Vikings Hold Out
Chow Dismay
Grilled must regard it as two points dropped after promotees ArseVikings held them to a goalless draw at The Cooking Pot, their payoff for executing their defensive strategy well. The Birds were kept to a scattering of potshots throughout, and would record only their first nil-all draw in the league since Champloo FC visited, four seasons ago.
ArseVikings had good cause to be cautious, with many commentators already harping on their lack of squad strength, and they had to do a revision of their short passing gameplan after being outclassed by Shining Lights last weekend. They settled on bringing a 5-4-1, leaving team champion Abilio Cabana de Bergantiños to do the chasing from the front.
This he did to great effect, as Grilled were not helped by the heavy rain, which partly cancelled out their advantage in midfield. Swede midfielder Johan Wallen in particular was outstanding for the visitors in the middle with his melding of balance and strength, which really shone through when he took the ball off a disappointing
Marc Pujolràs and set Bergantiños away down the right.
Dexter Stacey spread himself brilliantly to keep that out.
Grilled's best opportunity of the game came in the 23rd minute, after the ArseViking defenders appeared to be blinded by the rain and floodlights. Bögengang's curling free-kick evaded them all and landed perfectly for the enterprising
Chow Ying Lee, but to the young forward's horror, he completely missed the finish with the goal at his mercy, as the ball skidded awkwardly on the slick grass.
The Birds had barely recovered from that disappointment when alert Brazilian goalie Otaviano Marques, a S$10.6 million signing from Dobermanns FC, spotted Bergantiños calling for the ball way up with only Jungui staying with him, and sent a goal-kick his way. Jungui barely managed to slow his advance, and the referee played the advantage after the Spanish target man passed it to the left, thankfully for Grilled who might otherwise be a man down.
Tim Metzler was there and dribbled wide of a recovering Madaini before trying a shot, but the angle was by then too tight and he could only find the side netting, which meant that Grilled had escaped but for a yellow for Jungui.
It was frustrating for the home fans, who stayed in the vain hope of a breakthrough, as Grilled often came tantalizingly close only for some error to doom their move. Slippery ground and an overcrowded defence didn't help at all, and it only grew worse as the match went on, as the pitch slowly became torn up by the players' studs.
Domenik Bögengang nearly won it by himself in the 49th minute as he saw
Gleb Dorogan sneaking up at the near post, with the goalie covering the far side, and he hit the ball at the clever Moldovan, which should have been an easy goal had it actually got to him. Bögengang didn't count on Marques' reaction speed, though, and the pass ended up being cut out by his gloves.
Grilled's offence grew more desperate as the seconds ticked by, in contrast to the visitors, who were happy to sit it out. The fans were forebodingly silent as the Birds struggled to get even a shot on target after that, and all of Grilled's possession came to naught as the ninety minutes passed.
