TeamCuzz was invited and accepted Meridian Generations FC (MGFC) challenge of staging a testimonial for one of their own who is leaving for greener pastures abroad. The match, very much likened to the Community Shield, was met with a resounding response from TeamCuzz, with an encouraging 21 players turning up (25 if you consider the trio on loan at MGFC and the injured Shahvez). There were also 2 other MGFC players who had briefly donned the yellow of TeamCuzz before.
From top-left: Anuar pants after a tiring day at shifting house; Capt Shah with a selection headache; Syukri: "I striker? Baik ah!!"; TeamCuzz whooooosh to round it all up.
Just like many testimonials that have been witnessed before, the star of the show, Matthew, only entered the pitch at halftime to a resounding applause by both sets of players. He had a significant impact on the game, contributing to both sides of the scoreline. He was also presented with a small token of appreciation at the end of the game. However, unlike usual testimonials, the game was played at a pulsating pace with both sides not wanting to end up on the losing end. TeamCuzz drew first blood in the 25th minute, when Haikal's quick feet left defenders for the dead before letting fly a low driller past goalie Edmund. TeamCuzz's second was their Captain's classic. Having picked the ball in midfield, he mustered all the pace he still had in those 29 year-old legs of his to chase after his own through ball before slotting home at the near post. 2 nil it was at halftime.
Fazlon sensed MGFC were determined to hit back after the break, but he didn't expect it to be the way it happened. Following a freekick from outside the area, MGFC striker let fly a strong shot that winded the TeamCuzz fullback. From that, another MGFC player picked up the rebound and cracked a shot straight to the back of the net.
TeamCuzz refused to be back down, and further surged ahead with 2 well-taken goals by Amin in a 3 minute salvo. The first was courtesy of a mistake by Matthew, while the second saw a swift counter-attacking manouvre started off by the young and quick Shazrin. He looks to be a promising, hard-working forward which TeamCuzz should really consider drafting into their team.
From top-left: TeamCuzz's goal celebrations, from 1 to 4.
At 4-1, TeamCuzz started to lift their foot off the pedal and duly paid the price for it. MGFC, littered with players who have lifted the 'A' division crown before, triumphed under pressure and scored 3 more to make the score even at 4 apiece. Nevertheless, special credit is reserved for TeamCuzz's stand-in goalie, Riduwan, who saved a penalty.
TeamCuzz might be dissappointed to have lost the 3 goal advantage, nonetheless, it was a game truly enjoyed by all. With plans of joining another competitive league looming large, TeamCuzz really needs to brush up on the very basics that were learnt during the game against MGFC - 1) to be armed with simple yet dangerous freekick routine, 2) to learn the ability of heading & marking from corner kicks & 3) realizing that TeamCuzz's true strength lies in our numbers. On a side note, bon voyage Matthew.
~TeamCuzz vs MGFC~5 September 2010
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