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Hachioji Park, Sunday 27th September
Let’s hope this isn’t habit forming.
For the second time in as many games the Embassy managed to throw away a well deserved, two-goal lead to lose three-two at the final whistle. What perhaps makes this loss all the more frustrating is that this performance was even more schizophrenic than two weeks ago. Against Sala you could have talked about them regaining their composure, the momentum of the game perhaps swinging in their favour and them taking their chances. Against the Swiss it was much more of a case of the Embassy losing all their poise and patience, sometime during the break. Maybe the half-time oranges were drugged?
The opening five minutes saw a myriad of mistakes; passes going astray, players needed a week or more to get the ball under control, and the occasional first touch looking like it had been performed by a hippo in clogs. However, the Embassy soon took control (or woke up, this was a 9am kickoff after all) and the ball started moving around well. The first goal was testament to the Embassy’s early dominance. Keith took a goal kick short, the ball moved across the back line and into the midfield before a lovely through-ball from Takanori and a perfectly timed run by Tetsu put him one-on-one with the ‘keeper. The finish was coolly taken and things looked good. Shortly after, a powerful run from Hal on the left flank culminated in a decent effort that the Swiss ‘keeper could only parry. Ferdy had already made a run into the box and was therefore on hand to finish from a tight angle. That Ferdy felt free to make the run was largely thanks to Will who had a massive first half screening the back four and stopping the opposition building any kind of momentum in the middle.
So halftime rolled around and the Embassy were looking at a first, historic win over the Swiss. But that is not how things turned out. From the whistle the Swiss took the game to the Embassy and rather than meet them head on the Embassy fell apart, descending into infighting, punted long balls forward, and an abandonment of all that had been done right in the first half. When the Swiss Number 3 cut in from the left he was not closed down and had time to cut a shot back into Keith’s bottom left corner. Still, at two – one the Embassy could have taken it’s time, played the ball and then killed the game off with a third goal but the poise was gone and when a real belter of a shot from range put the Swiss on level terms things just got worse. With only a few minutes to go a Swiss shot stung Keith’s gloves. The ‘keeper dived onto the loose ball and looked to have it before the on rushing Swiss striker but the referee deemed it a legal strike and the score read 3 – 2. A final frenzied few minutes followed as the Embassy finally looked to try and score a third, Hal again making a strong run which unfortunately didn’t finish with the same result and various defenders also making forays over the halfway line but to no avail. The seconds ticked out and that was that.
Looking for positives from these two losses the Embassy can take real heart from the fact that twice we have been the dominant side and have created goals from decent moves rather than punted long balls forward for Crouchie to chase. Indeed there is plenty to say that this could be a decent season for the boys in red and white and that our problems thus far have been more mental than technical or tactical. However, at the end of the day potential is nothing if it cannot be turned into performance and right now the facts is that the Embassy are on the bottom of the table with no points. Two days of getting our heads straight at the Nagano tournament cannot come soon enough..
Report by Other Tim
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HACHIOJI PARK WARNING!!!
It is your responsibility to make sure that you and your players clear up after your game regardless of whether you're the first team on or the last. If there's one PET bottle or can left on the field after TML has finished using the ground we'll be PERMANENTLY BLACKLISTED - we've been told so.
And that's just the field... We've found out that the changing room is NOT in fact a changing room - it's a COMMUNAL area. Last weekend there were young girl teams playing on the sub-field and using the COMMUNAL area. We received a MONUMENTAL complaint about players getting changed in the communal area and outside near the pitches. From now on when girls or children are playing, TML players are to change in the SHOWER area, there is to be no undressing in the COMMUNAL area - as bizarre as this may sound and players MAY NOT get changed outside the COMMUNAL area or pitch-side.
As for the showers, do not leave empty shampoo or shower bottles in the shower - this is a disgrace.
Captains and players: we have one last chance chance. Just one. One PET bottle, one shampoo bottle... And that's it, NO MORE HACHIOJI. Seriously. From now on the last teams of the day MUST CHECK with the office before they leave that everything is in order. IF THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AT EVERY GAME WE'RE OUT. No more Hachioji, no more astroturf.
Footy Japan KK.
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