The eve of every Saturday’s FD match is usually a calm and relaxed affair. Players wrap up the working week, have a light dinner (strictly no drinks), avoid all excess, and go to bed early to ensure a good night’s rest before the match.

Last Friday, however, the calm was broken by disturbing news: Kensington Gardens had been closed due to a “drone threat” targeting the nearby Israeli Embassy.

“A Met Police chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear team was seen near the park’s bandstand” reported the BBC “while police divers were spotted near the Round Pond.”

The idea of police divers combing the Pond and recovering our long-lost footballs made us smile, but this was no joke. Our holy ground under attack? Something had to be done.

While the group chat exploded, the most senior FDs worked tirelessly through the night, drafting scenarios and proposing creative solutions to safeguard Saturday’s match.

SATURDAY MORNING

By 5am, everyone was glued to the group chat awaiting updates.

Very soon, it became clear that the Park would remain closed, depriving us of both the Palace and the Pond pitch.

The most precise indication came from Andrea M, who shared a screenshot of his mysterious Police Tracker.

I know what you are thinking: how does Andrea get access to such sensitive information? Probably best to leave the question unanswered.

LOOKING FOR A NEW VENUE

With Kensington Gardens confirmed closed, it was time to agree on a new venue.

Francesco’s bid to relocate at Southfields Park, conveniently (for him) within walking distance of his home, initially gained traction. Eventually, however, a better option emerged: the old football pitches at Hyde Park, right in front of the Iranian Embassy.

After quick diplomatic talks, the Iranians (who recently proved to be a better footballing nation than Italy by qualifying for the World Cup) confirmed safe passage for all players and fans and proclaimed a unilateral truce for the time of the match.

When FD intelligence confirmed that the pitch was free of Foxes, that harmful species of young humans that tends to occupy every space, the decision was taken, and everyone converged towards the new place.

THE PLAYERS

18 players, including two professional goalkeepers, is as good as it gets (note: FDs play with any number of players, but 9-a-side is undoubtedly the sweet spot).

Returning after some time, Nizar surprised everyone by appearing completely dressed in white, an outfit more suitable to tennis than football. Luckily for him, the ground was so dry that he managed to keep his white shirt and shorts immaculate for the entire match.

A further surprise was the recruiting of rookie Hussain from Oman, bringing to the Club the 73rd nation. It’s not an understatement to say that he demonstrated an incredible amount of talent, playing with the elegance of a vintage Zinedine Zidane. with one crucial improvement: no head-butts to the Italians.

THE MATCH

The match began in chaotic fashion, with both teams conceding goals too embarrassing to describe. After that initial screw-up, however, the music changed and things got serious.

The Oranges deployed a very high defensive line, with Hossam, Davide, and the two Victors pushing up almost to the halfway line. Ahead of them, Bijan, Andrea, and Nizar operated in tight spaces, while Hussain quickly established himself as the central pivot.

This occasionally left them exposed to rapid counter-attacks from the Colours, but overall the gamble paid off. Two goals in succession from Andrea and Nizar brought the Oranges up 3-1, a lead that could have been even greater if not for Alessandro’s heroics and for amazing defence from Hannes, Chetan and Federico.

Back after his positive debut last week, Morteza took control of the Colours’ midfield, acting as an essential link between defense and attack. Playing as a young Pirlo, he distributed balls elegantly to the two inverted wingers, Al on the left and Dario on the right, and striker Francesco.

After plenty of attacks and countless corner kicks, however, the Colours seemed unable to score, with all their plays failing mainly due to mistakes and excess of personalism. Tension started to mount among them, with some shouting, complaining and finger pointing. Never a good sign.

Eventually, Al scored one, reducing the gap. Sensing their moment, the Colours pushed everyone forward. When Federico’s shot ricocheted around the box, Francesco reacted first, tapping in with a classic Inzaghi-style finish. 3–3.

But the Colours’ moment was already over. Undeterred by the draw, the Oranges kept their cool and went back upfront. Hannes and Chetan saved a couple of sure goals with incredible defending, but even they could do nothing when Nizar first, and Andrea later, scored to seal the Orange win at 5-3.

Hussain was a natural contender for Man of the Match, his performance was super, but the jury awarded it to Morteza. In a team plagued by disagreements and far too much shouting, he delivered a display of rare intensity and precision, without uttering a single word. Admirable.

ORANGES-COLOURS 5-3

ORANGES

Paride, Hossam, Davide, Victor, Victor Jr, Bijan, Hussain, Andrea, Nizar

COLOURS

Alessandro, Federico, Hannes, Chetan, Morteza, JonathanR, Dario, Al, Francesco

Colours hit the ground running also thanks to the one man advantage. With the luxury of having Hossam and Bijan in defence, Colours knew they could afford playing a very aggressive 2-3-2 at the risk of exposing themselves to the deadly Orange counters aimed at the ever mobile and deadly strikers Adam and Oliviero.
The high pressure by the Colours paid immediate dividend. Giancarlo was back from a long absence and it showed at the beginning but when he moved up the pitch things improved, scoring also a goal. Dario and Francesco were the natural and prolific terminals with a hat trick each. Dario indulged in his love story with the ball but, as soon as team mates complained, he just put it in the bottom of the net, turning criticism into adulation.
Oliviero on the opposite side literally gave his blood (see pic) to try and keep Orange in the game scoring at every opportunity and mastering his skills to reduce the gap.

The arrival of Victor Jr was a turning point as Orange with a new solidity in defence, until then relying on Federico’s heroics, propelling the team into Colours’ half sorting , among others, the effect of galvanising Paride, Colours’ goalkeeper, into a countless number of amazing saves. Some bookmakers were ready to bet that neither the quality nor the number of them will be surpassed in the whole World Cup.
Soon the game was in contention with the gap reducing from five goals to two as Orange had fire in their feet. The only thing they hadn’t was more time as the 11.45 bell saw the score at 9-7 for Colours who looked like a boxer on the rope likely to win on points if the match ended right there. but it didn’t as the Golden Goal was up for grab: it looked like the Orange were like a pack of wolf eager to grab it.
In fact it was Francesco on the opposite side that, with a header reminiscent of Ronaldo’s one against Sampdoria,

almost scored but Alessandro, despite being wrong-footed, produced an incredible reaction save. The faster pace and better momentum of Orange ultimately materialised when Oliviero, who else?, decided no to risk an hemorrhage on his foot
and called it a day to hit the low left angle of Colours’ goal with a surgically aimed shot to leave Orange with the consolation of the golden goal after a glorious ‘remuntada’ was cut short only by time.
The game was also graced by the presence of Rookie Morteza from Afghanistan which is already in the count of our 72 NATIONS. Nevertheless we warmly welcome him: he proved to be and effective winger, good in both the defensive and attacking phase and was instrumental in Colours’ victory.

As for Man of the Match on the Orange side Andrea deserves to be mentioned: the Italian had an excellent game both defensively and, when attacking, he could both assist and score two goals. One of which he did by unleashing a terrific long range shot in the top corner that not even Paride could stop.

Hossam was his usual self: age adds on experience without detracting on speed and tackling ability.

Victor jr was a game changer when he joined the Orange.

Adam and Oliviero were the goal machines that we know and they are on the way to top the scoring record of Harry Kane and Luiz Diaz this season.

On the opposite side Dario mastered the right flank and scored a hat trick: his love story with the ball continues and is reciprocated at every match.

But the Man who Colours had to thank the most for taking home a victory that looked granted for most of the time but elusive toward the end, was their keeper Paride. There was not a single part of his body that was not deployed in the supreme mission of saving Orange victory from the fast and furious Colours’ attacks. Donnarumma is not a bad keeper but with Paride in goal Italy would have entered the World Cup by the main door.

Talking of which I have taken sometime to write about Italy and the World Cup so to have all the facts. The conclusion is natural: Italy has successfully boycotted for the third consecutive time the biggest football tournament on earth exclusively on moral grounds.

The inability of FIFA to bring the competition back to its pristine values of sportsmanship and fairness left the Italians with no choice. The presentation to Trump of the peace Nobel prize is only the most embarrassing but the least damaging of their many mishandlings.

Italy could have simply walked away from it but would have incurred the wreath and the sanctions of FIFA. By making it look like an accident (read defeat by Bosnia) Italy reached the objective to deprive the World Cup of its most prestigious member without having to pay the price of an official boycott. Besides, Italy has always been in favour of a more democratic representation in the World Cup: to give Sweden (2018), North Macedonia (2022) and now Bosnia a chance to be in there, is a heavy, yet necessary sacrifice to stay loyal to its principles.

Before the World Cup tournament even starts we can proudly say Italy is the moral winner as no one has had the guts to boycott the World Cup for three consecutive times.

And it gets even better: Italy has publicly stated that if FIFA won’t act decisively in the next four years against all that is wrong in football, they will consider boycotting also the next tournament for an unprecedented fourth time.

Never in the history of football one Nation has sacrificed so much for the benefit of the other members. Italy with a tally of 7 World Cups, four as winner and three as moral winner, is the undisputed beacon in the dark world of football.

Please join me in applauding Italy and wishing everyone could live up to its standards.

COLOURS-ORANGE 9-8

GOALS

COLOURS: Dario (4), Francesco (2), Bijan (2), Giancarlo

ORANGE: Oliviero (4), Andrea (2), Adam (2)

TEAMS

COLOURS: Paride, Hossam, Victor Sr, Bijan, Morteza, Giancarlo, Dario, Francesco

ORANGE: Alessandro, Federico, Andrea, Victor Jr, Davide, Anton, Adam, Oliviero

While an undisclosed number of football dads were away to audition for the vacant job of the Italian national football manager, and others had somewhat bizarrely decided to enjoy life in other ways (how is this even possible?), an unstoppable group of players gathered on a sunny Easter Saturday morning, if only to keep the ball moving.

In the absence of so many regulars the question had arisen whether there would be a quorum, but this was answered by a mix of veterans and new recruits. Youvraj brought Sebastiano, Gregorio picked up Balthazar in the park, and Amin decided to return, for a dazzling display of his legendary dribbling skills.

The match again showed that there will almost always be enough players for a game whatever polls may say. As the quote says:“Eighty percent of success in life is just showing up”.

Team formations were variable and frequently adapted to ensure balance, with each side firmly built around two anchor players (Youvraj and Seb, Gregorio and Hannes).

The Kensington Palace pitch was smooth and delightful. Every player had a least triple the touches they usually have, as the ball was passed with great fluency through the vacant spaces.

The game was “end-to-end” throughout. At times it felt like excited young bunnies chasing Easter eggs. It is therefore impossible for the chronist to document with any degree of accuracy who scored when. While goal conversion rates had room for improvement, the sheer abundancy of opportunities created by both teams ensured that (almost) everyone scored multiple goals.

Top goal scorer for the bibbed was Youvraj, for the unbibbed it was Gregorio. Overall, a truly delightful morning in Kensington Gardens.

(Hannes Wittig)

Oliviero was once again one of the protagonists in Saturday’s match, scoring a brace to help his Colours team to the victory.

The young Italian showed everyone that time is a very relative concept, as Albert Einstein figured out a century ago. He had arrived late to the pitch (no news here), but as soon as he put his boots on, he was always first to the ball, creating havoc and headaches for the Oranges’ defence.

Next to him, Adam and Johannes formed a terrific attacking trio, each of them scoring a brace and pressing harder than ever.

This doesn’t mean that Colours had an easy life, far from it. The match remained evenly balanced for a long time, even though the Oranges had an extra man. A testament to the unique scheduling abilities of Hannes, back in his role as Lead Matchmaker and Chief Bibs Distributor.

The Oranges attacked relentlessly. Playing as an assist man, Francesco delivered some beautiful balls into the box, one of which was swiftly converted by Ross but his other attempts were met with unapologetic resistance from Hannes, Federico and Alessandro.

Federico appeared somewhat impaired by late partying (“too much beer last night” he confessed after the match), but was still able to block any attempt coming his way.

At the other end, Johannes scored a wonderful goal with a perfectly executed volley from an elegant cross by Adam. Such was its beauty that even Paride was seen clapping in admiration.

In the following minutes, perhaps struck by Stendhal syndrome, the Italian goalkeeper appeared confused on a couple of occasions, gifting two goals to the Colours. A decisive blow to the Orange’s hope.

The match continued with ferocious intensity. Now two goals down, the Oranges tried hard to exploit their extra man, with Bijan in the control room and AndreaM pushing forward, but their efforts lacked precision in the final touch.

With the score at 8–6 for the Colours, the Golden Goal could have given the Oranges a deserved consolation prize—but it was not to be. Fresh as a daisy, Oliviero (MOTM) had the energy and composure to dribble past a few opponents and send the ball into the top right corner of Paride’s goal with a brilliant long-range strike that followed a trajectory never seen before.

Not only time, even space is a relative concept when football is played at this level!

COLOURS
Alessandro, Cameron, Hannes, Federico, Oliviero (3), Adam (3), Johannes (3)

ORANGES
Paride, Andrea, Bijan (3), Hossam, Alastair, Jonathan, Francesco, Ross (3)

After 90 minutes of play, with the Colours up 6-1, the fate of the match appeared all but sealed.

The Colours had effortlessly dominated the match, playing some of the best football seen in recent times at Hyde Park.

Driving the team was a formidable Gregorio, in full control of defence and midfield. He arrived on each ball before every opponent with timeliness, touching it with grace and strength. He is often compared to Arsenal’s Calafiori, but on the pitch he looked more like a young Maldini infused with Gattuso’s energy and Pirlo’s precision.

On their attacking side, Oliviero was in stellar form, cutting through the Orange defence like a Japanese knife on a piece of butter, despite Federico’s heroic efforts to keep him, Bijan and Julien far from the goal. But truly everyone in the Colours team, from Paride to Julien, deserves accolades for playing in a highly focused and unselfish way, supporting and high-fiving each other even when a play went wrong.

On the other side was an Orange team unable to express their full potential. Players like Dario, Oscar, Andrea and Ross have incredible talent, but somehow they were not delivering, lacking precision in the critical moments. Few of their team members made things worse by pointing fingers and complaining to teammates making mistakes rather than encouraging them, hardly a recipe for success.

Only towards the end, a player swap was agreed, with Adam joining the Oranges and Davide moving to the Colours. A spirited Adam gave the Oranges a much needed boost in attack, but it was too late to turn the game around. while Davide, who had been criticised in the Colours team for failing a simple throw, managed to show his potential as soon as he swapped side.

The Golden Goal offered redemption opportunity but it was not going to be this time. Oliviero scored it with a spectacular volley shot from long distance, reminiscent of Van Basten’s historic goal in the 1988 Euro final. A feat that sealed the score at 7-1, putting an exclamation point to the story of Colours’s domination, and allowing him to bring home the MOTM award.

With such disparity evident, and not for the first time, questions were asked about the efficacy of the algorithm used by Hossam to select teams. An instant investigation revealed a shocking truth: the logic adopted by the egyptian is not based on quantum physics or agentic AI or anything like that. In fact it uses only one, rather unsophisticated parameter: how distant a player is from him.

“What I do is hand bibs to the first eight guys I see, and then adjust from there” admitted Hossam with a smile, something referred in academia as the “proximity algorithm”, albeit adding that he should have corrected things mid way when the disparity was evident.

In a later meeting of the FD Board, it was decided that for the next match a new team selection method should we tried. Among the tools being evaluated are Bayesian optimisation, neural networks projections and predictive modelling based on eXpected Goals and hairstyles.

Or perhaps an easier way would be to just give the task back to Hannes, who in the past has proven the ability to easily create perfectly balanced team on the spot with uncanny teutonic precision.

In retrospective a better job could have been done to balance teams out but in fairness the absence of the official goalkeepers complicated matters as awell as the even number.

There were important comebacks, the most notable of which was Christian who flew transatlantic to be present to the best event in town. As a regular player in his Boston team he looked the part boasting an excellent physical condition as well as strong fundamentals allowing him to play in different parts of the pitch. Should Italy qualify for the World Cup he is going to be a valuable asset for Gattuso. If instead Italy fails to be there for the third consecutive time, Christian will be snatched in no time by the USA team regardless. While people pay top dollars to have a Visa, Christian will be paid an undisclosed sum to be able to represent the star and stripes team.

Christian was back gracing the Pond Pitch today where he found his football soul mate Matej to put up a defensive wall that not even Dario (in the middle) could break.

Colours started with one man down but it was clear to everyone just after few touches that this was far from being an hindrance. If any the opposite. They had a plan and it showed. They deployed a pyramidal 4-3-2 relying on good feet as much a manic rehearsals during the week. With few sudden moves the module would turn into a 2-4-3 without opposition realising it. At times the rotating goalkeeper would come up with the ball dictating the play, de facto adopting a very aggressive, unorthodox 3-4-3 with no keeper which not even Guardiola would even dare experimenting. FDs is a lab where new initiatives rise and shine like the sun in the morning but they don’t set in the evening. Execution risk is kept at a minimum by the different fabric of the players: ‘ Forged in fire, Hardened in ice’ is what you find on FDs flag.

Aurian leveraged the Colours’ system to perfection to hit the Orange net twice. Johannes as always was holding the keys in midfield and used twice his licence to score as well as feeding the strikers with penetrating assists.

It was not though a one way street as a very lively Jonathan D on the opposite front also found the net twice after raiding the right flank. Not a mean feature against the granitic Colours’ defence where Hannes went into every single tackle as if his life depended on it. Matej was also back contributing to a solid back four performance including Riccardo and the Slovenian also show proficiency in goal. Matej stroke a first: no handball, no penalty conceded and no own goal. An impeccable performance fans were ready to acknowledge loudly.

Orange took heart and Jonathan L reduced the gap with a fabulous thunder shot on the top corner. And not for the first time’ Davide came agonisingly close to score with a powerful strike shaving the post and he also provided an assist.

Dario and Ross gave additional hope to the Orange with clever goals but on the opposite front Francesco and Adam took advantage of the ample spaces provided by the Orange furious attacking, by outplaying defenders with clever passing and clinical finishing. Adam had a brace to his credit which, for such a prolific player, is just par for the course. Not even a defender like Chetan, widely accepted at every latitude as the new Maldini, could do much against the Colours’ tide. His strong performance nonetheless did not detract suitors from enquiring about his availability and market value, including the very Paolo Maldini (see pic below)

Paolo Maldini, a keen FDs follower, is constantly looking for young talents. When Giancarlo last met him, Paolo asked if Chetan was for sale. To which Giancarlo replied: ‘Paolo, as much as I like you, there are players money cannot buy: Chetan is one of them. As a mark of respect I will send you both Chetan’s signed football and cricket shirts’.

At 11.45 the big board showed a 7-5 score to the Colours’ advantage. Orange went into the golden goal thinking of nothing else but revenge at all costs. Bijan, who before came very close to scoring the goal of the season with a ferocious volley that kissed the bar, this time made sure that his effort hit the net right on the first minute. The crow decided that the excitement was as intense as short lived and they wanted more: it is not everywhere that fans dictate the rules but considering what they pay for a FDs season ticket, perhaps they had a point.
Colours didn’t like what they saw and felt there was still time to go for ‘the winner takes it all’ approach. Adam obliged to seal the day in style for Colours with a comprehensive and well deserved victory.

Voters of the Man of the Match often pick from the winning team and this time was no exception. Yet the shortlist included two players from the Orange camp. Jonathan D scored a brace and kept his team in the game in the first half while Smayan showed composure and maturity in midfield dictating the right tempo.
If you score a hat trick and belong to the winning team voters will notice: Aurian not only did that but he also stood out as a proper team player always showing a positive attitude: besides, he posses agility and speed allowing him to get there first. Something not so easy when you face a Football Dad…

Finally a disturbing occurrence which requires action: yet again a Premier League team was caught spying on FDs (see pic below). Newcastle team claimed they had chosen the Royal Garden Hotel as being convenient for their match v Chelsea. In fact there are plenty of hotels closer to Stamford bridge while the Royal garden hotel happens to be the closest to the Pond Pitch… You don’t need to retain Sherlock Holmes to find the right answer why they did it… Anyway to clear any doubt it’s enough to watch the highlights of Chelsea v Newcastle to appreciate that most of the moves, especially on set pieces, are a copycat of what FDs do every Saturday. The final evidence: the vertical Newcastle pass splitting Chelsea’s defence on their winning goal is what Johannes just did in the morning. Twice!.
This has to stop now!

COLOURS-ORANGE 8-6

GOALS

COLOURS: Aurian (3), Johannes (2), Adam (2), Andrea (og)

ORANGE: Jonathan D (2). Dario, Jonathan L, Ross, Bijan

TEAMS

COLOURS: Riccardo, Matej, Hannes, Christian, Aurian, Kaan, Johannes Francesco, Adam

ORANGE: Chetan, Hossam, Bijan, Smayan, Andrea, Dario, Jonathan D, Davide, Ross, Jonathan L

Two perfectly balanced 8-side a team gave life to a dramatic battle that needed 100 minutes of play and three golden goals to be eventually settled, with the Oranges grabbing the win.

Being able the field the only professional goalkeeper available (Alessandro), the Colours felt they had a strong advantage and started with greater confidence and brio. When Bijan went on a wild run on the left wing, and passed the ball to Francesco, he continue to run, certain of what was going to happen. The Italian gave him back the ball with a perfectly timed and geometrically impeccable assist, that Bijan converted in goal with a razor-sharp diagonal shot.

The Colours impressive start was brought to a halt with the late arrival of Oliviero, asking which team he should join.

Not an easy decision. Such a gifted player was always going to unbalance the match, whichever team he joined. Seeing that the discussion between Oranges and Colours were doing less progress that the Middle East peace process, Oliviero intervened. “Dario is about to join!” he said, implying that the balance between the teams would be restored in one or two minutes and it didn’t matter where he would play.

At the point, the Oranges agreed to let him go to the other team, only to revert their decisions and snap him 10 minutes later when it was clear that Dario was likely still in bed.

Now with a man advantage (and what man!) the Oranges started scoring with greater ease, getting ahead with the score.

Eventually Dario did show up and restored a much needed balance. More goals were scored by both sides, with the score reaching 5-5.

When the Golden Goal was scored for the Oranges by Ross, everyone agreed it had come too early to allow it to settle the match. This time the Colours had it, exploiting a Hannes distraction in defense, but no one was happy with a draw. A third and final one was called for, only for Oliviero (who else?) to score it.

COLOURS-ORANGES 7-6

COLOURS

Alessandro, Francesco, Bijan, PSG, Julien, Jonathan, Hossam, Kaan

ORANGES

Hannes, Federico, Oliviero, Chetan, Al, Davide, Ross, Andrea, Dario

They came for Pokemon but settled for better: the magnetic appeal of Football Dads!

As for today’s formation it was a nice 10 a side judicially assembled with a fairly balanced representation of Dads and Kids, something that has not happened for a while. As writer was not present in most parts of the game there is a fair chance that the events described are not a strictly loyal representation of reality: perhaps this where the expression ‘Fantasy Football’ originates from…
Colours hit the ground running and took an early lead with goals from Al and Johannes but there was too much strength and talent in the Orange squad to expect a one-direction match. Besides Orange spent big on the day to fly in across the pond the star player Tarek who made his presence felt with a goal and took full advantage of a somehow loose marking to be a constant thorn in the Colours’ defence.
With also Oscar and Jonathan contributing to the scoreline Orange were able to turn the game and go 4-3 ahead to the golden goal. The game was sealed by the Orange young talisman Gregorio to settle the result at 5-3 for the Orange.

The game was graced by the default presence of a couple of Rookies: one of them, the young Brazilian Renan was so keen to join that, in absence of proper shoes, started playing barefoot until someone found a spare of old shoes to spare. Socks were never contemplated. Last week we had a young Sino-Italian Fabio who joined the game cancelling his trip to Brighton. FDs pitch is increasingly looking like a court of miracles where amazing scenes happen on a weekly basis to the delight of the ever eager spectators.

Rookie Renan from Brazil gave a proper display of barefoot football before being persuaded to wear shoes

There was also a second Rookie who was able to escape any attempt to be named. here we publish his picture in case someone can put a name to his face and the Nation he represents.

Rookie: who are you? Colours deployed a mysterious player who stayed anonymous.

As for The MAN of the MATCH the unsung hero Kaan deserves a mention as being a default reliable player always available to fight in the back allowing teammates to shine. But today there was only player who would make every single one agree on the nomination: Gregorio scored yet again the golden goal and yet again was the lynchpin on the pitch as he is a round player: can pass, can tackle, can score, can lead, can defend, can attack and whatever else is required. Besides, Gregorio can make his team mates accountable without shouting or jeopardizing the team spirit: this is the mark of a true leader. They would follow him anywhere: If he was to ask them to cross the round pond, well they would do it there and then, especially in a hot summer day. As for the Serpentine well, that perhaps is a challenge that would thin the ranks…but this takes nothing away from Gregorio’s leadership traits which are set in stone and at such a young age!

ORANGE-COLOURS 5-3

GOALS

COLOURS: Al, Ross, Johannes
ORANGE: Tarek, Oscar(2) , Jonathan, Gregorio (gg)

TEAMS

COLOURS : Alessandro, Massimo, Al, Federico, Julien, Renan, Rookie, Kaan, Francesco, Ross
ORANGE : Paride, Andre’, Hossam, Bijan, Andrea, Gregorio, Alister, Oscar, Tarek, Jonathan

It could have gone down as the day of the bicycle kicks, with both Adam and Ross trying the most spectacular of the football moves.

However, while technically impeccable, both their attempts were stolen by heroic defending, as in a classic black and white Neorealism Italian movie.

Just one meter from the goal line, Adam’s bicycle kick was executed with careless considerations on the defenders surrounding him. After all, who cares if your boot hits an opponent’s head? Ibrahimovic would have been proud of him. Still, his kick crashed on a wall created by Hossam, Andrea and Paride determine to stop it.

On the other side, the bicycle kick was tried by Ross, who found himself unmarked receiving a perfect cross from Bijan. Ross’s coordination was superb but Alessandro did what a great goalkeeper does, he courageously launched himself upfront looking like Superman and got on the ball just a millisecond before, preventing Ross to score.

Despite the lack of bicycle kick goals, there was no shortage of “wow” moments in the match, played on the classic Palace pitch.

All players and fans stood in admiration when Francesco stopped a ball and, without having it touch the ground, sent it in goal with a perfect lob going over Alessandro. A move that many were quickly to compare with Thierry Henry’s stunning goal against ManUtd, although arguably it was easier for the French striker, as he didn’t have to battle against defenders such as Johannes and Riccardo.

Playing one of the best match of his season so far, Francesco had also provided an early assist to Al and later scored another one, after deadly combinations with Oliviero and Ross. But that was not going to be enough.

Despite having gone ahead twice (1-0 and 2-1), his Colours team was drawn on the 2-2, and after that was never able to regain the lead.

Led by a Johannes in fine form, the Oranges played an all-attacking match, besieging the Colours in their box. While this strategy exposed them to the occasional counter-attack, it bore the expected fruit with Adam and Oscar netting a brace, and Johannes, Aurian and Diego scoring one each.

At half time, after having snapped Bijan on a free transfer, the Colours found themselves in a better position, able to push back more. Several of their counter-attacks were wasted with inaccurate passes or by excessive dribbling, but in two of these occasions Oliviero was able to get to the finish line and put the ball behind Alessandro with his left foot.

Having reduced the gap to only one goal (6-5), with minutes to go, the Colours saw the opportunity to draw and had few occasions to do so, but they lacked accuracy at the decisive moment.

The same was not true for the Oranges, ready to punish them, securing a more comfortable 7-5, just before entering Golden Goal territory.

AUF WIEDERSEHEN THOMAS

Since the start the match had been playing in a highly emotional context. After several false alarms, today has been confirmed to be Thomas’s last performance, before he relocates to the Bavarian Alps for his well-earned retirement.

Right before the match, the German icon was honoured by the players and given a beautiful black-and-white picture of one of the first Master Game he played, back in the days.

A wonderful memento, but nostalgia is of little use on a football pitch. It’s much better to live the moment and create new memories.

Playing for the Oranges, Thomas was placed in a more upfront position compared to his usual matches. His teammates wanted him to exit with a bang and encouraged him to shoot every time he had a chance.

The German didn’t seem too convinced, after all this is a player that has always put the team’s result above his individual ones. A man normally of great passes rather goals. But as much as he seemed reluctant to shoot, he couldn’t resist sending the ball in goal with a tap-in for the Golden Goal, sealing the Orange’s victory. A fitting and moving conclusion.

Did Paride let him score, suggested someone, thinking they had noticed an hesitation in the Italian goalkeeper. Certainly not, is the answer. Friendship and camaraderie can be found in spades among Football Dads, but never to the point to lead to sentimentalism, or compromise the unrelenting search for a victory.

As for the MOTM award, the jury couldn’t decide whether to award it to Francesco, Bijan, Adam, Johannes or Thomas. A determination more difficult that the one the US Supreme Court was asked to take this week. Follow BBC Breaking News to hear about the final decision.

ORANGES - COLOURS 8-5

GOALS

Oranges: Oscar (2), Adam (2), Johannes, Aurian, Diego, Thomas

Colours: Francesco (2), Oliviero (2), Al

Rookie Fabio: the boy who went for the sea and settled by the pond

The game also saw the long awaited return of Riccardo, Yuvi and Bilal: the Italian defended with solidity and also attacked frequently on the right side while the two strikers fought on opposite sides for the control of the left flank, the one just below the stands of the home fans even if increasingly they mix with the away ones. Yuvi represented the usual threat in attack while Bilaal showed again what a formidable dribbler and winger he is. Interestingly he was playing with long trousers but he could have played in a tuxedo smoking a cigar without anyone noticing.

Bilaal showed he can dribble anything he sets his mind on.
FDs provided, unsolicited, yet again a football made of grace and force belonging both to the past and the future, fully rewarding Fabio’s decision to cancel his previous plan . On the other hand, who could blame his choice to stay rather than go to Brighton? Certainly not Brightonians who flock in every Saturday morning from the sea to the pond to watch the indomitable FDs.
Not coincidentally the FA has granted the Seagulls not to play on Saturday morning to avoid the timing clash with the mighty FDs.
Before the game Adam sent in a selfie with David Beckham whom he shares that right foot with. The comments on the web, mostly along the lines of ‘Kind of you Adam’, seem to suggest it was the spice boy to beg Adam for attention. More to the point one comment read: ‘It’s all very well to win champions leagues and leagues but is only when you win a Master Game that you can claim undisputed greatness’. Such interpretation was validated by Adam’s performance on the day putting to work this goal machine of his with another brace and proving to be a very dependable and versatile bomber: both his goals were scored with his knees. To date Adam is the players who has scored with the highest number of body’s parts, few of which remain undisclosed.

The homogeneous, high value of the 21 players in attendance, along with Hannes’ track record in selecting teams called for a balanced game with the right density for a pitch that was in better shape than feared after the fierce, overcrowded match last Saturday.
Dad’s representation was restricted to the Fab Five (Thomas, Hannes, Omar, Alessandro and Francesco) while the remanding 3/4 by possessed Kids operating on a no-mercy policy.
The resulting speed was such that some of the pictures taken by Giancarlo were a little bit blurred and the VAR had to review dubious episodes with double slow motion mode.
Since the very start, Yuness showed he was for real by scoring the opener for Colours only to provoke a furious reaction by the Orange who, led by Adam, turned the game to their advantage also thanks to the extra man with a furious 1-4 with Aurian also contributing one goal.

There were all the ingredients for another rollercoaster: in fact Colours did not disappoint with Johannes calling for the ‘remuntada’ with a missile-shot planted under Alessandro’s bar, soon to be followed by those of Fabio, Karim and Bilaal, each and everyone of great quality.
Towards the end as the result (6-4) went away from them, it was clear that Orange were sparing energies for the golden goal. To no avail as Al glorified the day for Colours by scoring the golden goal with a deflected shot
sealing a match in which the winning team show both character and class.
Playing as he does with his head high while confronting the numerous craters in the ground is an act of both elegance and bravery and we praise him for choosing the Pond pitch over the Premier League’s smooth ones.


COLOURS-ORANGE 7-4
GOALS
COLOURS: Yuness (2), Johannes, Karim, Fabio, Bilaal, Al
ORANGE: Adam (2), Fabio (og), Aurian
TEAMS
COLOURS: Paride, Hannes, Thomas, Omar, Fabio, Al, Johannes, Karim, Bilaal, Yuness.
ORANGE: Alessandro, Riccardo, Andrea, Nadir, Jonathan R, Dario, Daniel, Jonathan D, Francesco, Yuvi, Adam.

“Is the match still on, even with the bad weather?”

Never has a question been more redundant. In the 21-and-a-half-year history of Football Dads, not a single game has ever been cancelled or postponed due to bad weather. Over time, the elements have learned to adapt to FDs, knowing that the opposite would simply never happen.

Tourists visit Buckingham Palace at 11 a.m. on alternate days expecting the changing of the guard. Even more devoted, fans flock to the Round Pond pitch every Saturday at 10 a.m. (give or take a few minutes for kick-off….) to witness the magic of football unfold before their eyes. Few events in life are planned around with such certainty—and a Football Dads match is one of them. Depriving fans of this spectacle would burden every player with the weight of a crime against humanity.

If the Kids faltered, the fans did not: not a single seat went empty. A while back, a fan refusing to swap his ticket for a package of 10 Taylor Swift + 10 Coldplay ones made headlines, but surprised no one in the FDs community.

The irony of today is that the question came from Gregorio, a true warrior on the pitch and a default Man of the Match contender. But it serves as a reminder to newcomers of what comes with being a Football Kid. New FKs should, if not forgiven, at least be partially excused—it takes time to fully embrace the values and rules cemented in our unwritten code of conduct, one of which is that a game is played in any weather.

Another rule: wherever there are two FDs or FKs, there is a game. As it happened a few summers ago, when Giancarlo and Johannes engaged in a last blood 1v1 under the scorching sun—the score has faded from memory, but the intensity did not.

More lessons await along the journey that transforms Kids into Dads. It is a privilege to share sport between generations, and every moment should be savoured.

Today’s game was exceptionally crowded: 22 players started, with 7 rolling subs.

We welcomed the usual intake of Rookies—Cameron and Davide—who both delivered lively performances.

The young Italian provided a perfect assist for Francesco, who converted with apparent ease. Davide is a keen AC Milan fan (true fans say Milan, with the accent on the “i”), which explains why he is so discerning in football matters. Why he was wearing a Sampdoria shirt remains a mystery yet to be solved.

Francesco’s goal was the third scored in succession by the Colours in the space of 30 minutes, following strikes from Oliviero and Zac.

A 3–0 lead at that point in the game was unexpected - on paper, the teams appeared evenly matched - but not unjustified.

The Colours had been playing with elegance and brio, exploiting both wings and effectively using long balls to bypass the crowded midfield.

A fourth goal seemed inevitable when Francesco unleashed a missile into the bottom corner, well beyond Paride’s reach—only for Captain Hossam to immolate himself and block the ball with his belly. A save that left the fans screaming in awe and had the effect of energising the Oranges.

Was a remontada possible? That, again, was a rhetorical question. FDs are capable of accomplishing any sporting feat imaginable, and there is no record they cannot break. Besides, they thrive on adversity.

The hero’s role this time was taken by Victor, back on the pitch after a few months’ absence. The Brazilian FD took it upon himself to straighten the game, scoring twice in the space of literally one minute. After all, when you come from the land of Pelé, Romário and Ronaldinho, you have a bag of tricks capable of fooling any opponent.

Minutes later, it was Gregorio’s moment to crown his solid performance with a goal that brought the game level to parity at 3–3.

With not much time left, both teams felt enormous pressure. The Colours could not even contemplate letting victory slip away, while the Oranges knew they were just inches away from glory. And glory seemed to be theirs when, after a pair of embarrassing misses on both sides, Kieran found the net and completed the Oranges’ remontada, making it 4–3.

When Zac netted the Golden Goal to level the score once again, the fans made it very clear that such a dramatic match could not end in a draw. “We want more!” they shouted, and everyone on the pitch agreed that a final decider was needed.

When Oliviero received the ball on the left wing, he still had plenty of physical and mental energy to do precisely what was required. A quick dribble, another one, a sharp exchange with Aurian, and a perfectly timed assist for Zac, who scored with a tap-in. A goal that gave the Colours the victory they had risked to lose.

ON THE STANDS

Such a game deserved a double coverage. While Francesco focused on on-pitch coverage, Giancarlo on the stands collected interesting remarks from the ecstatic fans.

There was also time to test the fan’s FDs knowledge. Here is a series of idiosyncratic quotes every fan should know:

Who said that? No prize for guessing for the old guard, but new Kids should study hard to avoid embarrassment.

As for the MOTM award, the jury acknowledged Victor, Gregorio and Hossam, all terrific in the Colours side, but felt the prize belonged to super-sub Oliviero. He had arrived late on the pitch (a serious offence, under FD’s rule of conduct), but had won the hearts of team mates and fans for his amazing performance.

COLOURS-ORANGE 5-4

GOALS

COLOURS: Francesco, Oliviero (2), Zac (2)
ORANGE: Victor (2), Gregorio, Kieran

TEAMS

COLOURS: Alister, Bijan, Al, Massimo, Julien, Davide, Karim, Daniel, Aurian, Julien, Cameron, Francesco, Joshua, Zac, Oliviero,

ORANGE: Paride, Andre’, Hossam, Andrea, Oscar, Gregorio, Kaan, Jonathan D, Dario, Kieran, Jonathan R, Thomas, Victor, Jonathan L

Commentary by Hannes with vintage pictures

The pitch was muddy, but the rain had ceased in time for a perfect football morning. Players were just getting ready for the kick-off as a lone man appeared on the horizon, approaching slowly, like the indomitable Revenant. It was Thomas who decided to retire from retirement once more. His passing was a key factor in the Bibs early dominance of the game (it also helped that they outnumbered the Colours for most of the match), resulting in an early 4:1 lead. At this point it was decided that Bijan should swap sides, and he was having immediate impact, with the Bibs’ lead narrowing to 5:4. Thomas then decided to call it a day, walking off the pitch to thunderous applause and standing ovations of the numerous fans. Bijan rejoined the Bibs, and an intense and balanced game continued on even numbers. When Julien withdrew, the Bibs’ numerical lead was restored, allowing them to end the game with an 8:6 victory. There was a lot of great movement on both sides. Defenders had their work cut out. Both goalkeepers had to produce some fine saves, and Paride did so despite back pain from a slipped disk. Hossam had a moment of magic, as he picked a ball from midair to volley a shot at goal. The Bibs scored three times from set pieces, while Colours won the price for the best team goal. All in all, a highly entertaining morning at the pond!

Hannes dictating the law during Master Game 1

Bibs: Paride, Hossam, Can, Bijan, Andrea, Gregorio, Ross, Yuness, Thomas

Colours: Alessandro, Hannes, Johannes, Federico, Anton, Oscar, Julien, Jonathan

Final score: Bibs 8, Colours 6.

(sorry, I was too buy defending to remember who scored all the goals)

WAGS at MASTER GAME 2

MASTER GAME 2 CONTENDERS

Since announcing his shocking retirement, Thomas has deliberately remained vague about the exact date of his farewell game. Is this nebulousness due to genuine uncertainty, or is it instead a compassionate strategy to ensure that as many fans as possible can experience seeing this giant on the pitch one last time?

The latter seems more likely. News of his imminent retirement has sent shockwaves around the globe, with reports of people travelling from as far as New Zealand just to be able to say, “We watched Thomas play.”

And those fans are catching Thomas at the very pinnacle of his game. As if determined to savour every remaining moment before leaving London, the Bavarian is playing some of the greatest football of his career. A swan song that keeps on giving.

On Saturday, his performance was spectacular. Paired with Senator Chetan and the ever-reliable Johannes, Thomas erected a dyke in front of Paride, making the Colours’ defence impenetrable, while also offering unwavering support to the front line.

No small feat, considering the opponent was not the San Marino national team. The Orange side fielded attacking players who have the same relationship with the ball that Paganini had with his violin. Players like Yuness and Jonathan, usually accustomed to scoring at will, appeared on Saturday as helpless as Harry Potter without his wand.

At the other end of the pitch, the Colours’ attack was instead effective and prolific.

The first goal came after a classy move initiated by Julien and Francesco and finished by one of the youngsters. Simple. Efficient. Deadly.

The second originated from a deflection on Johannes’ shot. A bit of luck, perhaps — but fortune favours the bold. A perfect illustration of Hannes’ credo: “If you don’t shoot, you’ll never score.”

When Oliviero netted the third goal for the Colours, with the Oranges still unable to register a single shot on target after almost an hour of play, the tension became unbearable.

Relief arrived unexpectedly in the form of Giancarlo. Unable to play due to his marathon injury, he stopped by the pitch while walking his dog, Leone.

When it was time for the Colours to take a corner, Giancarlo stepped in to take it — despite technically not being part of the team. Unusual, yes, but not unlawful: such events are clearly sanctioned under Rule 37b of the Football Dads Rule Book.

After entrusting Leone to Johannes, Giancarlo delivered a rather poor corner, gifting the ball to Bijan, who knew exactly what to do with such a valuable present.

With Johannes momentarily occupied as dog-sitter, and Paride completely out of position after venturing forward for a header, the Oranges sensed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and launched the most furious attack seen since the days of Little Big Horn.

For a split second, Johannes weighed the wellbeing of Leone against the risk of conceding a goal and reopening the match. It was, of course, an easy decision. Within half a second, the young German returned the dog to Giancarlo and sprinted back towards his own goal at the speed of light, breaking up the move just as the Oranges were about to score.

Danger averted — but the episode served as a wake-up call, for the Oranges that eventually managed to open their account through Hossam, just when it was time to get into Golden Goal time.

Upset at the idea of having failed to keep a clean sheet after a monstrous defensive performance, the Colours briefly lost concentration and allowed the Oranges to score again with Jonathan (3–2).

Energised by this late attempt at a remuntada, the fans demanded further playing time, pushing for a Platinum Goal that could have changed the outcome of the match.

The players initially obliged, but when Alastair sent Francesco to the ground with a robust tackle, it was unanimously decided that it was time to stop definitely.

Collecting his Man of the Match award, Thomas headed home smiling and rang his contractor in Munich to revise the plans for his new house.

The trophy room he had envisioned is already looking too small.

COLOURS-ORANGE 3-2

ORANGE

Alessandro, Jonathan L, Andrea, Joshua, Hossam, Yuness, Alastair, Oscar, one or two more youngsters

COLOURS

Paride, Johannes, Thomas, Chetan, Julien, Oliviero, Francesco, a couple of youngsters, Giancarlo (only for a poor corner)

It was a full house with 25 players, each determined to jump up in joy at the final whistle and run in front of the stands to soak the jubilation of his own fans. Today a curious thing happened: a group of tourists ended up joining fans in the stands or hiding in the bushes. They were walking in the park and obviously stopped to watch the match: the tour guide urged them to resume the walk. Given the distance, it was difficult to understand what the group representative replied but lips readers claim it was: ‘ sorry but we rather watch the match!’, much to the annoyance of the guide who ordered them to move. To which the group representative, forming a small circle, told quietly to his mates:’ at my signal run and hide in the stands’. Which is exactly what happened.

Karim with rookied Dad Omaar

The game was graced by many young players, not rookies but not regulars either: the mix tested the commentator memory to its limited limit: there were two Jonathans and two Zacs on the pitch and they all looked the same…
Karim was handed the Amazon voucher, to be strictly spent on a vast catalogue of FDs memorabilia, for bringing a rookie Football Dad and no less than his own Dad Omar who, unlike his son, was on the winning side celebrating in style his debut with a sound performance. Omar is both from Lebanon and Germany which unfortunately are not new nations. I remind you that to strike gold you need to bring a new Dad from a new Nation but well done Karim for bringing his Dad who is welcome to the
magic world of FDs.

The rush in adrenaline was palpable at the very first kick with a very fine line dividing aggression from sportsmanship. Every player knew that crossing such line would have been forgiven if not praised by their fans with so much at stake. The goalkeepers, namely Paride and Tony answered the calls to arms which meant a tough day in the office for the strikers. Immediately the two guardians showcased their full repertoire which in turn gave confidence and strength to their defences.

Orange seemed to rely on a more compact unit with balanced compartments in quality and numbers so that the balls defended were quickly carried by midfield to the frontline where Oliviero and Jonathan L were often able to evade their markers’ attention with clever and surprising moves.

Jonathan R in front of defence, working closely with Gregorio and Julien, was the turbo in the engine incessantly conquering balls and feeding them through both midfield and attack. The fast and furious pace just suited Oliviero speedy moves and before Colours knew he had put three goals on the back of Paride’s net, not to mention some great saves by Paride himself.

On the opposite front the score was magnified by some spectacular saves made by Tony who was literally throwing his body on the line showing fans what they had missed. There was nothing he could do though when Zac R scored the first for Colours soon followed by a fantastic angled volley by Francesco bringing the score back in contention at 3-2 for Orange.

At which point a major accident happened when Tony and Al clashed in the small box. Tony saved a sure goal but didn’t save his own toe which was badly damaged.
Tony visit to A&E was followed live by an apprehensive crowd while Giancarlo replaced him in goal: you could have forgiven bookmarkers for frantically changing the odds on Orange retaining the lead as all of a sudden they were deprived of their main asset and with one man down. Not only that but after few minutes Orange were hit by another brick on the head when Oliviero had to leave the pitch due to injury. It was then decided to balance the new situation with young Daniel swapping side to join Orange who showed they were for real regardless the emergency. Defence stood strong around Hannes and Giancarlo produced few fine saves but could not stop a diabolical lob shot from the distance by Johannes. It looked like a lucky strike but the doubt whether he wanted to simply cross was legitimate as he does produce these wonder shots on a regular basis.
In the post match interview Johannes admitted the goal was unintended but it still counted.

Orange were nevertheless able to maintain the lead thanks to an opportunistic goal by Jonathan L taking the score to 4-3 before going into the golden goal.
Colours felt their time had come to take advantage of the situation and fired on all cylinders: it was again Dario who sealed parity with the golden goal but it was agreed that it would have been criminal and unfair to both teams, let alone the fans, to stop the game there and then. A senior golden goal was introduced and it was the Orange lynchpin, Gregorio who else?, to score to certify a memorable game for the Orange who never gave up in the face of adversity.

The Man of the Match was a heated contest. Perversely, after the double exit of Tony and Oliviero who dominated the stage till then, everyone stepped on the gas sensing that the trophy was back for grab again and multiplied the energy to claim it.
Yet the counting of the vote saw Tony prevailing by a comfortable margin as if voters wanted to underline both the value and scarcity of outstanding goalkeepers, strongly reiterated with his today’s half match performance. Included there was also and affectionate wish for him to recover quickly.
Tony enters the world record book of football by being the only ever winner of a full MOTM trophy with only half a match played. As we all know FDs is about, among others, rewriting football history.

The injury to such a high profile player has naturally given voice on socials to many diverging opinions and few proposals which, no doubt, won’t be ignored by the Board.
In particular it is felt that FDs over 60 should somehow enjoy some protection.
In fact the recent changing mix of the teams with Kids representing now around 2/3 of the players, roughly the opposite v recent years, had made the game a lot faster and aggressive increasing injuries as well as confrontations.

A panel of experts in geriatic football, retained by the CLUB, has shortlisted three proposals for Board’s consideration:
1) When a Dad receives the ball he should be given a 10’’ grace period to understand whom he is playing with and which direction to kick the ball.
2) Each Dad should be equipped with a teaser gun to legally keep at bay the most aggressive Kids
3) Few motorised wheelchairs fully equipped with self-defence systems should be available for distressed and abused Dads to be used during the game. Another one with AI facilities should replace injured Dads when subs are not available.

ORANGE-COLOURS 5-4
GOALS
ORANGE: Oliviero (3), Jonathan L, Gregorio
COLOURS: Zac R, Francesco, Johannes, Dario

TEAMS
ORANGE: Tony, Giancarlo, Hossam, Omar, Bijan, Gregorio, Zac L, Jonathan R, Julien, Jonathan L, Oliviero, Kieran
COLOURS: Paride, Andre’, Andrea, Daniel, Al, Joshua, Johannes, Karim, Dario, Zac R, Orian, Adam, Francesco

As for the match today, although the mix was similar with three Kids and four Dads per team, Orange hit the ground running with all three compartments firing on all cylinders, alternating solidity and fluency. Both from a tactical and physical standpoint Orange were far superior with Johannes and Julien linking effectively the back two with the strikers, Oriel and Diego, with Thomas was always available to create superiority with educated passes on the right corridor. A defence with Hannes and Hossam would hardly require extra personnel to get the job done.

On the opposite front the situation was very different: Colours had an attack-prone formation who couldn’t score and were relegated at the periphery of the pitch despite the hard work in midfield and also due to Hannes reiterated saves: that resulted in a exposed defence with Massimo often outnumbered by the more mobile Orange team. Giancarlo in Colours’ goal was bombarded from every angle, leaving the suspicion that strikers knew he was not the default choice.
Soon the score reached proportions of non return for the Colours but as the declining level of support by fans left room to open, rising criticism, that reminded Colours that is when the going gets tough that the tough get going. It was a watershed moment for the players who dropped the infighting, dug deep and took out whatever was left of their pride to score four goals with Oliviero, Gregorio and Federico with the latter delighting the fans with a treble dribble in the small box just before finding the winning narrow angle. Gregorio, yet again the heart and sould of his team, scored an impeccable first penalty but missed the second by an inch. A 50% hit ratio with such small goals is well above the average. Perhaps also Gregorio’s mother on the stands put extra pressure on him. She later commented: ‘Watching Gregorio to play live from the stands is just too emotional. I’ll just see the next matches on tv at home sipping camomile’.
She was instantly awarded the uncontested ’Mum of the Match’ award soon to be delivered in Ravenna as her presence was not announced and the trophy is being manufactured as we write.

‘Mum, I lost the match!’

With reference with the small goals, as past proposals were largely ignored, a new one has been presented to the Board. I remind you that FDs board decision are super FIFA and gain approval and legality the moment get ratified by the very same Board.
The new rule is as follows: as soon as a penalty is awarded two players will quickly eradicate the opposite goal and put it next to the one facing the penalty. The ball will be then moved back few yards so to recreate the same exact 1.5x distance/width ratio, which is in fact respectively 11mt for the penalty spot and 7.32mt for the goal of a normal pitch. This give penalties a new meaning as the stats so far have magnified the keepers’ saves at the expense of penalty takers. The new proposal will be put to test at the next available opportunity.

At 11.45 with a more honourable 10-4 score and with spirit soaring among Colours, it was evident that golden goal was not to be a one way street and immediately odds adjusted accordingly. The move allowed bookmakers to avoid colossal losses as Oliviero made a short job of the golden goal by scoring almost immediately with a clever move, thus regaining the Colours’ fans base who cheered loudly for the first time in the match to signify that the bond with the players was there to stay.

As for the Man of the Match trophy it was clear to everyone that he had to be picked from the winning team given the gulf in performance today. Each Orange player could creditably forward a case for a nomination. Oriel came back with a tally of three and even more assists but missed a few, not helped by the bumpy ground on some tap in. Others could claim that with a worse performance than today they had won the accolade in the past but truth was that no one came close to challenge the star of the show: Dario. He scored five despite not playing upfront, doing the running without ever losing coolness in front of goal. His trademark pinpointed curling in shot with that left foot of his, hit the net three times and none of such goals was even his best today. In fact the gem in the crown was when he dribbled the Colours midfield and defence nutmegging Federico and wrong footing Giancarlo to deliver the ball in the low right corner. While typically female fans do not get as excited as men for such fantastic goals, this time quite a few of them jumped up raising signs with ‘Dario marry me!’ written all over them. Along with the hat trick ball it was quite a load to carry home.

On the stands some of the vintage fans’ faces were missing due to prolonged holidays but that simply gave their friends and relatives a once in a lifetime chance to happily fill their seats, incredulous to their stroke of luck. As one of them put it :’ today January 3rd I can already confidently state that this event is the highlight of my whole 2026. Whatever happens next it will never ever match the incommensurable joy of watching a live FDs match. A dream come true!’. The fan demanded anonymity as he already sold forward to his fiancée the exclusivity of his biggest emotion: his forthcoming 2026 wedding… Such attitude ties in with the mantra that you can change wife but not football club. With these kind of fans it’s no wonder FDs when they step into the pitch are possessed by an all consuming obsession to perform at their best sparing no energy and displaying their full set of skills. Fans expect no less.

Giancarlo was the extra man for the Orange but restricted to a pure goalkeeper role by his persistent tendinitis. The ranks were completed by Hossam in defence with Federico and Daniel roaming in midfield and Thomas patrolling his own familiar territory on the right flank. To make the game balanced Colours had to spend big and they did by deploying Andrea M, Johannes, Ross and Julien. Without a role goalkeeper and a single defender Colours made mobility and pass accuracy their competitive advantages on top of their clinical finishing, often from the distance.
Orange hit the ground running and despite going one goal down, the first of the year scored by Ross, they recovered quickly to overtake Colours and build a comfortable margin as Daniel (first hat trick of the year!) and Hossam scored like never before.

Daniel scored the first hat trick of the year while Ross the first goal!

While people in the street struggle to put aside any money, Giancarlo’s saving ratio hit 100% early in the game as he stopped the first two Colours shots and decided to seize the momentum and tap the market by offering himself to Colours to play their missing goalkeeper so to balance the game. But the offer was bluntly refused: everyone thought they were either mad or simply could not afford the Italian. Rather, they had a plan which become evident as the game progressed.
Spotting that the Italian goalkeeper was trying with one hand to save shots and with the other to update the score on his mobile to fulfil his commentator’s obligations,
Johannes made a meal of his pinpointed shooting by scoring few incredible goals from the distance, each caressing either the bar or the posts. Advertisers flocked to the CLUB (who, as you know, holds the image right of every single player) to buy the broadcasting rights for products where surgical precision was the differentiating element.

Fans smelled blood and sensed that from a one-direction game they were now witnessing a ‘remuntada’ of epic proportion and started cheering wildly Colours, truly adding the fifth man missing on the pitch. That was like fuel on fire: Julien in particular added to his trademark midfield workhorse role that of a ruthless striker including in his rich tally (5) a penalty of rare precision. Ross and Andrea rounded the score to put at 11.45am Colours in front at 16-15. But Orange were not done and soon levelled with the golden goal at 16 each. Any team would have happily wrapped up the game in parity given the fatigue and freezing cold but compromise is not what FDs are about: only another golden goal would have filled their sense of achievement and fans just vouched for that. No wonder the ABBA’s song ‘the winner takes it all’ was inspired by FDs! The fact that ABBA preceded FDs is an irrelevant detail…
Unfortunately it fell on probably the best man on the pitch till then to concede an own goal and deliver victory to the Orange who saw it far and away at the start, available at mid game, conquered soon after, vanished with first golden goal and snatched for good with the second. A rollercoaster of emotions which bodes well for the rest of the year.

The Man of the Match podium saw Johaness, Hossam and Daniel fighting for the top spot. Until his decisive own goal Hossam, other than showcasing his spotless defence, proved to be a goal-machine with seven to his credit. It was fair in the end to tribute the trophy to Johannes who scored as many goals, some unreal, leading his team onto a victory not many thought possible.
Few commentators remarked that players today seemed animated by a new fire: uncontrolled rumours started to spread. The most creditable one is that the CLUB is considering reinstating the ‘PLAYER OF THE YEAR’ award with a precious trophy to be given to the winner at the next Master Game.
How the winner is selected is a secret better kept than the Coca-Cola recipe but that won’t prevent any single player to try his very best to get it!

COLOURS-ORANGE 17-16

GOALS
COLOURS: Johannes (7), Julien (5), Ross (3), Andrea, Hossam (og)
ORANGE: Hossam (7), Daniel (5), Federico (3), Thomas
TEAMS
COLOURS: Johannes, Andrea M, Julien, Ross
ORANGE: Giancarlo, Hossam, Federico, Daniel, Thomas

In what is likely to have been the last match of 2025, ten FDs gave everything they had, and more, to bring to life a fiercely contested battle.

Playing 5-a-side with large goals and a wide pitch is guaranteed to deliver plenty of goals, and so it was, with a total of 26 scored by both teams!

Oranges could count on a semi-pro goalkeeper with Hannes, who took on the tasks of both guarding the goal and anchoring the defence. Not an easy feat when your opponents include people such as Yuness, Diego and Bijan, but the German is not one to shy away from a challenge. In fact he was pretty much everywhere on the pitch. “A cross between Manuel Neuer and a flying Puma” was how Hossam (who for the most part was in goal for the Colours) defined him.

Still, the Colours had the better start, mostly thanks to an inspired Yuness, and went ahead by several goals, prompting calls for a player swap to rebalance.

Francesco had started well with the Oranges, scoring a goal from an impossible angle, but was neglecting his defensive duties. The Wittig father-son duo in charge of the Colours had no hesitations and agreed to give him (plus an undisclosed sum) to the other side in exchange for Federico, +30 years younger and much more prone to run up and down the field. A move that was going to change the course of the game.

Reinforced with Federico, and growing in confidence, the Oranges increased their goal tally and soon got the lead. The Colours were not helped by the lack of a professional goalkeeper, although Hossam had some great moments in goal, such as when he saved a brilliant bicycle kick by Federico that, if scored, could well have been chosen as goal of the season.

Tension grew in the second half, when there were two contentious referee decisions: first, a goal scored by Johannes with a long shot was disallowed due to the “no shots from your half” rule, although the lack of a clear halfway line left it open to interpretation. Minutes later, it was time for the Colours to get disappointed when one of their goals was ruled out because the ball had in fact ended up outside the net.

Controversies continued when Diego was fouled in the box. Lacking a clear shot in goal, the Italian rotated 90 degrees, turning his back to the goal and curled up to protect the ball. When Hannes pushed him back a couple of times, the Italian fell down and a penalty was inevitable, despite Hannes’ claim that his touch was little more than a gentle push. Diego converted the penalty with a powerful shot.

Minutes later, Hannes fouled Diego again on the edge of the box, but this time the referee awarded just a normal free kick, and no goal was scored.

Still, the Oranges continued to score, with Adam finding the net a record eight times, a performance that helped him win the Man of the Match Award. At that point, a win for the Oranges was almost certain, and it was Johannes (who else?) to put the final word on the match, sealing the victory at 14-12 with his golden goal.

The previous Saturday (13 December) saw the Colours team prevail thanks to a masterclass by Gregorio (picture above with the Club mascotte).

The Italian delivered a performance of impressive intensity, from start to finish, covering every area of the pitch. He has been compared to Arsenal’s Calafiori, but such an analogy starts to seem diminishing for a player that shines not just in defence, but also in midfield and attack, almost effortlessly.

As a consummate performer, worthy of of an Academy award, he kept the best for the end. With the match in Golden Goal time and the score even, Gregorio initiated a play, gave the ball to Andrea on the left side and ran towards the box. Andrea’s long ball was too long for him but it fell perfectly to Francesco, who touched it with his head creating a perfect assist for Gregorio. With a move that would make Ronaldo envious, Gregorio flew into the air with his knee up and hit the ball with his head with the right precision and power to put it behind Tony.

Much more happened before that moment of brilliance. Ross scored his customary brace, Arman demonstrated why he was awarded Player of the Season at his school, Alessandro and Tony dived left and right to save countless shots, Hossam proved to possess the strength of Superman when he managed to unstuck two pieces of the goal that seemed to have been fused together.

The 7-side match was played under a lovely December sun, which, while nice, created long shadows on the pitch and made it occasionally difficult to play high balls. But there was also a strong emotional element in it.

Minutes before kick-off, Thomas casually confessed to his teammates that he has only six matches to play before retiring (as he plans to move back to Germany). A shocking revelation that left players, commentators and fans in tears.

The unassuming, ever-reliable German is a true pillar of the FD. His importance and contribution cannot be overstated, his ability to overcome injuries is legendary, not to mention his essential role of Chief Gardener, for which he is in line to receive an OBE from the Crown. The idea of not having him on the pitch on a weekly basis is hard to digest.

Still, the word retirement is not appropriate. Thomas is not hanging up his boots yet, merely loosening the laces. He has promised to return to London and pull on the FD shirt whenever he can.

Until then, the Club has formed a special committee to prepare a proper salute to one of its true giants. Because matches and scorelines are easily forgotten, but the spirit of love, friendship and camaraderie that holds FDs together lives on.

20 December 2025) ORANGES-COLOURS 14-12

COLOURS: Hossam, Bijan, Diego, Yuness, Francesco

ORANGES: Hannes, Johannes, Adam, Federico, Andrea

13 December 2025) ORANGES-COLOURS

COLOURS: Alessandro, Francesco, Jonathan, Gregorio, Andrea, Thomas

ORANGES: Tony, Hossam, Bijan, Ross, Julien, Jonathan, Arman

It was not a full house but it was a full game.

Today, in absence of any role guardian, Kaan ended up in the Orange goal as a rush keeper and stayed there by public acclamation thereafter. Perhaps he is still there for selfies and autographs. It was a baptism of fire as colours’ strikers bombarded the Orange goal incessantly and the relatively low number of players (six a side) favoured a rich tally with fans on the stands spoiled for choice when deciding about the goal of the match.

To the superficial observer a 10-5 defeat would not spell glory for any member of the defeated defence, let alone the goalkeeper, but in fact it did indeed. Without Kaan in goal the scoreline would have assumed biblical proportion. He displayed a full array of skills to deny multiple times the eager Colours’ strikers with Diego F, Oliviero and Bijan running riot in the Orange defence where stoically Hossam was last bastion and never the one to surrender.

The game started well for the Orange: Federico, who was the star of the show last week, effectively gifted them the first goal and looked a distant player from just last time. Dads, from the wisdom of their experience, keep warning Kids day in, day out to stay grounded as it is very easy at such young age to give in to fame, glamour, success and money that naturally come with the territory of being a FK. We trust this is just a one off distraction from the young gifted Italian and expect of him a 24/7 focus for the next game.
The CLUB tolerates mistakes as long as they are not repeated (‘errare humanum, perseverare diabolicum’ is an old enough yet always validmquote) and a player ousted by FDs would simply not have a market anymore. He would literally not touch the ball anymore. Such is life in the FKs fast lane: why in any other team victory brings joy, at FDs and FKs it only bring relief as nothing less is expected of them.

Boosted by Federico’s rare mistake, Colours went to extend the lead fairly comfortably with goals by Adam and a supreme solo effort by Dario who danced his way to Colours’ goal while Ross and Francesco mostly operated from the flanks to facilitate Orange raids. Adam scored yet again a hat trick despite being on the losing side. He has now consistently averaged 2.5 goals per game. Why does not Pep Guardiola buy Adam and sell Haaland who only averages less than half of what Adam does? Well, there are financial implication: by selling Haarland Man City would only raise a fraction of the money needed to buy Adam and their creative accounting and leveraged balance sheet is already being questioned in high places. Besides the FDs striker is simply not for sale.

At that point the game looked like a one way traffic: Orange’s dominant position, leaning on monopolism, soon attracted the interest of the regulator who ordered a balancing swap. Bijian gave the Orange bib to Giancarlo, pretty much a spectator till then, and took on the Colours’ shirt, effectively turning the game from then on.
Also his new team mates rose to the occasion: Oliviero, back after few weeks absence, was bringing mobility and acceleration to the Colours’ attacks. Initially the volume of his work was penalised by a lack of accuracy in the finalisation but as soon as his aiming was finetuned the team was back in the game and quickly overtook Orange thanks to a hat trick by Diego F. The man from Avellino had another inspired match alternating goals and assists for the delight of the fans in the stands raising bipartisan approval. Julien as well was not happy to just watch his colleagues and, for good measure, guaranteed his customary solid performance with goals attached.

Bijan ended up scoring an unprecedented hat trick: other than his stellar individual performance that saw him dominating any area on the pitch, he was tactically a free man able to roam in attack thanks to the defensive coverage provided by the ever reliable Massimo. At this point, with the score at 8-4 for the Colours, only the golden goal could could have brought dignity back within the Colours’ camp. And it did, if any too quickly, courtesy a goal from Ross who hardly has a dry match.
The love of the game betrayed Orange who accepted to extend it and would soon regret it as Colours equalised soon after and went to win the third and final golden goal scored by Julien fixing the very final score at 10-5.
It was a confrontation hardly in contention, initially dominated by Orange and then after the swap by Colours. What the match lacked in unpredictability it gained in very entertaining individual pieces of skill aby a wide number of virtuosos who made the whole orchestra producing a superior performance much to the satisfaction of the crowd who has started demanding more metal as a single golden goal does not see any longer enough to satisfy them. Perhaps this alone explains the rise in gold price…

The Man who tried to spoil the Colours’ party, that is the new goalkeeper Kaan, was inevitably a favourite for the Man of the Match award and voters were not shy in recognising that. Yet that was not enough to turn the game and win the trophy. Who instead did the trick was Bijan: while quitting the Orange team he could well have creditably stated ‘apres moi le deluge’ while echoing Julius Caesar when joining Colours with ‘veni, vidi, vici’. Curiously JC said that after winning a battle in Turkey (then Asia Minor) while today Bijan had to to deal with the Turkish wall erected by
Kaan. Who said history does not repeat itself?

COLOURS-ORANGE 10-5

GOALS
COLOURS: Diego (3), Bijan (3), Oliviero (2), Julien (2)
ORANGE: Adam (3), Ross, Dario
TEAMS
COLOURS: Massimo Federico T, Julien, Giancarlo (Bijan), Diego, Oliviero
ORANGE: Kaan, Hossam, Bijan (Giancarlo), Adam, Ross, Francesco

After yet again an excellent job, Thomas title was updated to ‘Chief Gardener (as before) and Landscaper (new)’. What’s next?

There was the usual Rookie in the person of Oscar from England, introduced by Alistair: a proper Rookies as he scored on debut the very first goal of the match.
Fair to say it didn’t take him much to make an impression.

Brits are growing in number as Alistair introduced Rookies Oscar whose early goal contributed to Orange epic victory

A couple of the fans’ favourite were back today. Nizard, still nursing a knee injury, put that aside to be a thorn in the left side of the Colours’ defence while Daoud was back doing what he does best: scoring a bundle of any form and sort.
The narrator always has a duty, when quoting numbers, to make sure they are statistically proven and as such is given direct access to the data room as well as the data team. Daoud has scored an average of 3.7 goals per game played with FDs including 7 goals in the Master Game 10: an unassailable record for a major football final.
The bookmakers’ range for his today’s tally was 3 to 5. If any a conservative one considering that Orange didn’t have a natural central defender for the job as both Bijan and Alister were too precious patrolling the flanks doing both defensive and offensive work. Besides, the defensive legends of Hannes, Massimo and Chetan were wearing a different shirt.
On the shared assumption that Italians are ‘good for nothing but capable of everything’ Federico T looked like the least unnatural candidate for the job
and after few successful tackles he did look the part.

In the meanwhile Nizard, Jonathan D (JD) Giancarlo and Oscar looked like the were out of an intensive lesson with Euclid as their perfect one touch geometry led to a comfortable tap in by Oscar to give Orange the lead.
That was quickly doubled by Julien’s goal: once again the French midfield warrior showed he has an eye for goal raising an obvious question: why does the French national team bother with Rabiot? Je ne sais pas!
On the opposite front Colours’ attacks were raging with Paride flying right and left. Indeed Daoud scored but his goal was disallowed among fierce protest with the Ref threatening red cards to the whole community.
In another geometrical display this time it was JD to apply the finishing touch to seal a 3-0 lead for the Orange.
None of them though was under the slightest illusion that it was job done: each of the Colours’ plates, if any, was becoming faster and more furious as if he was deprived of a natural right to dominance. Daoud raised to the occasion by scoring a goal none would have dared to disallow as its beauty deserved to live on. But his goal instinct and trickery was today repressed in an unprecedented way by Federico who displayed a vast array of skills from timely tackles, aerial prowess, physical exuberance and fine touches.

It was then the time for another striker to shine, first with a superb shot and then in a curious way. When a dubious penalty was awarded to Colours, Adam demanded the ball sending it in the left corner and Paride the opposite way.
It was though a weird, tame shot, almost an unintended ‘Panenka’.
Did he mean it or was just a lucky mis-kick?
People who do not know Adam thought he might have mis-kicked. People who do know Adam thought he had absolutely mis-kicked it…
Whatever the verdict the fact remains that Adam has become a goal machine, dependable and consistent.
Besides, on any given Saturday he doesn’t get out of bed for just one goal as in the last three games he scored two hat tricks and one brace.

Interestingly Orange were not distraught about the 3-3 outcome but rather focused on maximising their energy for the golden goal which would have made their eventual victory the more tasteful. After few minutes of wild belligerence, on a short clearance by the Colours’ defence Giancarlo hit the winning ball with more accuracy than power to seal the victory that came, went and came back for good for the Orange team. The overjoyed Italian, after the oldest golden goal on records, was mobbed by journalists and almost forced to release a statement which he did:’ Scoring the golden goal was very emotional and I almost feel sorry that most of the players on the pitch cannot relate to it as they were not even born when I scored the last one! But I promise that before our second generation retire I will score another one!’

As for the Man of the Match the winner was unprecedentedly known soon after the game ended: with only 53% of the votes casted electronically 50.1% overall went to Federico for his epic defending and ability to never waste a ball under pressure. He was tested to the limit by best in class, namely Daoud, Ross and Adam. Not bad for someone who does the midfielder for a living proving that Football Kid is a status not restricted to a specific role.

There were loads of heated discussions on Ref’s decisions leading to heavy accusations of favouring one side in exchange for benefits. To his credit the Ref stated: ‘I firmly deny any partisan refereeing as I always make sure I take the very same amount of bribes from both sides and bad decisions are evenly split as demonstrated today by the two penalties, one for each side’

Fans were grateful beyond measure for being treated to another thrilling match in the knowledge that, whatever abuse they might suffer for the rest of today and tomorrow, it will always be a great weekend thanks to early work of Football Dads and Kids.


ORANGE-COLOURS 4-3
GOALS
ORANGE: Oscar, Julien, Jonathan D (JD), Giancarlo
COLOURS: Adam (2), Daoud

TEAMS
ORANGE: Paride, Federico, Bijan, Alister, Julien, Gregorio, Jonathan D, Oscar, Nizar, Giancarlo
COLOURS: Alessandro, Hannes, Chetan, Massimo, Thomas, Andrea M, Jonathan R (JR), Johannes, Ross, Adam, Daoud

The day saw the long awaited return of Christian. The key reason for his rare appearance is that his club in Boston, the now famous Framing Ham Indipendiente (in fact very dependent from Christian’s performance), is very reluctant to let him play away for fear of injury. But what they have lately noticed is that, whenever he comes back from a FDs game, Christian plays like he was Messi and Ronaldo in one. Clearly the benefit of the latter outweigh the risk of the former so the Kensington Gardens’ mob might get a chance to see him more often.
Christian was interviewed (video attached) at the end of the match and gave his take on the speculation that Trump wants him to take the American citizenship and lead USA to glory in the next World Cup. This is ‘Premium’ content but you, as a contributor to the game, are allowed to watch it for free.

Christian made an appearance from Boston and showed he hasn’t lost his touch while Branko proves FDs are elegant on and off the pitch!

Importantly, as with last Saturday, Hossam from the side-line videoed the match coordinating a full crew of cameramen to catch the match’s every move and, at times, entertaining the wing players with casual chats.

Without Hannes the teams’ selection was a trickier exercise than usual: for example the central Orange axis usually made by him and Hossam was this time replaced by the unlikely combination of Matej and Giancarlo. To counter that, Orange had a state of the art midfield under the strict command of Gregorio and a young, impressive attack made by Dario, Diego, Juan Paulo (JP) and Omer. On paper that looked like a formidable goal machine. The problem was that the match was played on grass, and a fairly uneven, slippery one where grit and pace could get the better of class and finesse.

Any team starting with Paride as a guardian is supposed to do well. If then you add Massimo in front of him the supposition becomes a fact. Alister, Andre’, Al and Andrea added fluency on the wings while Federico, Johannes and Rookie Kaan were always on the front foot to feed the lethal trident formed by Giacomo, Ross and Adam
who restlessly attacked the Orange goal defended by Alessandro from every available angle. Kaan, other than contributing to Colours’ victory, brings in TURKEY as the 73rd NATIION and allows his mate Giacomo, who introduced him to FDs, to cash in a 100£ Amazon voucher to be spent on FDs memorabilia. A welcome addition after the Nations’ list was stuck at 72 for many months.

Giacomo introduced Kaan to the magic world of FDs and FKs. Kaan in return brought Turkey as the 73rd Nation and debuted with a sound victory. Welcome Kaan!

The game started, for the second consecutive time, as a 11 v 11and saw Orange taking the initiative with confident moves which were either inches away from goal or saved by Paride. While strikers were adjusting their aim, Gregorio decided to take matters in his own feet and twice struck from distance.
The existing balance was unsettled by one late arrival who gave the ‘one man up’ to the Colours who started attacking furiously forcing an own goal by Matej who had till then an excellent game. Soon after Johannes with a superb shot under the bar and Adam with no less than (another) hat trick dramatically changed the course of the match who recorded a 6-2 score for the Colours at the 11.45 mark.

There has never been such a thing or an excuse by any players as being tired after 100’ of muddy, non-stop football as the prospect of the golden goal brings a massive, explosive adrenaline rush that demands the full exploitation of whatever resource is required by the occasion. There is no better reward in the life of an athlete than opening the home door and shouting like a madman: ‘I’ve scored the golden goal’.
The honour, this time and not for the first time, fell on that left foot of Johannes who
placed the ball from a distance in the bottom corner giving the goalkeeper no chance whatsoever.
The 7-2 score for the Colours does not tell the full story of a match which was always in contention and changed owner half way through.

At half time Gregorio seemed on a motorway to get the Man of the Match award having scored a brace and firmly holding the keys of the game. But one of the feature of FDs football is its unpredictability. Adam, who can turn villain to hero and vice versa, anytime, many times in the game was the turning factor with his hat-rick but voters felt compelled to hand the ultimate reward to Johannes both for his hard and quality work in midfield as much as for his brace including the golden goal.
Johannes always makes it by default to the MOTM shortlist but has missed it for quite few weeks. Some critics point out that the departure of Yassin has perversely deprived him of the reason to go the extra mile, a bit like Messi would do without Ronaldo.
But not this time!

COLOURS-ORANGE 7-2
GOALS

COLOURS: Adam (3), Johannes (2), Matej. (og), Ross

ORANGE: Gregorio (2)

TEAMS

COLOURS: Paride, Massimo, Andre’, Al, Andrea, Alister, Federico, Johannes, Kaan, Giacomo, Ross, Adam

ORANGE: Alessandro, Bijan, Matej, Thomas, Giancarlo, Christian, Jonathan R (JR), Dario, Juan Pablo (JP), Omer, Diego