Match Review: SCC Firsts vs TGA Rangers FC

• GK Martin Lavoo
• DF Jahan Rezai
• MD Sam Balls
• MD Enrique Sanchez
• ST Liam Shotton
• -- Andrew Hutcheon
• -- Kike Perconig
• -- Ross Plain
• -- Ben King
• -- Mike Hemmingway
• -- Adam Bowden
• -- Matt Hulen

• --
• MD Ethan Pizano
• MD Anthony Garreau
• MD Tim Walter
• -- Ross Plain

SCCW2-0@MNF

In a competitive encounter, goals from Kike Sanchez and Liam Shotton proved decisive as SCC ended 2017 with a victory to keep us top of the table for the winter break. We had some success getting behind Rangers from the start and created decent chances throughout the first half. Kike 'El Grande Muchacho' Sanchez opened the scoring after around 15 minutes with a neat left foot finish which evaded the Ranger's keeper's despairing dive. More than a few chances to create a 2 goal cushion before half-time were squandered. To their credit, Rangers battled well. We didn't retain possession well at all and a large number of uncharacteristic errors throughout the team presented Rangers with a couple of chances to draw level. Anthony 'El Patron' Houlahan narrowly avoided his first (and long overdue) red card of the season after an exchange of (un)pleasantries with the assistant referee. However, he made up for his verbal expletive profligacy with a fine cushion chest down after the Ranger's goal keeper miscued a goal kick in to touch. 1-0 it was at half-time. Our ball retention improved in the second half and the introduction of our very strong bench added quality. It took us quite some time and several more squandered chances to get the second goal and it eventually came courtesy of a fine individual run and neat finish from Liam 'El Grande Potter' Shotton around 20 minutes from the end. We conspired to avoid adding further goals and our defence held solid throughout helped by much improved retention of possession in the second half. 2-0 was how it ended. Thank you Rangers for a competitive game. In a match when SCC were uncharacteristically profligate with possession Ben 'El Solid on La Pelota' King deservedly nabbed MOTM TOTD went to 'El Patron' for uncharacteristically failing to delegate absolute everything that can be delegated. Not only did he buy drinks for the entire team; share his taxi to the ground with Timothee 'El DJ Titan' Walter; collect the kit from the father of Jack 'El hombre del kit' Cullinane; procure 4 bags from ice from Giant (presumably known as 'Muy Grande' in Spain), tape up the gaping holes in the turf city nets; lend his lacrosse ball to Sam 'El Inapropriado' Balls; and complete the team sheet himself; he was even spotted buying his own double bacon cheese burger from Omakase Burger only moments prior to kick off. Rumour has it that he even wrote this match report. He's clearly lost the plot. SCC would like to wish all Cosmoleague players, match officials and league officials 'Felice Navidad'.

• Tuomas Peltoniemi GK
• Fraser Anderson DF
• Jordan Laing DF
• Hiromitsu Nakaue DF
• Chris Jones DF
• Dan Ousby DF
• Jonathan Cloak DF
• Nathan Bryer MD
• Salvatore Adaldo ST
• Kosuke Uchida --
• Ryoga Yamada --

• Taishi Fukuda DF
• Jinesh Patel DF
• Mike Sharples ST
• Olly Griffin --

Always was going to be a tough game under the Monday lights at the Grandstand. SCC started stronger, had more possession and looked threatening on the break. First goal game when the Spanish wizard cut in from the right and slotted past the keeper. Rangers huffed and puffed but despite a couple of early chances in the second half SCC pulled clear with an excellent second from Liam. In truth a couple more goals could have been scored but we kept fighting right until the end. Final score 2-0.