Match Review: TGA Rangers FC vs FC Nippon

• GK Eros Corbo
• DF Chris Jones
• DF Jinesh Patel
• DF Jonathan Cloak
• MD Nathan Bryer
• MD Elliot Jackson
• ST Salvatore Adaldo
• -- Hayden James Ng
• -- Angelo Gullota
• -- Dominic Booth
• -- Rowan Anders

• -- Ryan Cotterill Walsh

Grinding it out

With a squad ravaged by injuries and partners taking their other halfs on pre-valentines long weekends, our squad was looking rather thin to say the least. A little shuffle around meant we had an unknown quantity up front partnering Salvo. A few of the Nippon players looked in disbelief, like the moment in Independence Day when you first see the alien spaceship, as our usual number 1 became a number 10 for the day. After a very touching and moving ceremony to pass on the number 9 shirt to Salvo we got going. Most of us were emotional wrecks by then. We started pretty darn well, opening the scoring with a peach of a 25 yard free kick from JB (who mentioned after the game that he'd have scored more if Sharples let him take them). This followed swiftly by a quick counter attack with the ball at the Italian Stallions feet, whipping a cross in for the talismanic Canadian striker to stand there and connect with a bullet header past the despairing keeper. 2-0. In between all this Salvo tried and failed to get sent off twice. As usual after this we stepped off the gas and allowed Nippon to step up, Yusuke looking particularly menacing with ball at feet. It was one of his runs that carved through our right side, cutting the ball back for their man to tuck home neatly, game on. HT: 2-1. The start of the second half didn't start so well, Nippon having a free kick out wide on the edge of the box and their man curled it over every man and his dog to the far corner where Nate couldn't keep it out with his head. 2-2. The game now going from end to end and the record attendance of 8 fans didnt know if they were watching footy or a tennis match on centre court. Nippon were always lively, never stopped running to our disgust, and put up a real fight. In about the 75th minute Rangers got their goal with the ball falling to JB, after the corner was cleared, he drove back in (going way way way wide) and Salvo's Cruyff flick turned it past the keeper. FT:3-2. MOM for Rangers was Mr Dom Booth, often mentally visiting Planet Zorg during matches but this one he was focused, solid and always there when you needed him. MOM for Nippon was Yusuke, always a menace and even though he only played 45 mins we were thankful he didnt come back on!

• Koji NISHINA --
• Yoshiaki MOTOHASHI --
• Hiroki ISHIKAWA --
• Yusuke ISODA --
• Takao NAKASUJI --
• Takuya TAKAHASHI --
• Minato HORIUCHI --
• Makito NAKATA --
• Wataru HASEGAWA --
• Tetsu KAKIMOTO --
• Ryo SUZUKI --

• Yuya SASAI --
• Kei YAMAGUCHI --
• Shuhei BANDO --

I wish if we are taller a bit.

It was good news for us that their ace striker injured. It is sad to know he had ACL. We hope his rehabilitation will goes well. 03: Koji’s header was slightly outside of the goal. 07: Great FK from Rangers. (0-1) 10: Rangers winger dribbled and gave cross to tall FW. Our DF was a kid of tall guy among us but couldn’t reach his height. Easy header for tall Rangers FW. (0-2) I thought the game is set at this moment, but it was not. 17: Minato’s goal was a result of short passes in the penalty box. (1-2) 29: Rangers FK went towards free FW in the box. 30: Ranegers slowed down. We started to control the game. 41: Rangers got 1-1 occasion but our GK Takuya did superb save to hold the game. The coach Yasu got yellow card. He went into the pitch while insisting malicious elbows of Rangers FW. The overall judgment was against Nippon in this game. 52: Nakata’s brilliant FK turned out to be the equalizer. (2-2) 72: Rangers FK. (2-3)