The perfect number: eleven
Before the match even started, Julien was already on a hat trick on a motorway to become Man of the Match. How did that happen? Initially everyone thought that a glitch in the CLUB IT system messed up the reporting of the scoring. In fact as it turned out at a deeper analysis it was a major hacking attack by the Premier League jointly with Serie A to bring back fans and viewers flocking to FDs. Doing the recount our French star player was in credit of three goals. This surplus ties in nicely with the fact that at times the commentator does not recall the score, let alone the scorers, and to have few pre-existing goals to reallocate is definitely a bonus.
Remarkably the match started with an 11 a side format with also the participation of two young rookies: Elias from Spain and Anton from Russia playing in the opposite teams and both showing they have what it takes to play at this level.
‘Future is bright, Future is Orange!’ stated on the many banners decorating the stands patrolled by the Orange fans.
Indeed they had many reasons to be optimistic looking at the combination of heavyweights and young guns within their teams with Yassin, Khaled and Adam G able to mix pace and skills at will.
Colours though were not amateurs either: each name you picked could have comfortably made a living in any PL team (doing what is not for the commentator to ascertain…) but if you looked at the stature of the other Orange players you would have gone along with the bookmakers in favouring the latter. Besides, tactically the Colours were lacking defensive optionality with Christian being the only role centre/full back. This showed with the Orange tide raising undisturbed since the first minutes: hardly any player in the world can move in a straight vertical line like Yassin does and before the Colours knew they were down 3-0 courtesy a brace by Yassin and a goal by Victor.
Colours struggled in attack: Francesco played against the team doctor’s advice and could not impact the game. On the wings Andrea and George put in the middle many interesting balls only for Hossam and Hannes to dominate them. And when someone got the sniff of the goal Paride made sure that there was no bite thereafter with the notable exception of Yousef who someone found the way to violate the Orange goal and give hope to the vociferous Colours’ fans. Only to be silenced again in one of the many assaults to Alessandro’s goal by a precise shot by Khaled fixing the score at 4-1.
At this point the Orange team could afford fancy football with some players indulging in prolonged dribbles, one of which attracted the loud and colourful criticism of a senior teammate: some of the curtains at the windows of Kensington Palace were drawn only to be reopened soon after: FDs addiction is far superior to Royal etiquette.
At one point one of the Colours’ warrior, that is Ben, got injured and had to leave the pitch. That gave the opportunity to reshuffle things with Adam Jr bringing new blood to the dejected Colours. But time was not on their side and after much battling the score stayed the same.
Only the golden goal could come to the Orange rescue. The Orange were far from satisfied to have won in style the main match to the point that when they won the first corner also Paride went in the Colours’ box to leverage on his aerial prowess and put his mark on the game also outside the goal. But as it happened already last week opposition had a different script : Orange managed to clear the box and on the counter Johannes scored the last goal of the game giving the Colours’ fans a reason to mock back the Colours’ ones who had been taking the piss all match long.
Why would Paride take such a risk again exposing his team and not learning a lesson from last week? Rumor has it that not only he wants to go down in football history as one the greatest goalkeepers ever, but also beat the record of Brazilian goalkeeper Rogelio Ceni who holds the record of most goals scored: 131. Considering the career span of a FD that is something within reach but perhaps his team should cover his back better.
The Man of the Match award was as reassuring as it was expected: in fact Yassin showed that his injury is a distant memory and is back winning matches almost on his own as he has done regularly before.
ORANGE-COLOURS 4-2
GOALS
ORANGE: Yassin (2), Victor, Khaled
COLOURS: Yousuf, Johannes
TEAMS
ORANGE: Paride, Hannes, Hossam, Thomas, Julien, Khaled, Adam G, Adam B, Yassin, Victor, Elias
COLOURS: Alessandro, Christian, Ben, Johannes, Anton, Giancarlo, Mohammad, George, Francesco, Yousuf, Andrea.