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Hachioji Park, Saturday 3rd November,
THE CAST:
Leonardis (those gloves), Manson (Gretna's finest), Doyle (a new shirt for a new day), Morson (grrrrrr), 'The Boy Woszidlo' (two games in a day), Clarke (yesterday strawberry blond, today Aunt Maude grey), Aranda (nuff said with a name like that), Bailey (doing time in the middle), Yamagishi (no crash helmet required), Himmer (22 painkillers, personal record), Day (bottle of Corona in his back pocket, just in case).
The bare facts: BFC dropped their first points of the season, copped a right ear-bashing from a fired-up Sala side and everyone sort of kissed and made up afterwards.
Footnote: That three of BFC's starters were helping Tokyo's Brave Boys in Blue track down a crazed lunatic at Shibuya cop shop in the wee hours was a novel way of preparing for a big game, even in BFC's long and colourful history. Still.
Over-the-counter Ibuprofen. Brilliant. It was a beautiful evening for it. I think. Remember Sala being quite vocal and up for it and that. Couple of 'heat check' long-range efforts from Aranda and Yamagishi -- 'Can we have our ball back please?'
Clarke, new grey hairdo glistening in the floodlights, threatened down the right when given the chance but BFC rarely expanded their play. They could have played on a cricket strip, they were so narrow, a problem that would continue all game.
'OH, SIT DOWN!'
Mulligan's introduction to the other James provided the day's first slice of real entertainment. Now, Mulligan has hardly put a foot wrong since joining BFC. His first touch against Sala was the creme de la menthe of first touches.
Bringing down the ball with a casual trap and a wink to Yamagishi's bird, Mulligan opted, controversially, to slide it back behind Morson and into the path of the onrushing Sala forward, who (equally controversially) punted it over the bar.
There were no recriminations from BFC players, simply the sound of 10 jaws dropping with a loud clang, and Morson turning to look at Himmer with a look that said: 'Mate of yours, is he?'
Morson's feathers were ruffled probably more by the volume of the invective coming from the touchline than anything else and he went through one Sala player, um, a little bit late, somehow escaping a card from referee Jorge, who missed a cast-iron off-the-ball penalty and somehow managed to keep a lid on the game while kind of get on everyone's tits at the same time. Who'd be a ref?
This Mulligan fellow is made of sterner stuff though and moments later was bursting through on the left, Morson-style, collecting a through ball from Himmer and then sort of stepping on the ball, perfectly summing up BFC's first half. Tel Aviv!!!
Mulligan quickly demonstrated just why he has established himself in the side, however, with some meaty challenges and clever support-work down the left, earning a wink of respect from Morson -- and the Little Terror doesn't dish them out willy nilly!!!
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the shopkeeper appeared in a puff of smoke, or something, and Sala were in front -- horrible defending allowing Scott Thompson to smash the ball past Leonardis, stunning BFC. Good finish though.
LAWS OF PHYSICS
I failed physics 'O' Level but would urge teams in the TML to try a simple experiment. Try riding your bicycle at high speed into a parked car. Wear a crash helmet for this. I am willing to bet you a monkey that you land either a) on the bonnet, b) on the roof, or c) behind said vehicle (if you ride a bike like Pablo Pomares).
Yamagishi can run the 100 metres in about 12 seconds. When he's running at you with the ball, and with the things the boy can do with the ball (switching it from one foot to the other with sickening speed, for example), you are GOING TO MAKE CONTACT.
We clatter the poor boy at practice. You can't avoid it. And when he's travelling at the speed he does (and remember there's more meat on a chicken drumstick), a trip, push, hip-roll, nudge, or whatever is going to launch him. Simple physics.
The stuff from the sidelines EVERY TIME Shosuke is fouled is getting boring and needs to stop. As Guido quite correctly pointed out: 'HE fouls too!' He does -- and referees are welcome to blow their whistle.
But go on, try the bicycle test. Try it at night, obviously. Less embarrassing. You will also find it HURTS!!! Have a think about it.
Bailey, in a rare but welcome return to the BFC, was left shaking his head after the game: 'I was jumping out of tackles every five minutes,' he chirped. 'Someone could get hurt!' Bless him. For the record, the foul count was pretty even.
PENANG-BASED GEEZER
Bailey's presence alongside Aranda was crucial, though, the Penang-based geezer freeing up the man from Paraguay to haul BFC back into the game in the second half.
BFC were still too narrow, Clarke and Yamagishi being sucked in from the wide areas, leaving little alternative but to try to play through Sala.
The ninja flick-ons up front for Day to gobble up provided one option but there was little in the way of a Plan B. A moment of magic from Yamagishi or Clarke was needed. Yamagishi continued to run at Sala, drawing free kicks. And more abuse. Credit the boy for picking himself up and coming back for more, though.
BFC's pressure was beginning to tell but Sala's backline refused to be breached. One free kick from Aranda fizzed across the box, Rouven just failing to get his out-stretched leg to it for what would have been a certain equaliser.
BFC's reward finally came with about 15 minutes to go, Yamagishi whipping in a dangerous corner and Aranda thumping the ball home on the volley as Sala goalkeeper Lloyd was clothes-lined by one of his own defenders.
Sid being Sid, got up in installments, bits of shrapnel from the war protruding in ugly fashion through his pajama top.
Yet there he was moments later saving Sala's bacon. When Aranda hits a ball, it stays hit. Another free kick, this time from a good 30 metres, tore through Sala's wall like a missile but Sid somehow got his fingers to it, tipping the ball against the bar and directly downwards.
Carlos claimed goal -- optimistic, especially from his angle. Oh for a Russian linesman! Had Jorge given that all hell would have broken loose. It was a terrific save and left BFC feeling a touch cheesed off at the final whistle. Which we probably had no right to be.
BFC have yet to play their best football this season but with one or two new players beginning to find their feet, it should come. That said, they are still top. Sala just showed how difficult it will be for BFC to defend their title in an ever-improving TML.
Report by PUMA BLACK
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