his boots”. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new ball. The new “player” was a big hit with the team. The level of seriousness took to a new level. Raphael’s weak attempt at goal was being shouted at. Lame attempts at goal are a BIG “NO! NO!” With the haze acting on everybody’s respiratory system, the frantic pace of the game from last week was gone. There was more interaction between team members. It now boiled down to skills and techniques. With the periods of short breaks, strategies and tactics emerged. Players began to shout for the ball. If lethargic was the name of his game last

It has been a long time since “the official media” turned up at the cage. There were hear-says “you must come and see, my stamina improved!” and “I scored at least five, six goals at every outing!” With so much hype going on, it was time for an outing for “the official media”. My photographer and I waited, counting the hours and the minutes till the KO time. Maybe not so much her, but I really counted. It was, for me, a highly anticipated game. A sense of conspiracy crept into the air as players arrived, donned in red. There were players who I will be watching for the first time, while others are determined to show that they have improved, in their skills and stamina. The “whistle” was blown and the match kicked off to a frantic pace. Fifteen minutes into the game, Star Idol scored! It was what I believed to be the opening goal. With the keeper at the near side coming off his line time and time again, I guess the goal deficit must have been pretty bad. True enough, I heard “three-nil!