The Grand Finale: Oranges show their true colours to win 8-7
You could have not made up a more thrilling finale for the year. A game that looked out of contention after few minutes, a seven goals glorious remuntada which nevertheless was not enough to clinch victory, sealed instead by the opposition with a dramatic golden goal.
People these days go to Winter Wonderland, try the rollercoaster and then come to our match for extra-adrenaline. Each of the countless number of fans thought that the sheer elation of the show before their eyes was a very good price for the risk of catching Covid. Besides had they caught it, the prospect of spending 10 days in isolation watching the match over and over again would have been a blessing in disguise.
The Oranges started with one man up and Yassin on their side. Were the CLUB algorithms already on holiday? Colours proudly wanted game on but the odds were stuck firmly against them and only Santa Claus could have brought them the gift of victory.
The Oranges had a compelling mix of youth and experience, technique and lungs which was put to work right from the start: the tempo was fast and accelerating like a boxer who wants to win with a quick knockout and go home. Yassin naturally attracted opponents like bees on honey thus leaving George and Chakir to have their flanks as free as an airport in lockdown.
George delighted the crowd with a display of twists and turns, taking on opposition regardless and distributing the ball two footed. At 13 he already looks like a distinct threat for the MG8 and beyond. Ben was nodding in approval. Chakir did just that on the other size and his clinical finishing allowed him to score a bonanza putting his side 5-0 up with also Yassin and Ben contributing.
At that point there was only one thing to do for the Oranges: unnoticed to even his team mates Giancarlo checked online Hannes’ price and thought it was a prohibitive figure he went ahead and struck the sensational transfer. Now it was the Oranges’ time to be one up and fill the five goals gap. Khaled seized the momentum and put a couple of goals in: there was a watershed moment as well. Khaled was fouled just inside the box for a blatant penalty and Victor was lucky to escape the red card.
Perversely the Colours decided to take a free kick instead: were they expecting Giancarlo to miss the penalty anyway…? Well, Hossam and Hannes knew it better. They took an articulated free kick: the ball had goal written all over it and when it ended in the back of the net nobody was really surprised. All of a sudden all weekends away from their families, rehearsing set pieces made instant sense: everyone could see they were serving a superior purpose.
The gap was filled and overcome with Johannes and Marco adding to the tally for an unthinkable 7-5 for the Colours. But then the unthinkable happened again: the Oranges dug deep in their pockets and bought back Hannes for a sum that got the Office of Fair Trading investigating. The final score then being subject to the outcome of such inquiry.
Despite some heroic defending, namely Hossam taking away the ball from the net with a sliding rescue, the Oranges smelt blood, squeezed every drop of juice left in them and went for the jugular bringing the game to 7-7. At which point only the golden goal could separate the belligerents. Ben took matters in his feet with one of his lethal incursions to hand a hardly fought victory to the Oranges and gift every fan on stand an adrenaline filled experience.
Chakir and Khaled deserved recognition for their fertile contribution to the game making the most from the restless work from Yassin and Johannes in midfield with their traditional coast to coast run. But the Man of the Match award could not end but in Hannes’ hands: impressively, he started with the Oranges and they went 5-0. When he swapped the score as if by magic became 5-7 and at his final turn it ended 8-7. That is what you call a man in control of his and team destiny. Was it not for his and other players integrity you could be forgiven for thinking that it was a match fix…
Finally thanks to Hossam for providing brand new safety straps for the goals bags allowing a faster carrying for a prompter start to our future games.
I’m off next week but Francesco is back and Saturday is Christmas. Tempted?