When Football surpasses Art as a way to express beauty. Giancarlo and Aurian open the magic box to lead Orange to victory.
Francesco’s late Friday warning to turn up on time to avoid sitting on the bench, had surely an impact as the game started on time with full squads of 23 players. Few tents were spotted around the pitch suggesting that some players had camped overnight rather than risk dealing with unquantifiable factors like traffic or worse WAGS asking Dads on the way out to clean the house or prepare lunch.
The Saturday game is such a breath of fresh air for Dads and Kids: if denied, it would make the world a worse place. FDs is still a well-kept secret: luckily so.
If football fans knew that they could live a multiple of the emotions felt in the PSG/Bayern game during the week, they would flock to Kensington Gardens Saturday in, Saturday out and Royal Park police would call it a day. Please keep it a secret!
Aurian and Gregorio were at the core of the Orange dramatic victory. Not for the first time!
As for the game bookmakers frantically imputed data of each player into AI to try and predict the score to then place their bets accordingly. A slight advantage was given to the Colours team as being a man up and with the only role keeper, that is no less than Alessandro, present on the day guarding their goal.AI though is not a perfect science and surely FDs have the talent and unpredictability to upset any forecast, however sound. We have seen it before.
After few minutes of studying each other both teams locked horns, yet the game looked well balanced with Colours lacking accuracy in front of goals and Orange finding in Alessandro and his defence a tough opponent to beat.
Orange had in Gregorio their centre of permanent gravity orchestrating the game at will with a tempo suitable to each player. Nizar took possession of the left flank, holding the ball and feeding with precision the incoming strikers, Aurian and Davide in the middle and Giancarlo on the right.
Federico, after outstanding performances, was confirmed as central defender, playing in line with totemic Bijan, surrounded by the expert Andrea M, the ever-mobile Anton and Smayan as well as versatile Kaan.
To unlock this kind of games it is often said that you need a piece of skill or a killing instinct, in other words things that cannot be trained. it was Giancarlo, back from 5 months of injury, to open the magic box and score a goal that could have come from the likes of Baggio or Zola. In fact, it was reminiscent of his very goal scored in the MG11.
This time though a lot more difficult as the Italian was surrounded by at least a dozen defenders, probably more. When receiving the ball just inside the box, Giancarlo sent half the defence to the ground by faking a shot with his favourite right foot, then back heeled the ball on the opposite side to chip the keeper and the other half defence desperately sliding in.
Fans went wild but what attracted Giancarlo’s attention few minutes later was a sign on the stands held high by a fan and reading: ‘sorry I missed your goal! Giancarlo, can you do it again please?!’
The Italian duly obliged scoring a copy cut though this time with his right foot and on the opposite angle of the goal. ‘Paganini non ripete’: it was the Italian violin virtuoso that refused to repeat the same piece even at the King’s asking but Giancarlo would never refuse it to a FDs fan! Same grace, different attitude.
Against such an Orange team it was always hard if not inconceivable to come back from two goals. However, a goal from Francesco gave Colours hope only for Nizar to impose its law and score on the opposite side to restore the gap: 3-1 for Orange. Colours had youth and experience in their ranks: they just needed to apply the right mix at the opportune moment. It was Yuness who proved the theory right, as many times before, by beating the Orange keeper and making the Colours’ fans believing again. But Colours’ goal only made Orange more determined to reclaim the gap and possibly expand it. First Davide shaved the bottom post with a great shot and later, after a prolonged and furious assault, a lost ball was hoovering high in the middle of the Colours’ box only for Aurian to chest it up and, shoulders to the goal, convert it with an overhead kick just under the bar. On the day, fans had the privilege to see more incredible goals than what they typically see in a Premier League season.
That’s what makes FDs Season Ticket best value for money, despite being very expensive.
There were still 25’ to before the golden goal and Colours refuse to surrender: it was Yuness again to score: Colours fans went crazy and they really represented the 13th man pushing them to the unthinkable. But Orange resisted the charge with every rotating keeper refusing to concede in front of a granitic defence which erected, brick by brick, an impenetrable wall. The final whistle came as a liberation for the Orange while Colours were ready to exact revenge with the golden goal but it was not to be as Federico, in one of his attacking raids, sealed a comprehensive victory (5-3) for the deserving Orange able to alternate strength and skills accordingly.
As for the Man of the Man Aurian’s overhead bicycle kick goal got him a automatic nomination, compounded by an assist and a very lively game. It is a goal that qualifies for the nomination of the ‘Goal of the Season’. Among the Colours’ team Johannes and Yousef deserve credit for keeping their team in the game with creating and finalising many chances. Often big battles are decided on details: what if Yuness played with proper football shoes ? It’s ironic that with the value of the MOTM award he could have bought thousand football shoes…
It was indeed a week of ‘what if?’. If it was not for the Americans, Europe would be speaking German. If it was not for the Brits, America would be speaking French.
BUT to conclude the matter, let’s not forget that if it was not for an Italian, America would have never been discovered…
Back to the MOTM, even allowing for the conflict between the narrator and the award recipient, Giancarlo today stole the show with two goals of rare beauty. He was also denied a goal straight from corner, saved on the line by a brave header from Julian. And the Italian was unbeaten in goal for at least 8’, a personal best.
In the after match interviewed, hugging the trophy like a child, an emotional Giancarlo stated: ‘ To come back after such a long time and be Man of the Match makes me proud and happy. I owe a big debt of gratitude to the CLUB, Teammates and Fans for never doubting my return. As a token of respect for them all I have instructed my agent to turn down, without even looking at them, every single offer from any other club!.
It was a day to remember: a day when Football surpassed Art as a way to express beauty.
ORANGE-COLOURS 5-3
GOALS
ORANGE: Giancarlo (2), Nizar, Aurian, Federico
COLOURS: Youness (2), Francesco
TEAMS
ORANGE: Bijan, Andrea M, Federico, Anton, Kaan, Gregorio, Smayan, Aurian, Davide, Giancarlo, Nizar
COLOURS: Alessandro, Chetan, Riccardo, Johannes, Julien, Al, Morteza, Andrea R, Jonathan R, Nadir, Youness, Francesco