The goal is empty! (until it’s not)
Undeterred by the many absences for the holidays, Football Dads ended 2024 and started 2025 in style with two exciting matches.
On the last Saturday before Christmas, seven players gave life to a thrilling performance that featured one goalkeeper (TonyL) and two teams of 3 alternating roles in attack and defence. Think of it as a Baseball version of football but without the bat.
Despite their relative simplicity, the rules took a little while to be defined, and throughout the game nobody was entirely sure as to what event would trigger the team roles swap. But overall it was a smart way to account for a players deficit and ensure strong drama and plenty of goals.
Sporting his signature Arsenal shirt Hannes provided the necessary festive colour, although his actions as defender didn’t demonstrate much Christmas spirit! No statistics for this game, but plenty of pictures (top and below).
Fast forward to the 4th of January for the first match of the new year. In an icy morning, with snow on the forecast, a dozen unshakable FDs produced a highly entertaining, contested, and goal-rich opener to the 2025 season.
Despite having been down three goals from the start, the Colours went into a lead at 10-9, and extended it to 14-10 at the final whistle.
In between were action-packed minutes. The Bibbed took the early lead with their fluid passing game and precise and powerful scoring, especially by the unstoppable Anton. At times, the Bibbeds’ passing game was so slick that it seemed simply unstoppable.
When Andre interpreted the rush goalkeeper rule in an all too generous way, a penalty was given, and there was a risk of an unassailable gap. However, Hannes managed to befuddle Anton enough to prevent him (for the first time) from scoring, and the game subsequently turned. Not only the Colours started to make their numerical advantage count, but they extended it by moving to play a very high line. While this exposed them to the odd counter-attacking goal, the risk paid off as the team slowly but steadily went into a narrow lead.
When the scoreline was 11-9 for the Colours, Thomas departed, and Francesco swapped sides going to the Bibbed (as a late arrival his role was to be the joker). With the numbers finally balanced at six vs. six, the expectation was that the Bibbed would now mount a remuntada. And indeed, they quickly narrowed the Colours’ lead to one goal. However, the undeterred Colours stuck to their high line strategy, even pushing it further.
During one of his attacks, Hannes raided the right wing and ended up almost on the other side of the pitch, leaving his goal empty. Now leading the Bibbed’s attack, Francesco saw a unique opportunity, and as soon his teammate got the ball he screamed them “THE GOAL IS EMPTY”. Indeed it was, but the Bibbed were not quick enough. By the time they got to the opposite end of the pitch, the goal was somehow no longer empty… with Johannes covering it after a sprint that would make Usain Bolt envious. Eventually, it was the Colours who finally found the precision in their goal-scoring that had eluded them earlier, and brought the game comfortably home.
There were many beautiful goals. The ever-improving Julien scored for the Colours five times with great precision and timing. Johannes, Francesco and Ishan also netted the goal while Anton, Bijian and Andrea scored for the Bibbed (the exact numbers of goals scored by each of them eludes your chronicler).
Playing on the left wing, Raphael showed great composure and promise. There was impressive goalkeeping by Chetan – he stood firm like a cricket batter, keeping out numerous shots – and by Hannes, with his diving saves.
Overall, it was a fitting start to what will hopefully be a wonderful football season, that will be full of joy, absent of any acrimony or injuries, and hopefully with the return of some of our most loved players.
Have a very Happy New Year!