Bring 2024 on!
In some parts the pitch looked more of a marsh but every single player was more than equipped to navigate it with the default kit of endurance and skills.
From the very first touches of the ball you could tell right away away there were no slugs from festivities. Fourteen mean and lean machines programmed for enemy annihilation were only too eager to get the job done in the most clinical way and leave a mark in the first match of 2024.
No fan would miss such a show and in fact there was not a single empty seat. As always security had to be extra vigilant to prevent people without a ticket from forcing their way in.
The formations were intriguing: Paride in goal and the outside players’ experience were the Orange assets while Colours had youth written all over them with the notable exception of Thomas and Francesco who provided the necessary experience for the team to work seamlessly as a unit.
Orange look confident on the ball and had most of the possession: their game was like clockwork up to the edge of the box but the many opportunities created lacked at times finalisation. Which instead on the opposite front was taken with both feet by Marco who unleaded a surgically precise shot into the bottom left corner from a long distance to officially score the first goal of 2024.
Frustrated by the undeserved outcome but still able to respond rationally, the Orange calmly did not rush into the Colours’ box but opted for feeding Daoud with long, accurate crosses and passes that cut out the dynamic opposition midfield. It was a strategy highly dependent on the magic left foot of Sara but it did pay instant dividend allowing Orange to level and go ahead.
In the process Giancarlo missed a sitter by sending the ball over the bar from almost the goal line. Few commentators came to the rescue arguing that the state of the pitch was penalising the finest players, yet physicists could not find an explanation for the miss.
Daoud in the meanwhile was simply unstoppable scoring with every part of his body five times. Did he not score six because he couldn’t be bothered to bring home two balls for the double hat-trick? We’ll never know the answer to that but the suspicion is legitimate as he really gave the impression to be able to score whenever he felt like doing it.
On the opposite front there was not resignation: the Ragni family started the year doing what they did last year scoring one goal each with Andrea and Francesco and keeping the game in contention.
Other than Daoud the one that came closer to score for Orange was Paride: in one of his many raids he sent a sensational volley hitting the net but it was never clear whether the shot was in or out and even VAR was inconclusive. Much to the disappointment of the Orange fans it was ruled out and the score stayed at 5-3 with the Colours’ left to seek revenge with the golden goal.
The player who opened the score was also the one to seal it with a fine touch: Marco even did it with his weak left foot which rose to the occasion.
The match also saw the unexpected return of Lukas among the Kids. He is firmly in the history books for scoring the winner of the first Master game at the tender age of ten inflicting sheer pain to the incredulous Dads, some of whom have not yet recovered.
As for the Man of the Match, you just need to look at the scoreline to guess the winner. Daoud scored five, more than half the match total and represented a permanent nightmare for the whole Colours defence, in fact any defence. Had there been a assist-player of the Match award, Sara would have been the undisputed recipient having provided Daoud with the best and more consistent passes of the game.
Such a good beginning bodes well for the rest of 2024 which, with MG10 and our 20th anniversary, has to be worth of our total commitment and passion.
ORANGE-COLOURS 5-4
GOALS
ORANGE: Daoud (5)
COLOURS: Marco (2), Andrea, Francesco
TEAMS
ORANGE: Paride, Hossam, Chetan, Julien, Sara, Giancarlo, Daoud,
COLOURS: Thomas, Al, Marco, Andrea, Lukas, Francesco, Arman
