Colours prevail 5-4 after a thrilling comeback battle
An exceptional crowd of 29 players contributed to one of the most epic matches in recent history
“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.
“Victor played like Batistuta with Brazilian artistry on top!”
“Francesco glued the high ball to his foot!”
“You just don’t get past Massimo: he either kicks the ball or the leg—never mind if it’s the ball!”
There was also time to test the fan’s FDs knowledge. Here is a series of idiosyncratic quotes every fan should know:
“Give him options!”,
“Watch the runners!”
“No Shot!”
“Early ball!”
“Let me take it: I always score from this position!”
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
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