A thrilling game and a Policeman tale
It was a game ripe with anticipation.
For a start there was not a single empty seat on the stands: even the most glamorous WAGS and their dog had to watch the match from the sidelines.
Kids had spared no money and airmiles in their quest for additional talent: this time they landed a Rookie, Jamie from Columbia (see top photo). This, other than adding a fast and proactive winger able to link incessantly defence to attack, also boosted the Nations list with its 69th member: this comes after the official 66th, the addition of forgotten Slovenia and the previous new entry back in mid-September which was Ghana with Rookie Harry.
Both goals were defended by professional, awards winning goalkeepers like Paride and Tony L and that in itself was a guarantee that the score would have likely remained in the single digits. Not least because both defensive lineups were of the highest quality and experience: the Colours were boosted by the comeback of Massimo, always up for a fight, along the ever-reliable Thomas. The colours instead took inspiration from the past fielding the closest possible version of the iconic pair Maldini-Baresi in the mature version of Branko-Giancarlo. Just in case some of the fans would miss the similarity they were both wearing AC Milan shirts.
Orange had a younger team on paper but Colours in the starting phase made the best use of experience by deploying a more fluent game with Yassin in the middle directing traffic. It was nevertheless Giuseppe, in splendid form and playing the open wide field, who put the Orange in front in what though turned out to be a short-lived lead.
In fact on the opposite right flank Omer since the very start proved to be a thorn in the side of the Orange defence: in the space of few minutes he landed a hat-trick proving unstoppable. This together with an opportunistic goal by Francesco, today also effective in running back, gave Colours a comfortable lead but none among them felt secure and rightly so.
When Orange were attacking passing, without looking, automatically the ball left right from Johannes to Dario, to Giuseppe and to Jamie they looked like one of those All Blacks attack destined invariably to end beyond the line.
Besides, from a tactical standpoint, while initially the more advanced position of Yassin initially benefitted the Colours’ goalscoring, in the second part it was critically exposing them to the fast and furious counterattacks of the Orange. Johannes mastered the new wave implacably soring five times adding two assists on the way.
Nevertheless thanks to goal by Oliviero and Giancarlo the margin got reduced to one goal only with the Colours missing an open goal which would have sealed a dramatic comeback. The fighting so close that there was no more time to stretch it further with only the golden goal left for the Colours to claim parity.
It fell on the youngest on the pitch, Arman, to put the final mark, assisted by Johannes, on a thrilling game that could have continued until Monday before any of the two teams would concede defeat. But time, this time, was on the Orange side and it had to be called a day to the disappointment of the players, still fresh as Autumn roses.
As for the Man of the Match award until three quarters of the game Omer looked like a sure winner. Then, after receiving a harsh treatment by his markers and being at times sidelined, and with Johannes laying his law on the match there was no question that with five goals and two assists nobody could dispute his entitlement to the coveted trophy.
Although October matches did not have a commentary, there is one tale that needs to be told: few weeks ago, while playing by the Pond, a police car stopped by the pitch to enquire about our entitlement to play on the ground. No verbal reassurance nor explanation convinced them until our paper concession, brilliantly obtained long ago by our Chairman Hossam, was luckily found at the bottom of Giancarlo rucksack. Only then the two officers dropped the case and one of them gladly accepted to take a penalty, coolly converting it as the keeper conveniently dived the opposite way.
No doubt this is an episode that will soon be turned into a West End hit or some sort of Kids tale: something like ‘The policeman who wanted to give a penalty and took a penalty instead’ with lyrics by Hannes. The episode also goes a long way to prove the ‘disarming’ power of FDs.
On a more serious note, can you please for good measure print a copy of the attached concession email and keep it in your Saturday’s backpack for the next time.
ORANGE-COLOURS 8-6
GOALS ORANGE: Giuseppe, Johannes (5), Arman (2)
GOALS COLOURS: Omer (3), Francesco, Giancarlo, Oliviero
ORANGE: Paride, Massimo, Thomas, Andrea M, Dario, Jamie, Giuseppe, Arman, Johannes
COLOURS: Tony L, Branko, Giancarlo, Bijan, Yassin, Omer, Francesco, Nizard, Oliviero,