Match against CJC

Match against CJC soccer team today.

Lost 2-1.

Here's some pics.



>>> Jeremy before the match stealing my water. Like this shot i took.



>>> All depressed



>>> Ying, the solo shot you always wanted.



>>> And the team shot that we always wanted. But never complete. And it s still not complete. From front left to right: Shawn, Ting Soon, Ming, Me, Christ, Jeremy, Ying Lun, Zi Xiang, Bo Yang, Jun Jie. Missing: Lucas, Andy, Benedict, Wei ian, Reuben, Jethro, Ryan.

Hmm i m quite sad about what happened today. Even though i played quite well, we lost, and Bo Yang's leaving the team.

The defence today was strong. I loved the way how we complemented one another, maybe Afiq was quite the odd one out coz he never played with us before, but it was still good. I did plenty of running, touched the ball quite often, missed only one header. Maybe the throw in killed my game. Really SORRY ming for throwing to you at that height, i miss calculated the expected bounce as well. The ball was suppose to bounce once, and at most to knee level for easy control. But the ground was hard and dry, no grass, so it bounced to Ming's head and Brandon robbed him. Sigh.

I m glad though that i m becoming a lot better. From a paranoid noob with no technical skills at all, to someone who can at least hold, pass, pump, and do some essential tricks. I feel more natural and comfortable at right back, the position i ve played so far ever since i started. There s hardly any competition for that position because only 2 right backs in the world score goals regualarly, and they are Daniel Alves and Sergio Ramos. Even they dun score many actually. People just want to score goals, want to attack. They never see the art of defending, to do the dirty job.

I ve grown to be more brave, because i know my body is stronger, pain is no obstacle. Clearing headers and last ditch blocks are painful to most, but if you dun do it, i dun do it, then who's gonna do it? Just a moment of pain won't kill, but a moment of cowardly thought is fatal.

Went up against Ruddy today. He was arguably the best player in SJI, adjectives include unstoppable. I managed to halt him several times, out pace, out jump and out smart him. He s still human afterall. All i needed was just composure. I know experience counts too. i need more games under my belt, to be exposed to more situations, to learn to cope with them.

Jeremy wanted me to support the RM more, but how was i suppose to support? With Bo Yang going up so often, Ming was stranded at the back alone so many times. And i dun have that boundless energy to run up and down the flank every time, sometimes for nothing, or just to serve as a distraction to pull away one defender.

Going against Arnold was challenging, coz he was always cutting in and when ever he advances, the full back runs up. So i have to decide whether to stick to him or follow the overlapping run. But i think i made the right decisions mostly and pressured him and committed myself, managed to win a couple of tackles.

Ok anyway i m feeling really tired now. Soccer aint easy. It s not all about physical strength and technical skills, but the brains to think and of course the name of the game is to pass.