SJSM Soccer Team - Coming of Age

Today was epic in size, and nothing short of magnificent. After a deflating 4-4 draw with Orchard Rd Presbyterian followed by an unbelievable 2-3 defeat to Zion in the closing seconds, both of which should have been won, we got our act together and produced a tour de force that could not be stopped.

Arvind was everywhere at once, and Ben was always a nagging threat. Mathan impressed with his good ball control, and only meatshields thrown left right centre in front of him prevented him from continuing the streak that has provided the hope for our team thus far.

Defeated twice before by Living Waters, it was nothing short of sweetness as we worked our arses off for this well-deserved win. Everything came together, and the usually leaky defence was solid in the face of pressure. There were some scary moments, but Maverick in goal was enough for me. He stopped a 1v1 situation when the shot came point blank, and almost got bundled into goal himself after securing a ball lofted into the area.

The left wing made frequent runs into the opponents half, Bang Tong and Jensen showing good understanding as they combined to move the ball upfield and create chances.

Just before half-time, with no clear chance to break the deadlock, Ben crossed a ball in, which was looking to bounce just in front of the keeper. Jensen had already dashed in, and just before it reached the keeper he tapped the ball in for the opener. Elated and overjoyed, just as in our previous two matches, I reminded the guys that nothing was over. It was still early days yet, and Living Waters are not walkovers. It would take a lot of hard work to secure this one. For most of the second half, it was a seesaw of opportunities for both teams, Living Waters glaringly missing a couple of gilt-edged chances to even the contest. This is something we will have to look into and improve on as a team. What i like is Darren's deep play at the back, way behind their strikers. Any through ball will be easily dealt with like that, as he showed in the Zion match.

Next week's encounter brings immense challenge, as it is the defending champions we're dealing with, Bethesda Frankel. They have an average of 3 goals a game, and we need to work on cutting out their space to move and create.

Whatever it is, now is the time to enjoy the sweet taste of victory after all that toil and hard work.

Till then, sayonaro, and kick good ball!