Match Report 5 July 2007

JUL

5

As season’s end draws closer and the warmer weather brings flowers to bloom, how fitting that FC Adelaide be given the opportunity to hit the road and enjoy a pleasant Saturday morning drive to the Fleurieu Peninsula to hit it out against the Southern Breakers. In the reverse fixture, FCA secured the double with significant wins to both teams. The task would prove more difficult this time around but the lazy drive did little to affect the lads’ performance as both teams continued their winning ways.

Reserves Match Report

Sitting only one game clear of our closest rivals, this was not the time to become complacent as any dropped points could severely hamper our efforts to secure the Reserve title. Every player would need to exert every inch of determination in their bodies to make sure we came away with the 3 points. The mood was promising. Everybody was in good spirits and relaxed and the playing group continued to strengthen their bond with many making the trip into unfamiliar territory together.

The game started with intensity and pace. While the players in the centre of the park were trying to adjust, the wingers were making good use of the space they were creating and surging forward at every opportunity. The Glove played a crucial part in this attack, weaving his magic at every turn, almost as though he was draped in silk. No opposition player could manage to get a tight enough grip on him. The Kid Cosma gave the opposition defence no let up as he hassled and hounded as if he were playing a sub-conscious game of cat and mouse. The D-Train stamped his authority on the game, cancelling out the long ball tactics of the Breakers backline with some authoritative headers forcing the ball back into the danger zone. Several opportunities went astray and Baby Bird gave the order – keep it on the deck. For the keeper was a tall one and his acrobatics proved the difference in the first half resulting in a stalemate leading into the break 0-0. The Breakers had done little to trouble the Angry Dinosaur but for some reason he was still angry. At the half the lads were toey, there needed to be a break. How could we not have scored? We had come oh so close with some fine efforts from Baby Bird, Webster and The Glove. The Kid at one point was unlucky not to convert from another trademark shot on goal. As the first half commenced, the Breakers had turned it up a notch and there were fears that the country air and the high pollen count had made our squad delusional momentarily. Fortunately the Angry Dinosaur and the strong defence of Zak and Papa Soteriou saw the Breakers best efforts take a nosedive at the final touch. The coaches’ technical prowess now came to the fore as they were forced to make some crucial changes as a result of some players needing a rest before making a showing in the First Team squad soon after. There had been no score yet and so the substitutions were being delayed until there was a breakthrough. Then it came from an unlikely suspect, Baby Bird burying a low shot to break the deadlock and make it 1-0. A collective sigh of relief could be heard around the ground from the FCA camp. FCA now had its goal and as usual the momentum started from there. Cosi beat a defender to a long ball from the midfield and passed the ball back to Yves instead of pushing forward. Yves delivered a perfect ball to Gala who had positioned himself well in the box. The Glove stayed cool and sent the ball skidding its way passed the goal keeper and under the back of the net. This left everyone questioning whether he had scored until the referee gracefully pointed back to the centre circle to put everyone at ease. 2-0. The momentum continued. Before too long Yve “The Ace” turned it up with a smashing header from way down low that forced him tumbling to the ground to witness the ball crash over the line. 3-0. Time for a change and The Kid was rested for Sam to take his place in the forward line. The run of good luck was then halted dramatically as “The Ace” saw red after his second yellow card of the day. It was almost a riot in Belgium as he pleaded his case with the referee and stormed off the pitch in disgust. The final change was now delayed momentarily as the coaches were forced to rethink tactics now that the side was stretched to 10 men. It was not long before The Glove needed to be rested though, also in preparation for a further appearance in the First Team. Milney made a return to the side after his month long absence from the club and was given a run to replace The Glove at right wing. Only moments later Paul Kaka made it 4-0 with a cheeky flick from his head to direct the ball over a pack of players and past the keeper all without even facing the goal. The Breakers managed to add some respect to the scoreline with a late consolation goal on the break to make it 4-1. The game was well and truly won and every player well and truly spent but there was time for just one more. In the last play of the day, Milney finally managed to add his name to the goal scorers list for the season after capitalising on a defensive error. A wayward cross was on its way to being headed away by the last man in defence however he chose to volley and mishit the ball causing it to spiral up into the air. Milney made a break for it and positioned himself between the approaching keeper and the defender and edged both of them out to get his chest to the ball and break away toward goal. In the clumsiest fashion the ball fell awkwardly from his thigh to his shin and for fear of making a meal of it he decided to try and walk it over the line. The keeper was in hot pursuit but the ball had just enough momentum to carry over the line by about half a metre before the keeper lunged and attempted to gather the ball and scoop it away. The referee had seen its path and pointed to the middle of the park, it had definitely crossed the line. 5-1. The ref blew the whistle on the kick-off and the story had now been written. Another well deserved victory to the killer B’s.

THE BOTTOM LINE: With only two games left to play, the premiership is by no means sewn up with Ignatians and Hawks still hot on our heels. As the team is constantly reminded by the coaching staff – the games are not going to win themselves. Considering how far we have come and our success rate this season, we cannot afford to drop our heads and must continue to play with heart and fire just as we have been to bring some silverware to Neill Road at seasons end. Time will tell.

First Team Match Report

The team was stretched for this game with some players unable to make the journey to Port Elliot due to injury, suspensions and other unaccommodating circumstances. Battered and bruised, some of the Reserve players were tasked with fronting up for the First Team with only a short break in between. It was a tight struggle for the first 20 minutes with neither side able to break free for long enough to build any kind of momentum. Bobby “Ko! Re! Ah!” Kim, fresh from announcing his imminent departure back to his homeland and effective retirement at the end of the season, was running rampant on the wing. The Rezarection and The Smiling Assassin were trying to link up across the middle of the park and Freekick Falidis and AD helped to calm things down when the pressure was building. The Kid did well to fight his exhaustion and again ran his guts out in his second match of the day. The Breakers were the first horse to bolt however, after going into the break at 0-0, they capitalised on a break to take a 1-0 lead just 10 minutes into the second half. Spirits were understandably low. Coming off the back of a solid victory against the Africans, the fear of failure again spread throughout the camp. FCA controlled the majority of possession and had been unlucky in the first half with some long range efforts having been thwarted by the Breakers keeper. The second half did not at first provide these same opportunities for shots on goal as the Breakers tightened the screws. The only thing building for FCA was frustration as many a stray pass was cut out forcing us back into our own half on the break. Sharokh was slowly regaining control of his touches and The Rezarection used his pace to hold the ball up and then was unselfish in laying the ball off to the advantage of his fellow midfielders. Everybody played their part to rally hard and Kieran showed just how important a goalkeeper is to a team, booming instructions to his charges. The one-two passes were beginning to improve and the wings were used to full advantage. It didn’t take long to peg one back in style. The ball was whipped across the goal from the left where The Kid collected and was drawn out to the by-line by his marksman. With about an inch of grass left before taking the ball out for a goal-kick, he turned his man ever so slightly to cut back a cross into the heart of the box. Ready and waiting was The Smiling Assassin. He met the ball with such a powerful diving header that smacked the living hell out of the back of the net to equalise at 1 a piece. The attacks intensified. The passes grew sharper. The defence steadied. The volume on and off the pitch was building. FCA was regaining its form and its class began to shine through. There would be no classier a move than the one that came about 25 minutes in. A shot was parried by the keeper and the ball fell wide for a cross which was then headed away from goal by the Breakers defence. Almost every player was in the box for the scraps but the ball fell this time just outside the area. Roy “The Raging Bull” was lying in wait and took control of the ball with his chest, he set himself as the ball fell on the half volley and before it could hit the ground, with one almighty whack he almost took the leather off it with a 20-yard wonder strike that left the keeper and his defence stranded. 2-1. The rumour is that there will be several clubs chasing this FCA star’s signature in the off-season and with a stellar effort like this it is not hard to understand why. The excitement was short-lived as the supporters experienced yet another case of déjà vu as the Breakers again scored to even the ledger at 2-2. Our efforts appeared fruitless. How was this at all possible after we had been playing so well to keep the Breakers at bay? The referee’s watch was ticking. The coaches’ were chainsmoking. The fear was setting in. Fear of more dropped points for the season. But then, in a more positive scene of déjà vu, The Smiling Assassin saved us all from having to bite our fingernails with yet another goal. After a slow start, he had now bagged 2. This second one came as the ball fell sweetly to his feet in the box and all he had left to do was side foot the ball past the keeper from close range, not giving him enough time to reach the ground to collect it. The scoreboard now read 3-2 and as the ref blew his whistle shortly after, we were all relieved once again. A collective zigga-zagga was sung as all the lads who had made the trip joined in the chorus in celebration of the day’s victories.

THE BOTTOM LINE: As the team was stretched for this particular game, FCA worked hard to earn the 3 points. Of course the win was nowhere near as convincing as the result against Africa but a win is a win and 3 points is 3 points. One can’t help but think though that we may have used up our last “Get out of jail free” card but with the depth that will return to the squad for the final two games, the outlook is very positive. Let’s just hope we can end the season on a high so both teams can celebrate their efforts as one.