The sleepless week ahead
‘ We just googled ‘most exciting things to do in London for the weekend’’. This is what the head of the tourists group in the picture said when asked what brought them down to Kensington Palace. When he then explained to his people that that would have implied missing out on the Jubilee he was met with the following redundant question: ‘ would you rather see a Queen or 14 Kings (of Football)?’
This was the mood surrounding the last match before the MG8. For every player this game always meant the last chance to impress and get a place in the starting XI with their name set in the stone of football history. Every Kid in school would be able to say in no time any formation of any MG.
The week ahead any MG is sleepless and those who actually sleep are ashamed to confess it as if they don’t realise what is upon them.
Yassin today was there but unfortunately not playing due to injury suffered a couple of weeks ago and the devastating news is that he will miss MG8 although everyone, but the Kids, hope in a miracle this week. The Club physio Team is on the case 24/7 and, should Yassin not make it, his natural Super Sub Leo Messi has been precautionary kept in London after the Finalissima. Leo knows full well that with a MG in the bag no one will never ever question who the GOAT is.
Today’s formations didn’t look carefully balanced as the Colours seemed to have the perfect combination of youth and experience. Besides they had a professional keeper in goal in Tony L, with Paride and Alessandro MIA. But as always the pitch was the ultimate judge and anyone writing off a team with Terminator Tony in his ranks would question his decision every other second.
The Club has designed a specific program for each Dad allowing their form to peak right at the MG8. Francesco seemed to be the one best assimilating it by opening the score in style: Johannes put a ball on a plate for him but there was still work to be done
and the conversion was flawless.
Francesco again doubled up and Adam with a solo run added the third from a precarious angle interrupting Tony S unbeaten run as a rotating goalie at 4.5 seconds.
There were calls to reset teams but they should have known better. Orange hit in their pride defiantly refused and responded the way die-hard do: straight retaliation. Julian and Julien were tireless in midfield, Federico fought like a gladiator, Yuv and Giacomo were constant thorns in the Colours defence and Tony S was sending shivers down the Colours’ defence at every single move. And we are talking about columns of the game like Hossam and Hannes not just novices.
Julian broke the ice for the Orange followed by Giacomo getting close at 3-2 but on the other from Francesco was on fire doubling his initial tally to an impressive four goals.
Yuv kept the Orange hopes alive by gaining and converting a penalty and Tony L denied Orange the equaliser with an ‘octopus’ save deploying multiple hands to stop few shots a blank point distance. It was Hannes though who poured cold water on the Orange fire by settling the score at 7-5 with a deft touch behind enemies line. The latter could not though be denied the Golden Goal which they scored with Julian giving sense to a game fought against the odds with admirable passion and stamina as well as tactical acumen.
The Man of the Match award was one of the least contentious as Francesco showed clinical finishing and this bodes well for the Dads at the MG8 but the Kids defence is on red alert and Johannes is on the other side. It will be the fight of the century. Stay tuned.
Giancarlo Castelli
COLOUR-ORANGE 6-5
GOALS
COLOURS: Francesco (4), Adam, Hannes
ORANGE: Julian (2), Yuv, Giacomo, Federico
TEAMS
COLOURS: Tony L, Hossam, Hannes, Diego, Johannes, Adam, Francesco
ORANGE: Giancarlo, Federico F, Giacomo, Julian, Julien, Tony S, Yuv
[game photos by Yassin]