Match Review: Singapore Football Club vs FC Nippon

• DF Jack Cullinane
• DF Jahan Rezai
• MD Tim Walter
• ST Liam Shotton
• -- Rob Benson
• -- Ross Plain
• -- Andrew Hutcheon
• -- Ross Macklin
• -- Kelly Williams
• -- Saatwik Kaul
• -- Simon Lloyd

• DF Collins Mbeutcha
• -- Matt Hulen
• -- Doorjoo Dashnyam
• -- Nico Anstee

Scorcher

For those not familiar with the golden era of British comic books, in particular, Tiger and Scorcher, “Hot-Shot" Hamish Balfour was a gargantuan (6 foot 10 inches tall) footballer. Heralding from one of the Hebrides islands off the coast of Scotland, he quickly became renowned as a footballer with a vicious “hot shot” strike. His much-fabled hot shot could send a football flying so hard, that it would rip the net and break the goalposts (*http://bit.ly/2JURAYt) Last Saturday a tenacious and hard-working FC Nippon team discovered that SFC has their very own “Hot-Shot” in Liam Shotton. Although, admittedly, he’s not Hebridean and he didn’t start life as a caber tosser. Kicking off at a swelteringly hot 3pm, to accommodate for the days' televised minor sports activities, FC Nippon had decided early on, that they would come out full of energy and press high. Meanwhile at the back, in addition to a high line, they employed a sweeper keeper. Whilst SFC largely coped with these tactics, Matt Hulen (fulfilling the role of ‘Ian McWhacker’ for the day) soon found his plans were hit by an unexpected speed bump. The usually irrepressible Saatwik Kaul was taken off ill and needed to be replaced by the home club’s latest “wunderkind”, Nico Anstee. Once play restarted however, SFC’s very own ‘Andy Steel’, aka Ross Plain, quickly went through the gears and began to create numerous chances. The game’s first goal fell to Liam Shotton after ten minutes. Early MIP candidate, Tim Walter, had begun to wrestle control of midfield, and when an errant pass by FC Nippon was intercepted, he fed the ball forwards. Latching on to the pass, SFC’s No.14 Liam Shotton, promptly brushed aside two Japanese challenges, and unleashed the ball into the back of a heavily straining net, from all of 25 yards. Hot-Shot strike No.1 registered. SFC 1 FC Nippon 0, was how it stayed at half time, despite a number of good saves by Nippon’s outstanding goalkeeper. After some much-needed rehydration, SFC made some minor tactical tweaks, as the second half got underway. Ross Plain and Rob Benson quickly found more space out wide and started to create even more chances, for Shotton and Hutcheon upfront. Meanwhile, in defence, Collins Mbeutcha added some additional muscle alongside the three amigos of Cullinane, Lloyd, and Rezai. In the fifty-second minute, having wisely made the switch to molded boots the week before (akin to Billy Dane and the boots of ‘Dead Shot Keen’), Hutcheon sneaked in with a predatory strike to make it 2-0. The evergreen Aberdonian, in the process, took his tally to four goals, in his last two games. SFC 2 FC Nippon 0. As the game grew on, so did SFC’s dominance. Shotton decided it was time to produce Hot-Shot strikes numbers 2 & 3. Both thunderbolts left Nippon’s keeper, and the goal frame, eager to avoid any contact with the ball. In between his two ferocious strikes, Switzerland’s answer to ‘Johnny Dexter’, Tim Walter, also continued his fine scoring form. The Swiss’s goal ensured SFC has now registered five goals, in each of their last two games. Nippon’s solitary goal came from a miscommunication in defence, before the Nippon striker finished well from a pulled back cross. Final score: SFC 5 FC Nippon 1. Thank you to Nippon for an entertaining game of football, that would have been worthy of Mel Park. Man of the Match for FC Nippon goes to Takaki Nakamura-san for a fantastic performance between the sticks, and for keeping the score in single figure (reminiscent of Melchester Rovers' "the Safest hands in Soccer," Gordon Stewart) Man of the Match (and the match ball), goes to gentle giant Liam Shotton, for three superlative strikes. With special mentions to Collins Mbeutcha, Nico Anstee, and Ross Plain. Media reports that Tim Walter is still waiting for his bus, are yet to be verified. Best wishes and a speedy recovery to Saatwik Kaul. *http://bit.ly/2JURAYt

• Takaki NAKAMURA GK
• Tom Yoshida DF
• Ryuhei IKEDA MD
• Seiji TACHIBANA MD
• RYOSUKE Nozawa --
• Satoshi KABAYAMA --
• Ryota MURAKI --
• Seiji DAIKUHARA --
• Hiroyuki UCHIDA --
• Ryuto KIRA --
• Tadahide Kawada --

• Takuma YAMAGUCHI --
• Hiroki SONEHARA --
• Ryo WATANABE --

Match report for Singapore Football Club vs FC Nippon

During the first 10 min, FC NIPPON kept possession for longer time and we did attacking much more times than opponent. However, we lost the ball when we passing in the centre of the filed, and an opponent central midfield (CM) player passed the ball into a space behind our defence line near Kabayama. #14 controlled the ball well and left Kabayama behind. #14 ran very fast. After he becoming free, he shot and got a goal (10'). No other defenders could not have helped the situation. After we lost the goal, the opponent kept possession more using the defence line well. At 30', an opponent CM player gave the long ball into the space behind our left defence near Daikuhara. An opponent right wing controlled the ball and did entering an opponent striker shot it. Luckily for this Nakamura pulled off a great save. In the second half, we played poorly with various reasons: (1) gave lots of space in the centre of the field, making the opponent play more easily and make chances a lot (2) did not use a big space wisely. Although there were big spaces near the touch line and between the opponent central and side defence, we did not use them widely and insisted a small space in the centre. Because of it we lost the ball plenty of times in the centre a lot and gave the chance to the opponent. (3) Because of (2), we did not shoot inside the penalty box often. In most of time we did shoot outside it. Obviously it is much easier to get a goal inside the penalty box though. (4) clear difference of individual ability, especially physical difference Because of these reasons, we lost four goals: 54' #9 got a goal 72' 14 got a goal 75' 4 got a goal 87' 14 got a goal Between opponent second and third goal (or between the third and forth goal), our player, Yamaguchi, got a goal by shooting the ball given by the Tachibana. Tachibana took a space behind the opponent left central defence and did short centering well to Yamaguchi. MOM for Singapore Football Club is #14, however I do not know the name of #14. Thus, I input a name who is in the top of the list. Takuma YAMAGUCHI