Unlike the first encounter, FC MBOG was early (or at least it seemed) for this game. There was time for some kickabout on the pitch and a pre-match briefing. FC MBOG were missing some key players, notably Captain Shahrudin, who is busy scrambling for pens and a large pencil case to hold as many stuff as he could for his upcoming exams. Vice-Captain Shukur stood in for him, delivering such a masterful and inspiring teamtalk which would have put Mel Gibson to shame (think Braveheart).
The starting 11, as usual, was self-picked based on the first 11 who arrived. Using the traditional 4-4-2, Aril started in goal, Aush,Usop,Khairul and Saifudin across the back four, Syafiq, Imran, Khairil and Fazlon across midfield and Naufal and Shukur in attack. Faisal and Khairi started on FC MBOG's star-studded bench. The opponent seemed similar as they were during the first encounter, with the exception of Bill Golberg in goal (so that's where he dissappeared to), Kim Dong Jong in attack, and Maroune No14 Fellaini in midfield.
FC MBOG looked brighter from the start,conjuring the first attack of the game. Having been played through by Aush, Naufal raced clear only to see his low drive hitting the side netting. It was then Imran's turn to head just over from Aush's corner kick. Apart from rare occassions of good wing play by Syafiq, Shukur and Fazlon, FC MBOG did not capitalise on this good start and started playing rather nervously. As mentioned by Fazlon, the team seemed very slow. They were made to pay soon after when ex-national player Suresh no 10 Raj broke the offside trap and released a powerful, near-post shot which would have dented the frame of the goal post. 1-0 Chesire.
Chesire continued to dominate, with no 14 Fellaini running the show from midfield. This dominance, however, did not translate into goals, and that helped FC MBOG regain some form of confidence. The introduction of Faisal and Khairi freshened things up for FC MBOG. The former had a moment of brilliance, letting the ball run across the opponent's defensive line, side stepping the enormous Abbas Saad before laying off to Imran. Caught off-guard, the midfielder reshuffled his feet before shooting wide off the target (fueling more argument that he needs contact lenses).
Then came another chance. Usop, who started the move in defence, slowly crept to the opponent's penalty area and found himself in a good position to score his maiden goal. However, the debutant could not decide to score using his head or via an acrobatic kick despite his muay thai trainings, and thus the chance went begging. FC MBOG pressed on but were continuously left frustrated by the offside calls by the referee. The shine from his gold rolex might have blinded him for a number of occasions.
Perseverance paid off though. In the last action of the half, FC MBOG successfully drew level. Good work down the right found Shukur in space, the stand-in captain then delivered an inviting low cross for Faisal to turn the ball in with venom. His blank days are really over!
The second half had several changes in personnel for both sides. With the draw being a non-significant result in the chase for second spot, FC MBOG's gameplay was to score an early second and protect the lead. Once again, FC MBOG started the brighter team, with Khairil tirelessly running down the flanks and providing all sorts of problems for Chesire's fullback. Saifudin then had a freekick which sailed just wide of Bill Goldberg's post.
In the midst of finding that elusive winning goal, Chesire managed to scramble a second. Their soak and counter gameplay proved effective, as a long ball to Kim Dong Jong saw the striker holding off a couple of defenders before crossing for Fellaini to tap home. Their counter attacks were very dangerous and proved effective during the course of the second half. Thankfully though, Aril was at his magnificient self with a spectacular point-blank safe and Khairul's undeniable commitment saw him delivering a perfectly-timed tackle on the opponent's right winger no4 just outside the penalty box. No4 didn't give up and soon after, he scored in another goal-mouth scramble.
In the dying minutes, FC MBOG had a couple of good chances. The first came from Imran's shot which found Bill Goldberg at his agile best. The second saw Naufal crashing the crossbar with a thunderous shot from 20 metres out.
In the end,the result was deemed a fair one, as the team who had made their chances count won it. The Man-of-the-Match award goes to Usop, for his commanding presence in defence, and even offering good options when moving forward.
The standings also showed a true reflection of the various team's strength. Having only managed a single point from a possible 12 against EECC and Chesire, FC MBOG should be pleased with the third spot they are currently in. They still need a win in the last game to confirm this spot though as Kamikaze is hot on their heels 2 points back.
TeamCuzz (vs Chesire on 1 Nov) - Aril, Aush, Usop, Khairul, Saifudin, Khairil, Khairi, Imran, Syafiq, Fazlon, Faisal, Naufal, Shukur
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