Kerkdriel Take Seven
Triple Double
The sixth round of the World Battle tournament pitted the Singapore II.2 league against the Haitian II.3, and Grilled Birds' opponent would be their league leaders and former Haiti Emerald Challenger Cup winners, Kerkdriel goes Haïti. Founded by the owners of Dutch institution Kerkdriel SV, a previous spin-off in Bangladesh had also captured the Emerald Challenger Cup in that country, a testament to their effective management umbrella.
It was moreover a reasonably strong side that Kerkdriel fielded today on paper at least, with goal-machine Ukrainian Number Nine Semen Basko leading their line. Wingers Gastone Bonato and José Guerra had arrived a couple of months ago with big reputations, if erhaps eclipsed by wingbacks Remo Riediker and Zsigmond Eszlári. All in all, this had the look of a team that is exceedingly adept at attacking down the wings, something that the Birds have not looked comfortable against.
In practice, however, all that was moot as Grilled stubbornly clung on to the ball, likely at least partly down to the lingering cost of their cup final efforts.
Darko Andrović was a rock against Guerra and Eszlári, easing the Birds' concerns down the left, though they took some time to make something of themselves.
Aw Keng Chuan sighted
Chia Kwang Tse peeling off towards the middle in the 30th minute, and his superlative floated ball would be taken in mid-bounce by Chua - and whipped past Loris Soligon.
That was one-nil to Grilled, and
Brian Reddy would scare the Haitians with his own excellent volley on the next push. Ten minutes of to-and-fro followed, to be concluded by Soligon tipping
Lim An Keng's close-range shuffle around the post, only for
Ha Qicai to boom the corner into the roof of the net. Kerkdriel were understandably rocked by that, and the ever-predatory
Chad Thach punished them with a daring dribble for 3-0 by half-time.
The start of the second half had Kerkdriel take more chances with little left to lose, and good understanding between Eszlári and Guerra would see the much-decorated Mexican nip through the Grilled backline in the 57th minute... only to run out of steam and prod it tamely at
Radomil Marcol.
Chad Thach would show him how it was done four minutes later in the 61st, after
Darko Andrović took his turn in blowing through the entire right defence.
Brian Reddy would look downright irresponsible in comparison as he was then booked for a lazy trip on Bonato, but this did not affect Grilled's offensive advantage in the slightest.
Hwang Teck Fu was next to strike as the Haiti team were slow to recover their positions after two waves of Grilled raids, which had the forward ducking inside Nico Fuso to get to
Lim An Keng's assist first. There would be a yellow after the fact for Czech veteran Zdeněk Vogeltanz, who had taken Lim down after the ball had gone.
Two more goals would be in the works, as
Chia Kwang Tse more or less battered his way through a tired Kerkdriel central defence for the sixth in the 76th minute.
Damian Hutter then entered for
Aw Keng Chuan - who had done as excellent job, as usual - in the 89th minute, just in time to watch
Hwang Teck Fu plunder one more, if perhaps slightly cheaply with the opposition team having all but stopped playing.
