Swiss Settlement
A bubbly but ultimately disappointing opening day to the Supporter Week Trophy tournament has seen the Birds win just one of their first four games, with two defeats into the bargain. They got started against the Swiss Division Six pair of Sapphire Dragons and FC Letzigrund Löwen, and while they took the lead and scored thrice in both cases, it would wind up 3-4, 3-3, with
Mohammad Ramli Saliman sent off for a second yellow late in the first half against Letzigrund.
Saliman wouldn't be overly missed against Fc Aiur, the second Suriname-based Hattrick International side that the Birds have faced this season, as they cleared the South Americans by seven goals to one.
Moey Xin Seng's 32nd minute header from a corner underscored a hardworking outing for the captain, but like Saliman, he would be dismissed midway.
The again-slightly-reshuffled side would face Dutch fifth division Flevo-Ajax to conclude the first set of games, but it was the turn of Flevo-Ajax's Spanish winger Lázaro Serrano to shine. His excellent work down the left - pressing his strengths in the air against
Cyril Künzler - saw him strike twice early on, to help his team to a 3-2 win.
Farmer Bunnies fared slightly better, as they wound up with a positive 2-1-1 record.
Enzo Paolo Panzarino exploded with a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory against Italian challengers
jakkenfish, whose in-your-face approach brought them four cards and precious little joy. A narrow 2-3 defeat to Portuguese Division Four SCP Dream Team followed, in which Panzarino teased with a 71st minute highlight goal, only for Rafiel Khurtsidze to steal away several minutes later.
Abderahim Bentellis and
Lau Chang Wan then came up with the goods late on against Romania-based H.I. club Spargaul Patra, as they coincidentally were the only players to be booked. Another Italian job followed, with Division Six club FK Bull managing a one-all draw, despite playing the last hour or so with ten men after Valério de Aragão's straight red for his unprovoked hard shove on
Tham Leng Teck.
Grilled International mirrored the Birds' fate, though they started brightly with a combative 1-0, also against Swiss sixth division opposition in 3Stars Friesenberg.
Abdul Hamid bin Hj Ali Timbang notched the winner from
Tommy Dongelmans' searching pass immediately after the latter had come on, soon after Friesenberg goalie had denied
Arcadi Sansalvador.
A 2-3 loss to Austrian Division Five Superpfund Holzleiten was next, though Dongelmans was again impressive in his supersub role, scoring himself this time. Staunchly-defensive Swedish Division Four Citadellstadens BK then probably undersold themselves in a nil-all draw, before Dutch Division Five Jobshaven demolished International 5-0, the slick Joram Mollers signing off with a hat-trick.