Negroni (almost) an unlikely Man of the Match as Oliviero turns the game as he turns sober.
Given the wonderful weather a superior attendance was to be expected but somehow ‘only’ 17 players turned up. Of course the extraordinary factor was that quite a few FDs and FKs are fully engaged in the World Cup. Luckily, Italy decided not to take part in it, hence on the day the Italian contingent was open for business amounting to half of the players on the pitch.
Orange had to cope with a rotating keeper and few role defenders but that was a choice rather than necessity in the conviction that Hossam, alone at the centre of defence, was enough to scare any opposition away from the box, to get sucked into a midfield packed with plenty of shrewd Orange operators. A team with such forward traction would either score or concede loads. In fact both happened.
The two sets of fans had different hopes but the common belief was that they were in for the usual Saturday treat.
Colours instead had a more defensive structure with Giancarlo deputising for one of the many missing central defenders, Andre’ and Andrea as full backs with Rookie Emanuele, Edo’s brother, active on the right flank with licence to advance and operate between enemy lines. He had a solid game, often facing off to his brother on the opposite side. Given such prudent Colours’ set up Bijan felt compelled to play in a more forward position flanking Dario alone in midfield with Davide just behind Daoud who played a sole striker.
Edoardo and Emanuele played in opposite teams to make sure victory staid in the family
Such unorthodox formations were untested and it didn’t take long to prove them exposed to mounting attacks from both sides
Colours were faster to adapt to the unusual gameplan and Daoud made sure that whenever a ball was played to him, he would make the most of it starting with one goal and finishing with a handful. While Colours maintained the lead also thanks to a brace by prolific Bijan, Orange were always in the game courtesy of Aurian who simply cannot stop scoring, to the point that his valuation has shot up to a level unaffordable to most clubs.
Francesco also scored one and assisted twice: his goals might have stalled a bit but his Goal/Assists ratio is up there with the best .
At this point with the score at 5-3 for the Colours few things happened. Daoud, and before Davide, picked up an injury and that reduced the Colours’ firing power. But the game changer happened when Oliviero, until then ambulating without a purpose, shrugged off the last of many Negroni he had just few hours before and finally put to work that right foot of his which is as predictable as it is lethal. In a breath taking sequence he laid a hat trick with angled, low, razor-sharp shots that put Orange in front.
From there on, thanks to more goals by Adam and clockwork from midfield led by Morteza, Orange never looked back and sealed the day with an emphatic 10-7 win. It was not always plain sailing but they deserved victory and in the end at times Orange attack was too much for Colours’ defence to cope with despite reiterated saves from Alessandro.
The game and the weather took a lot out of the energies of the players to the point that the golden goal was not played. Few fans complained claiming that golden goal is a birth right and cannot be taken away on the simple ground of exhaustion. The matter was closed with the promise that next Saturday both the golden and the platinum goal will scored.
As for Man of the Match the first half one was Daoud, the second half Oliviero but the MOTM of both half was again Aurian who will use part of the award proceeds to buy a bigger cabinet. Few voters wrote Negroni as their MOTM and to be fair that was the game changer.
ORANGE-COLOURS 10-7
GOALS
ORANGE: Aurian (4), Oliviero (3), Francesco, Adam (2)
COLOURS: Daoud (5), Bijan (2)
TEAMS
ORANGE: Hossam, Morteza, Jonathan R, Edo, Aurian, Oliviero, Francesco, Adam,
COLOURS: Alessandro, Andrea M, Giancarlo, Andre’, Emanuele, Bijan, Dario, Davide, Daoud