Goals galore at the start/end of 1st half and end of the 2nd half guaranteed TeamCuzz a convincing 6-2 victory over Sengkang Rangers. The goals came from 5 different goalscorers, all making their mark for the first time/first time in a long time this season.
Just like Manchester United, TeamCuzz knew they could not afford to drop any points in the title-run in no matter who the opponents are. And with Rangers perfectly fitting into the role of Manchester City - one with a bruised ego from their 1st encounter - fans faced pre-match anxiety that the weekend could spell the start of the end of their season.
"Those goals were awesome!" said the gaffer, Zulkahiri, who was one a one-match touchline ban. He did not miss much of the action though as he managed to watch the match live on Football Channel (now Channel 222) after the respective telcos sorted out their broadcasting rights just in time before kickoff. "We planned to hit them on the break initially, but with my players displaying such confidence and flow, I let them decide how best it was that they wanted to tear the opponents apart."
And tore them they did. It proved to be a right combination for the team, with the defensive unit displaying a solid, no-nonsense performance while the attacking unit was full of creativity and pace. Midfield trio, obviously caught in the middle of these ditinct styles, managed a right balance of both.
TeamCuzz settled down as soon as the match started, stringing some passes together. Upon realizing that Rangers were not bringing their game, TeamCuzz upped the tempo and took the lead early on. Saifuddin scored the goal, after his deflected shot side-footed Gianluigi Boffun. TeamCuzz added another soon after, when Ranger's defender presented Imran with a gift, which he duly passed on to Haikal to slot home at the near post. It was the winger's 1st goal since his incredible 6 -goal feat against the same team a couple of months ago.
As TeamCuzz grew comfortable with their lead, Rangers hit them on the break. A scorcher from distance gave Edmund no chance at all, and it made Ranger's confidence grew enormously. TeamCuzz started to be nervous from then on, with uncharacteristic arguments with the referee and misplaced passes. Above all, poor organization of the backline almost gifted the league's leading scorer 2 goals and an undeserved lead for Rangers. However, he found Edmund at his best, both times thwarting the one-on-one chances with lightning reflexes. The story could & would have been way different if those had gone in.
And just to pile on the misery for the missed opportunities, TeamCuzz punished Rangers further when they scored a third. Having just come on the pitch 5 minutes ago, Naufal received the ball from a defender's clearance. He took control of it with a touch and let fly from just outside the area. Superb goal, which would have warranted an excessive celebration from anyone else who have not scored for sometime. That goal gave TeamCuzz a comfortable lead into the break.
With many options to choose from, changes were made to freshen up the team, in particular the attacking unit. And it brought instant dividends, with the team capitalizing on Ranger's tired legs and flailing morale. Joseph was first on the mark. After blasting a sitter a mere 30 seconds back, he made ammends after being handed a similar opportunity. That marked the start of his game, after being largely disappointing in the 1st half. He then scored again less than 5 minutes later, after Shahrudin combined with Syukri to set up Joseph with a simple tap-in. Syukri then grabbed the 3rd in the impressive 10-minute salvo fro TeamCuzz, which firmly placed the final nail in Rangers' coffin. It was a well taken goal which the GK could only parry, once again after good linking-up play between Imran and Shahrudin.
Rangers did grab the final goal of the game, a mere consolation that hardly sparked a revival. The match never lived up to its billing as one that would boil over, judging by the 1st encounter between these 2 sides. Credit to both sets of players for that. It goes to show that football can be likened to rugby when players become hooligans, but it could also be a classy sport when played by sportsmen.
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