Where The Light Don't Shine
Grilled's league opponents for the new season were determined after this morning's qualifying matches, with both Changi Genius and BDSM FC holding on to their spots in II.2 with clear two-goal margin victories.
Changi's Romanian signing Rãzvan Georgescu made a thunderous debut as he tore the much-lauded Chelsea Pioneer defence to shreds in the first eighteen minutes, and could have made it a hat-trick in the second half before a packed stadium. Chelsea's big purchase Cătălin-Ioan Grecu, coincidentally also from Romania, worked for his S$250000/week salary as he pulled strings in midfield, but was unable to make the big things happen.
BDSM FC on the other hand had to come from behind, but a double from local playmaker Fan Guanzhi set them on the way to a resounding 3-1 win over St. Xavier's FC, whose transfer bid for former Grilled forward Che Harun bin Sabtu hadn't gone through in time. BDSM FC could have pulled the scoreline even wider had their counterattacks been finished off, but the Spartan fans are certainly not quibbling.
Arrogancae attempted to hit Tanglin Winners FC on the break in their bid to enter the top flight, only to be met by a Tanglin side that utterly dominated midfield, thanks to forwards Kunter Öcek and Silvester Rigters working from very deep. Therefore, Grilled will again travel to Avengers Apocalypse for the opener.
With this settled, the only additions to the league are the Serangoon Gooners, ArseVikings, who have reached the Second Division for the first time after seventeen seasons, and former Cup champions and II.3 competitors Shining Lights, who have blazed back up after briefly descending to the fourth tier of local football.
ArseVikings promoted off the back of an extremely impressive campaign in III.6 that saw them romp to a perfect record of 14 wins in 14 games, conceding just six goals in the process. They possess a young and well-rounded side, with only a handful of players over 26 years of age, led by in-demand Spanish midfielder Fábregas. The club has built its collection of results around short-passing possession football at home, and a watertight defence when away.
Their arrival also means that the Chicken Wings will meet another direct opponent of their senior side in the National Youth League, with newbies are newbies previously the only such example. The Wings started the ball rolling with a comeback 1-2 win against the ArseVikids today, and the Birds will be hoping for a repeat when they meet for the first time in a few weeks.
Shining Lights enjoyed a comparable spree in III.16, losing only the once to Wild Savages. They have generally played a 3-5-2 with a very strong central spine, quite similar to how BDSM FC have operated. They have a no-nonsense midfield, organized by national star Mohd Rizalruddin bin Nan and former L1verpool man Lin Khong Hai, and this combined with a pacy frontline has always been a recipe for success in football.
