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Fukuda Denshi, Saturday, June 6th
Note to Carlos, Shosuke and Keisuke: Definition of the word 'pass' ... #28. Sports. to transfer (the ball or puck) to a teammate.
Brief summary of a horrible game: Pinpoint pass from Lowes -- to a Sala striker. Ball hoofted over BFC goalkeeper Tepi. 1-0 and only 10 minutes gone. Typical gift-wrapped goal for BFC opponents this season.
Midfielders AWOL, Sala dominate first half. Pete Sweeney and his bionic knee controlling the game with Aranda and Pomares playing matador, waving him and his team mates through with an 'Ole, innit!' No more goals though. BFC improve in second half but refuse to pass to each other.
I cannot be sure but if there are people out there who enjoy schlepping themselves across Tokyo to Chiba, suffering crowded trains or traffic jams, to waste virtually an entire day for a half (or even the full 80 minutes) of football you spend watching three of your team mates play keepy-uppy, then I know a good doctor who will prescribe you some excellent medication.
Imai fired over early in the second half on the rare occasion a ball was played into the box, Aranda curled a shot against the post, Keisuke hit the post from an acute angle, although with unmarked players lining up and screaming for the ball in the middle, and Yamagishi will rarely get an earful like he got late on when he was guilty of an even worse failure to square the ball moments later.
Even BFC's penalty was a bail-out, in more ways than one. Having done the hard part by skipping past two Sala defenders, Keisuke tried to beat a third with two strikers wide open only yards from goal. Head down, he cut across Clarkey and went down under minimal contact.
He was about to get a rollicking for not passing when the referee blew for a peno. No BFC players close to it appealed but, amid predictable protests (one or two of them -- the 'You cheat Shosuke!' -- perhaps unfair), Aranda rolled in the spot kick. 1-1.
In truth, if wide players all did their jobs and looked for the strikers, a la Imai, who gets behind his man and pings in great crosses (and also takes wicked pictures at Tokyo fetish parties -- watch this space), BFC would be 8-10 points better off this season. What happened again here was, never has been, the BFC way.
BFC is a passing team, or used to be. Hopefully we can return to that style of football next year. 'Housekeeping' note to whoever wrote the last Sala report: last year's champions, and the year before that were BFC. Not Hibs. Bring back Roddy the Bard. All is forgiven, son.
Final word of congratulations to YCAC -- totally deserved. Best passing team in the league. Best everything really this year. Respect.
Report by Pinky and Diane
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