Old Debt
Rotteveel Dismissed
Grilled exacted a measure of revenge for one of the longest-standing dues that they have collected, with the win against ViRtU@L FC coming twenty seasons after the long-lived East Coast side knocked Grilled out of the competition. Since then, ViRtU@L have oscillated between the second and fourth divisions, and are now, like the Birds, in the third.
Certainly few of the fans recalled the admittedly brief history between the sides, but even then the fixture was a large enough draw to attract over 70000 supporters. Just as they had all those years ago, Grilled struck first, with midfielder
Quah Han Kok outdoing Bolivian custodian Sócrates Perales with a stinger from the right side of the box.
Dutch forward
Maikel Rotteveel was unhappy with the experienced Rafael Dato's constant attentions, and foolishly knocked the Spaniard over in the 26th minute, earning himself a yellow card immediately. He was fortunate that ViRtU@L didn't get anything out of the free-kick, which they could have had Tonko Samukić been more decisive.
Rotteveel did contribute much to the Grilled cause after that, with his corner a few minutes later nicked on by Branbilla, but mishit by Seng-Huat, who has gone three seasons without scoring. After that, Rotteveel decided that he would have to do the job himself, and harried the ball off Dato to score, a goal which appeared to give him more satisfaction than usual.
Seng-Huat would come in for criticism from fans of both sides, after he charged full hilt into ViRtU@L midfielder Tan Yeng Beng. Tan had been under the weather, but his substitute Sun Hui Ting wasn't much better, to the disappointment of the home crowd.
ViRtU@L's fans got something to cheer about early in the second half, as nippy Dutchman Theunis Sjoerd Bouwens flew onto a cutting cross by Luis Senderos. There were some dodgy moments for the Birds as ViRtU@L got their second wind, but the home side were punished for pushing too far up when Chuancheng picked out Subri, who volleyed it home after the hour mark.
Croatian forward Tonko Samukić wasn't having the best of days, and after his squandered chance in the first half, became agitated with the lack of action on his side of the pitch. When he did get the ball, he blasted it straight at Valdir, and after that was lucky to escape a sending off after hacking Lik-Tsun down in frustration.
A red card would be shown, but to Rotteveel, whose stupidity earlier on came back to haunt him. His foul this time was necessary, but he could have stayed on had he not gotten that first yellow. As if to rub it in, Grilled were soon granted a free-kick in prime Rotteveel location, and Subri's floated ball was dealt with easily by the defence.
The home team kept Grilled on their toes as Senderos cracked a wonderful banana shot in with five minutes to spare, and Subri was next to be booked for a cynical foul. ViRtU@L's revival was crushed after
John MacKinnon ran the ball into the net in the 88th minute in a goalmouth melee, however, and that put Grilled into the next round.
