The spies from Newcastle spice up a game which Colours win in style (8-6) led by an inspired Aurian
Spring would only announce itself on a Saturday and today was the chosen one. The bright sun and the green pitch, the colours of the Brazilian flag, looked the right chromatic ornament to a match fought fiercely by 19 players.
In retrospective a better job could have been done to balance teams out but in fairness the absence of the official goalkeepers complicated matters as awell as the even number.
There were important comebacks, the most notable of which was Christian who flew transatlantic to be present to the best event in town. As a regular player in his Boston team he looked the part boasting an excellent physical condition as well as strong fundamentals allowing him to play in different parts of the pitch. Should Italy qualify for the World Cup he is going to be a valuable asset for Gattuso. If instead Italy fails to be there for the third consecutive time, Christian will be snatched in no time by the USA team regardless. While people pay top dollars to have a Visa, Christian will be paid an undisclosed sum to be able to represent the star and stripes team.
Christian was back gracing the Pond Pitch today where he found his football soul mate Matej to put up a defensive wall that not even Dario (in the middle) could break.
Colours started with one man down but it was clear to everyone just after few touches that this was far from being an hindrance. If any the opposite. They had a plan and it showed. They deployed a pyramidal 4-3-2 relying on good feet as much a manic rehearsals during the week. With few sudden moves the module would turn into a 2-4-3 without opposition realising it. At times the rotating goalkeeper would come up with the ball dictating the play, de facto adopting a very aggressive, unorthodox 3-4-3 with no keeper which not even Guardiola would even dare experimenting. FDs is a lab where new initiatives rise and shine like the sun in the morning but they don’t set in the evening. Execution risk is kept at a minimum by the different fabric of the players: ‘ Forged in fire, Hardened in ice’ is what you find on FDs flag.
Aurian leveraged the Colours’ system to perfection to hit the Orange net twice. Johannes as always was holding the keys in midfield and used twice his licence to score as well as feeding the strikers with penetrating assists.
It was not though a one way street as a very lively Jonathan D on the opposite front also found the net twice after raiding the right flank. Not a mean feature against the granitic Colours’ defence where Hannes went into every single tackle as if his life depended on it. Matej was also back contributing to a solid back four performance including Riccardo and the Slovenian also show proficiency in goal. Matej stroke a first: no handball, no penalty conceded and no own goal. An impeccable performance fans were ready to acknowledge loudly.
Orange took heart and Jonathan L reduced the gap with a fabulous thunder shot on the top corner. And not for the first time’ Davide came agonisingly close to score with a powerful strike shaving the post and he also provided an assist.
Dario and Ross gave additional hope to the Orange with clever goals but on the opposite front Francesco and Adam took advantage of the ample spaces provided by the Orange furious attacking, by outplaying defenders with clever passing and clinical finishing. Adam had a brace to his credit which, for such a prolific player, is just par for the course. Not even a defender like Chetan, widely accepted at every latitude as the new Maldini, could do much against the Colours’ tide. His strong performance nonetheless did not detract suitors from enquiring about his availability and market value, including the very Paolo Maldini (see pic below)
Paolo Maldini, a keen FDs follower, is constantly looking for young talents. When Giancarlo last met him, Paolo asked if Chetan was for sale. To which Giancarlo replied: ‘Paolo, as much as I like you, there are players money cannot buy: Chetan is one of them. As a mark of respect I will send you both Chetan’s signed football and cricket shirts’.
At 11.45 the big board showed a 7-5 score to the Colours’ advantage. Orange went into the golden goal thinking of nothing else but revenge at all costs. Bijan, who before came very close to scoring the goal of the season with a ferocious volley that kissed the bar, this time made sure that his effort hit the net right on the first minute. The crow decided that the excitement was as intense as short lived and they wanted more: it is not everywhere that fans dictate the rules but considering what they pay for a FDs season ticket, perhaps they had a point.
Colours didn’t like what they saw and felt there was still time to go for ‘the winner takes it all’ approach. Adam obliged to seal the day in style for Colours with a comprehensive and well deserved victory.
Voters of the Man of the Match often pick from the winning team and this time was no exception. Yet the shortlist included two players from the Orange camp. Jonathan D scored a brace and kept his team in the game in the first half while Smayan showed composure and maturity in midfield dictating the right tempo.
If you score a hat trick and belong to the winning team voters will notice: Aurian not only did that but he also stood out as a proper team player always showing a positive attitude: besides, he posses agility and speed allowing him to get there first. Something not so easy when you face a Football Dad…
Finally a disturbing occurrence which requires action: yet again a Premier League team was caught spying on FDs (see pic below). Newcastle team claimed they had chosen the Royal Garden Hotel as being convenient for their match v Chelsea. In fact there are plenty of hotels closer to Stamford bridge while the Royal garden hotel happens to be the closest to the Pond Pitch… You don’t need to retain Sherlock Holmes to find the right answer why they did it… Anyway to clear any doubt it’s enough to watch the highlights of Chelsea v Newcastle to appreciate that most of the moves, especially on set pieces, are a copycat of what FDs do every Saturday. The final evidence: the vertical Newcastle pass splitting Chelsea’s defence on their winning goal is what Johannes just did in the morning. Twice!.
This has to stop now!
COLOURS-ORANGE 8-6
GOALS
COLOURS: Aurian (3), Johannes (2), Adam (2), Andrea (og)
ORANGE: Jonathan D (2). Dario, Jonathan L, Ross, Bijan
TEAMS
COLOURS: Riccardo, Matej, Hannes, Christian, Aurian, Kaan, Johannes Francesco, Adam
ORANGE: Chetan, Hossam, Bijan, Smayan, Andrea, Dario, Jonathan D, Davide, Ross, Jonathan L