“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster”

Kensington Gardens put up its best show to welcome back FDs and FKs after four months absence: the pitch was green, the grass thick, the sky ‘azzurro’ without a cloud and something familiar in the air: the smell of that grass.
Dino Zoff, the legendary Italian goalkeeper, when asked about the most beautiful thing about the beautiful game had no hesitation: it was not raising the World Cup as captain nor his record in non conceding a goal. It was the smell of the grass.
The sun was so bright and hot to require an unprecedented water break which took fans by surprise but did not prevent them from keeping cheering their idols.
The turnout was good enough considering many FDs have been hitting the beaches already and deservedly so after such an intense, energy draining season and the Euro 2020.
The Bibbed directed by Hossam put their mark on the game without hesitation and, despite having a very forward leaning formation on paper, showed a good balance with Jeremy T in the role of Terminator converting every single ball provided by his teammates. Adam with the impudence of his thirteen years alternated great deliveries to one to one dribbles outpacing the Unbibbed defence at times solid as a rock and sometimes static as a rock. Khaled and Victor provided both finalisation and mobility giving options on the pitch to the man in possession.
The Unbibbed were not amused: with Philipp and Johannes patrolling midfield the squad had gravitas in abundance, with the ability to score as well as to release the young guns Sara and Nima with Thomas lurking at short distance.
There were a lot of goals scored with a huge concentration as four players scored 13 of the 15 goals. Jeremy T opened fire in rapid succession but was countered by Johannes and Philipp who bombarded the Bibbed goal but often found a wall in Alessandro who made incredible saves both in number and quality. Even Paride couldn’t not beat him from the penalty stop. Had Gianluigi Donnarumma being in the stand he would have certainly handed over to him the ‘player of the tournament’ won at Euro 2020. By the way at PSG he will be in good company as the French club employs 9 goalkeepers.
Comforted by such defensive solidity the Bibbed went on to dominate the game with Adam scoring a solo goal dribbling whoever dared to confront him and Khaled taking home the golden goal bringing his tally to a hat trick. Jeremy T with five goals was the inevitable Man of Match and drew yet again inevitable comparisons with Thierry Henry but not sure the latter ever scored five in a game and such a tough game.
It was a humbling defeat for the Unbibbed but when they were presented with the losers’ medals they sported it gracefully like these two Italian players in the pic below who missed penalties in a World Cup final condemning their side to defeat. Had they both scored Italy would have 5 World cups and Brazil 4. But it didn’t matter. To paraphrase the great Rudyard Kipling:
‘If you can meet with triumph and disaster. And treat these two impostors just the same, then you are a champion’.
BIBBED v UNBIBBED 10-5
BIBBED: Alessandro, Hossam, Adam G,
Jeremy T, Khaled Alg, Victor
UNBIBBED: Paride, Giancarlo, Johannes, Philipp, Sara, Nima, Thomas
GOALS:
BIBBED: Jeremy T (5), Khaled (3), Adam, Nima.
UNBIBBED: Philipp (3), Johannes (2)