Having beaten Soccerites a couple of weeks back, TeamCuzz did not let complacency run loose on themselves. That is, after all, their biggest downfall this season. With a reminder & conservative formation to match, TeamCuzz set out to produce yet another disciplined performance.
Soccerites started off well, with one shot rocking the woodwork. Unlike the 1st match, however, they appeared more defensive, perhaps due to waking up to the reality of playing a much better team in real life than past results might imply. Insider reports claim that the players were more cautious as they were fasting, which Jose Mourinho has clearly refuted. "Absolute disgrace to those who say players can't play in Ramadhan. Disgrace!"
TeamCuzz had none of that. Going against the law of nature, they brought a frantic pace to the game which left Soccerites in their wake. That helped them to an early lead, courtesy of Shukur's left foot, after fine work by Shahrudin on the right. They continued to press on to widen the deficit but only managed to do so close to the break. Hyder's mazy dribble in the middle of the park saw him releasing brother Haikal for an exquisite finish, in off the upright. Hyder was clearly the most impressive player on the pitch, largely influencing the tempo of TeamCuzz's attack while supremely budding the opposition's foray upfront. He deservedly received the Man-of-the-Match accolade.
"No Complacency!" said Manager Khairi in his short & sweet halftime teamtalk. Captain Shahrudin added, "Simple, we win. Then Arul can play for 5 minutes (*Arul chuckles*)." With those words of encouragement, TeamCuzz set out for the 2nd half in a much changed lineup, but definitely with sufficient ammunition to get the job done.
TeamCuzz went berserk early in the 2nd half, perhaps thinking that they were the only ones who paid a hefty fee for playing in the league. Nevertheless, the dominance did not translate into goals, with Soccerites' goalie & defenders performing well. Soccerites did cause some worry to TeamCuzz towards the end, with Mahmood Sarabia's effort just glancing the past. Many pundits reckoned that it could well have been a pivotal moment in the game. With seconds to go, Khairil, who had an impressive outing with his frequent mazy dribbles, managed to find himself in an unfamiliar one-on-one situation with the goalie. He duly converted, and duly celebrated his maiden goal in Espzen.
With their 6th win on the trot, TeamCuzz now looks in a good position to be among the top contenders for the championship. They will be away for a 2 week training stint in the holy location of Istighfar to replenish their souls. Following in the footsteps of their English counterparts, TeamCuzz will return to action on "Boxing Day" (no pun intended) when they take on Black Hawks on the eve of Hari Raya. Contrary to the believe of many, this seems like TeamCuzz's biggest task. After all, complacency stands in their way, & that is the biggest opponent there can ever be. (Note: The font colour of this post is inspired by Saifuddin Salleh's favourite colour)
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