Saturday League Season 3: End of Season Review

January

While TeamCuzz are busy undergoing intensive preparation & friendly matches to get accustomed to the new formation for the upcoming season, the league has officially gotten under way. Results gave an indication of who TeamCuzz's main opposition were for the title, or the right not to finish bottom. The latter, was apparently TeamCuzz's more realistic battle as the season wears on.

Team of the Month: ISA (for topping the league)
Player of the Month: Marc Kevin Seigfried
Manager of the Month: Anyone except Big Phil Scolari
Goal of the Month: Marc Kevin Seigfried (against Dynamo) - With pace aplenty, the winger dazzled through the almost non-existent Dynamo defence, drawing similarities to how Ryan Giggs cut open Arsenal's Daddy's Army in Manchester United's treble winning season a decade ago.
Quote of the Month: "I am so excited for the league!" - every single TeamCuzz player.

February

The much anticipated wait is now over. TeamCuzz finally made their debut in ESPZEN with a match against Crescent Rangers at Canberra pitch. Despite their dominance and what seemed an attacking 4-1-5 formation, TeamCuzz led only by a goal at the break, thanks to Shikin's low drive after beating the offside trap. The second half saw the floodgates opened, courtesy of a hat-trick by MotM Shahrudin, a brace by youngster Amirul, another goal by Shikin, and a long-range scorcher by Imran. Not forgetting, the match was evenly contested towards the end, with TeamCuzz's custodian volunteering to be sent off by "raising his hand" outside the box. However, the card was unofficially rescinded, and he was able to play the following game. That result shot TeamCuzz straight to the pinnacle of the table thanks to their healthy goal difference.

The next game at Westwood pitch saw TeamCuzz taking giants (figuratively) ISA. Lack of composure and confidence caused TeamCuzz's downfall. An early penalty followed by a controversial offside goal gave the Champions a 2 nil lead at the break. Despite Nat Naplah's assist in TeamCuzz's consolation goal, the sheer pace of ISA's players were too much to handle, resulting in a 5-1 loss to TeamCuzz. A crude awakening as it might be, it slid TeamCuzz to a humbling mid-table position. On top of that, TeamCuzz paid a hefty price for the loss, with Captain Shahrudin suffering a harmstring injury. Said TeamCuzz's resident physiotherapist, Nasir Ahmad, "That is a serious injury there. It might keep him out for a few weeks. However, I will steal some medication and syringes from the old Changi hospital, and make him play through the pain-barrier."

Injected he did. At Bedok North pitch, the Captain was his usual self again - after winning the coin toss, he casually asked for a change of sides for no apparent reason. After trailing to a beautifully headed goal by Ben Affleck, the Captain led by example by scoring a scorcher after being slapped across the face by one of Dynamo's many humongous defenders. The momentum kept going for TeamCuzz, with goals in quick succession by Shukur and Amirul. Shikin scored his 3rd of the season in the 2nd half, before the most celebrated goal of the season by Faizul despite a simple tap-in. The celebration was warranted though, considering the player had just miraculously returned from a knee injury within a short span of 3 months. 5-1 was the final score, and that result pushed TeamCuzz back to the top.

The last game in February saw TeamCuzz taking on Knights at Canberra pitch. Having played at the pitch once, TeamCuzz were the faster team to settle down and easily dominated the first half and deservedly led through a "superb" goal by Shukur. Changes rang at half-time awoke the Knights, in particular the part-time striker, full time policeman Howard Webb Tan and irritating winger Aaron Lennon Lim. Eventually, 3 goals in quick succession left the Yellows disappointed, in particular their fans, in particular Shahril & Suryani. The loss was further compounded when news came in on Dynamo's controversial withdrawal from the league following Chelsea's decision to sack Big Phil. That left TeamCuzz 3rd from bottom, holding on for dear life.

Team of the Month: Dynamo (letz face it - they made a very wise decision)
Player of the Month: Shahrudin Salleh (for the priceless goals scored)
Manager of the Month: Zulkhairi Ahmad (for his effective formation)
Goal of the Month: Shukur Ayub (against Knights) - Who can forget this wonder goal? Optimum accuracy. Rumour has it that the GK had sleepless nights following that match, pondering how he accurately kicked the ball straight towards the onrushing striker of all places.
Quote of the Month: "That is 2 matches down; we still have 36 more to go!" - Sharif Ismail, after TeamCuzz were thrashed by ISA.

March

After a week's break following Khairul & Lyana's Wedding, TeamCuzz were all raring to go. They had plenty of fire and Briyani Dum in their bellies, but they were crudely put out by Oysters' refusal to play in the rain. Nevertheless, it gave confidence for everyone at TeamCuzz following a good turnout and the 2-1 lead at halftime. Goals were courtesy of Shikin & Imran.

The following week's match was played at First Toa Payoh pitch (or should we say 3rd Toa Payoh pitch according to Khairul's 2003 Street Directory). It saw even more fire in the bellies of all TeamCuzz players. This time, even the rain could not put it out. However, TeamCuzz were made to realize that their Irish opponents, Gaelic Lions, had even more fire (and beer) in their bellies. A series of defensive calamities, the People's Elbow & Swanton Bombs led to TeamCuzz's 3-0 loss. Results from the other match played that week made TeamCuzz cellar dwellars. Despite that, the disappointment was slightly thwarted, thanks to a game of "golf" and bowling the following day.

TeamCuzz turned up at Orchird Park pitch with high expectations of getting their season back on track with a game against a much-changed Crescent side. They created chance after chance but none were taken. They were made to pay in the end, after Crescent's veteran midfielder scored at the beginning of the 2nd half. That marks a sad reality - TeamCuzz did not officially score a goal throughout the month. March could not have ended on a worse note.

Team of the Month: Blue Oysters (for making TeamCuzz pay SGD83 for one half of a freakin' friendly)
Player of the Month: Muhammad Ismail (for 'skipping' work to come and play against the Lions)
Manager of the Month: Guus Hiddink (for revitalizing Chelsea's flailing title challenge)
Goal of the Month: Shikin Ismail (against Blue Oysters) - With a defender hot on his heels, the striker 'plucked' the ball from the sky and effortlessly controlled it before unleashing a sweet half-volley with his left foot.
Quote of the Month: "We have to wait uh...coz uh...coz uh...the lightning uh... scary ey...reali scary ey... I think we wait luh hor. I give 15 minutes, then we see how can...can?" - the indecisive & late referee for TeamCuzz's match against Blue Oysters, speaking with creepy crawlies coming from his nose (go yucks here).

April

Following a "TeamCuzz needs You" campaign initiated by TeamCuzz's assistant manager, and Al-Pacino's "Any Given Sunday" speech, TeamCuzz aimed for better results against the ever so-dangerous Knights. That was not to be though, as TeamCuzz had to battle with just 10 men (technically 8 men & 2 boys). By half-time, it was a foregone conclusion. They conceeded 2 more despite a spirited fight back, making it 6-0 by the final whistle. Despite that, the Assistant Manager had this to say - "Yes the scoreline might suggest a thrashing, but did you notice the spirit of TeamCuzz? It never wavered, and because of that, I am sure this team will go a long way. Keep this up boys!"

Their spirit never wavered, but their composure certainly did. After 2 weeks of break, TeamCuzz went up against then-leaders Galacticos at the same Marsiling pitch. They paraded their first loan signing of the season, Hafizudin, who filled in the lone stiker's role. Both sides shared equal dominance in the first half. TeamCuzz even led 2-1 at one juncture, thanks to goals from Shahrudin & Hafizudin. However, lapses in concentration towards the end of the endless half returned the advantage to Galacticos. 2nd half saw more quarrels with the Green Man and "balls-over-the-school-fence" moments than brilliance on the pitch. After 2 goals by Galacticos and another from Shahrudin for TeamCuzz, the match was ended prematurely due to over-enthusiasm by TeamCuzz players, and the opposing manager. TeamCuzz's stand-in manager produced his version of Sir Alex's hair dryer treatment to calm the situation and made TeamCuzz players realize the fools they made themselves to be. News came in too that TeamCuzz's star centreback will be out for 6 months following a motorcycle accident. TeamCuzz once again finished bottom of the table after 5 consecutive losses.

Team of the Month: ISA (another clean sweep - 4 wins out of 4)
'Player' of the Month: the Green Man (could not have been a more obvious choice)
Manager of the Month: the White Man (for his declaration from beyond the touchline - it doesn't matter how out-of-proportion I am, as long as we sit at the top of the table)
Goal of the Month: Hafizudin (against Galacticos) - Clinical finish to the bottom corner after an exceptional build-up. A candidate for Team Goal of the Season.
Quote of the Month: "If you are unhappy with your supervisor, are you going to take a revolver and shoot him?" - Rafa to Dan Agger after the Galacticos game.

May

The following week saw TeamCuzz face the same opponents in the space of 7 days, this time at Regent pitch. Following previous week's embarassing performance, their objective here was to clear the negative image portrayed and prove to the Chua Chu Kang faithful the true footballers they all are. The manager could not have been more satisfied with the performance. Starting with the first ever TeamCuzz whoosh, and Chief Scout's Fareeziola Adeel Sufie ever so -loud cries, TeamCuzz went on the offensive and dominated the game from the word go. Galacticos did take the lead against the run of play, but Captain Shahrudin restored parity after some good work by Faisal down the right wing. As they did in the 1st leg, Galacticos capitalized on TeamCuzz's failure to focus and took the lead just before the half-time whistle. TeamCuzz maintained their shape for the second half without much change in personnel and were duely rewarded. Striker Hafizudin once again showed his predatory instincts with a fine Torres-like strike.

Rejuvenated from the hard-earned point, TeamCuzz returned to the same ground to face Gaelic Lions the following week. With the Irish team fielding a different set of players, notably I-throw-like-Rory-Delap Finley, TeamCuzz managed to get a better grip of the game than they did in the first leg. The match also saw Manager Kamal stamping his authority in the middle of the park towards the latter stages of the second half. Despite their efforts, TeamCuzz lost 2-0.

The next game wasn't much different. Having been notching points and running away at the top of the league table, ISA certainly viewed TeamCuzz as Chelsea would view Hull. TeamCuzz fought valiantly in the first half, matching their much faster opponents stride for stride. However, they failed to continue their quest in the second, surrendering 4 more goals to make it a comprehensive 5-0 victory to ISA. The results in May meant that TeamCuzz continued to hold on to the bottom of the table as they would hold their seats on a roller coaster. On the other hand, ISA successfully retained their crown once again, with a couple of games to spare.

Team of the Month: TeamCuzz (for showing their 2 faces - the ugly one, and the football one)
Player of the Month: Hafizudin (for giving instant returns on TeamCuzz's loan investment)
Manager of the Month: Kamarudin Ismail (for his inspirational debrief at the end of the ISA game)
Goal of the Month: Hafizudin (against Galacticos) - Pictures speak a thousand words. See video below.
Quote of the Month: "TeamCuzz, remember, play as a team, for Together Everyone Achieve More" - Faisal before the match against Gaelic Lions, via sms.



June

The final month saw TeamCuzz's desperate attempt to salvage their season. The opponents could not have been more fitting, considering that Blue Oysters are also in need of points to stay clear of relegation. The first leg took place at Regent pitch in burning hot sun. TeamCuzz gave trials to 2 new players - winger Haikal & midfielder Aidil - after realizing their own shortage of players. With the exception of stand-in GK Shikin, the rest of the players were fitted in their familiar roles, with Syukri & Imran given the chance to add some spark from midfield. The spark got too big and eventually became a fire for the latter, thanks to Samuel L Jackson's inability to differentiate a ball and the player's foot. TeamCuzz had already gone ahead by then, after Haikal's exquisite chip from the left wing and Saifuddin's superb long range effort. Being the resilient side that they are, the Oysters rose from the dead in the second half and equalised to end the game all square at 2 apiece.

The last game of the season now had even more significance for TeamCuzz. Anything less than a win will see them end the season at the bottom. With that, stand-in Manager had plans of his own. Apart from bringing in another trialist in Kamal Ron, Shahrudin also requested for the services of resident photographer, Amalina to take match pictures in a bid to motivate the team, if they hadn't already had that in them. TeamCuzz's future captain Akmal Juhari was also present to lend support to the team. The match started on a frenzy, with Shikin limping off mysteriously after just 2 minutes. TeamCuzz took the lead after Captain Shahrudin slotted home his freekick earned after Faisal was fouled. Despite controlling the game, a lost of dominance in midfield caused Oysters to equalise and even put their noses in front with a breathtaking/lucky finish by their striker. The second-half once again saw TeamCuzz's all-guns blazing attack, with the new imports looking very bright. Haikal seemed like Arjen Robben, providing the edge which saw him score 2 goals early in the half. Kamal Ron was also starting to stamp his authority in midfield, paricularly with some deft touches that led to Shukur's exquisite lob from just outside the area. Kamal Ron too reserved a goal for himself, dribbling his way from midfield and cutting open the defence before slotting it home. The midfielder, however, could not have done his job without the presence of Aidil, who protected the defence superbly for the entire half. It was not as straight forward as described here though. Oysters scored a couple of times to keep the margin close, hence making the last few minutes very exciting. In the end, TeamCuzz triumphed 5-4, and simultaneously did a Houdini act to escape the jaws of relegation.

Team of the Month: TeamCuzz (for doing the Houdini act on the last day of the season)
Player of the Month: Haikal (for giving that Arjen Robben edge in TeamCuzz's attacks)
Manager of the Month: Manuel Pellegrini (for becoming Real's new manager at a time when Kaka & Ronaldo signed)
Goal of the Month: Shukur Ayub (against Blue Oysters) - After spurning an opposition ala Ronaldinho, Kamal Ron released a perfectly weighted pass for the striker to lob home exquisitely.
Quote of the Month: "We are not at the bottom of the league!" - Every single TeamCuzz player.

All in all, a fair season for TeamCuzz. Much could be done to improve for coming season(s). Despite escaping relegation, they have requested to play lower-tier football in season 4 in a bid to face newer set of opponents. A change in division also meant that some changes will be made to the team. In particular, signings will be made in the summer to beef up the team following some unexpected player exits. Haikal and Kamal Ron will be arriving on free transfers while Aidil will arrive for a hefty price tag of $2 from fellow second-division side KR Old Boys. TeamCuzz's spokesman also confirmed that they are in talks with Zaki & Hafizudin, while quashing all rumours that they are planning to hijack Ribery's move to Chelsea.

He also spared sometime to thank all those who have made the season possible - Kamal for his managerial inputs, Khairi for his constant inspirational pep talks and washing of jerseys, Fazlon for his countless bottles of Syrup and broken cups, Shahrudin for providing a 'huge' variety of match balls, Khairil for keeping the finances in check, drivers and riders of all kinds who provided transportation relentlessly, senior members for behind-the-scenes meetings at the 'port', Ismail Jan, Suryani Buang & all our youth players for their support, Amalina Juhari for the match photos, and most importantly, every single TeamCuzz player for their dedication and commitment. In addition, rumour has it that the management might be planning a post-season dinner-cum-award gathering to recognise players' contribution over the course of the season. (Note: The review above is by no means any indication of who will win the awards, or what type of awards will be given out)

In tandem with that, I have worked extremely hard to come up with this piece - from the music, to playing the piano, to get Miley Cyrax to endorse TeamCuzz by appearing in the video, and most importantly, to come up with the right lyrics that perfectly suits TeamCuzz. So here's a song dedicated to all TeamCuzz players and fans - chill, enjoy and reflect the past season. May we all learn something useful and improve for the one coming right ahead. Sing/read along.



TeamCuzz's Climb - {adapted & edited from The Climb OST - Miley Cyrus}

We can almost see it,
That win We're dreaming but,
There’s a voice inside our head saying,
You’ll never achieve it.

Every pass We're making,
Every move We make feels,
Lost with no direction,
Our faith is shaking.

but We....
Got to keep trying,
Got to keep our head held high....

There’s always going to be another opponent,
We're always going to want to make them lose,
Always going to be an exciting battle,
Sometimes We might need to fall and bruise.
Ain’t about how much We thrash them,
Ain’t about who scores the goals for our side....
It’s the climb....

The strikers We’re facing,
The chances they’re taking,
Sometimes they knock us down but,
No We're not breaking.

We may not know it,
But these are the moments that,
We're going to remember most yeah,
Just got to keep going.

And We....
We got to be strong,
Just keep pushing on....

Cause....
There’s always going to be another Green Man,
He’ll be there to make some lousy calls,
Always going to be a testing occasion,
But We’ve gotta stick together and just play ball.
Ain’t about how much We argue,
Ain’t about who gets the yellow card….
It’s the climb....

There’s always going to be another mountain,
We're always going to want to make it move,
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Somebody going to have to lose,
Ain’t about how fast We get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side....
It’s the climb....

Keep on moving....
Keep climbing....
Keep the faith TeamCuzz....
It’s all about ...(X2)
The climb...
Keep the faith...
Keep your faith!!!

Results might be important, but the journey to achieving those results must always be cherished. For those moments makes everything worth it. Signing off for the last time this season, GZ25 - TeamCuzz, through & true.