Losers Not
Madaini Heads Up
Pasir Ris Division Four side The Match Losers took Grilled Birds to their first competitive penalty shootout since UT Polar Bears booted them out of II.4 five seasons ago, though there was little tension this time as
Dexter Stacey saved two and saw two sail wide, leaving the Birds to comfortably see past the Losers 5-1 on kicks.
The regular part of the match was a different matter altogether, with the home side, fresh off a four game winning streak that saw them outscore all comers 21 to 1, greeting the full house with the Gregers Boesen-Jakub Prílesan defensive connection that has often looked out of place at their division.
Grilled stuck with youth in midfield and up top, but viewed their opponents seriously enough to put out their strongest three-man backline, in addition to having Stacey in goal. Madaini had the armband for the day, furthering speculation that the well-liked Saudi Arabian will be named captain after Dorogan's departure, and he was a model of leadership.
It was not only jaw-jaw for Madaini, and after the rough opening which saw Ivan Púrvanov cautioned for trying to rattle Grilled's youngsters one too many times, Madaini conjured a cute free-kick combination that had him pierce the Losers defence after having the ball laid to him. Unfortunately,
Tian Yonghang wasn't prepared, and missed the connection.
As against heimu XI, Grilled were forced on the defensive most of the time, but at least they had the excuse that they were fielding mostly inexperienced kids. Prílesan steamed up the left in the 40th minute and nearly got his side ahead, but it conspired to be a false dawn for his side, with Grilled earning a free-kick from the counter that Madaini duly bent in.
Spirits were high as the young Birds team took a fortuitous 1-0 lead into half-time, and their task became easier when Losers' main forward Héctor Orbara knocked his ankle soon after the restart. Ironically, while Grilled slowly improved and reclaimed possession, this left an opening for the hosts to give them a taste of their own medicine - Púrvanov wheedled a free-kick out of nothing on receiving a long ball, and it cumulated in the equaliser by winger Wen Weikun, who nodded in from close range.
Grilled had at least retained something in their locker, and made a triple substitution in the final minute of normal time, taking Hung, Gudivada and Tang off for the experience of Lefébure and Iten, and the fresh legs of
Li Boon Boon, who immediately set off defending from the front. Together, they ensured that Grilled reached the shootout without too much incident, though there was a nervy moment when Prílesan found the crossbar.
The spectators slowly realised that this was what the Birds had been counting on all along, with them slowing the match down to almost walking pace during extra time, and the presence of former Canadian national goalie
Dexter Stacey reminded them of why. With the hardworking Púrvanov running himself into the ground and taken off, teenager Vikas Naidu volunteered for the first attempt, but cracked under the floodlights, with his effort not even coming close.
It was a completely different matter for
Paolo Iten, to whom penalties are bread and butter, and he sent Vainutis Jafetas the wrong way. Likewise for
Yvan Lefébure, while Choo Puay Chuan and Lim Wee Wei saw their attempts anticipated excellently by Stacey. Madaini was entrusted with the match-winning opportunity, and left nothing to chance, coolly putting it to one corner.
Jafetas did beat Stacey from the spot after that, and Stacey immediately returned the favour, before goalscorer Wen Weikun skied his side's last kick of this season's Cup and
Lin Jungui boomed it in to make it five out of five for Grilled.
