Fledgings Overthrown
van Beveren Brace
Grilled's bright-eyed reserve hopefuls had their wings clipped by the Red Revolution Rebels of the Netherlands Fourth Division, who took them apart methodically on the Birds' fifth visit to Holland. They could however console themselves on being ahead for all of forty seconds somewhere in the first half, though they scarcely could be expected to hold that lead.
The friendly kicked off in rip-roaring fashion, with the Rebels, who have recently been eliminated from the Karl Marx Challenge tournament, rushing forward in an almost riotous fervour. Unused to being outrushed, the boys in green were drawn all over the place, and plenty of space opened for the homegrown Wijnand Terol to line up a cannoned shot past
Hovaness Noubaryan.
There was then some commotion on the field as
Li Boon Boon clattered heavily into the notably-named goalkeeper Hugo Chavez, who smashed his shin onto Li's studs. Historical continuity might not have been upheld as his Venezuelan namesake is still comfortably in power while his replacement Mikhail Gorbachev has been off the scene for some time, but that was how it transpired at Solidarity Stadium.
The match commentator quipped without a hint of irony that Gorbachev had given up too much freedom after
Mayur Gudivada sailed in to clip in an equalizer in the 23rd minute, coming as it had from some right-wing ministrations from
Teo Yong Yau. There appeared to be no room for centralists this day, with
Hung Wee Li giving Grilled a shock second, after the Rebels were exposed down the left.
Chaos soon ensued as the Rebels incited disorder in the Grilled area through ceaseless shifting of positions in the run-up to a corner kick, and only a last-second intervention by Noubaryan prevented Holger Dalmolen's economical motion from passing over the line in the 28th minute; it was however immediately scored on the down low, as Tomas de Graan cunningly struck with his heel.
The Rebels well deserved to be ahead, which they soon were as Sebastian Brinkhoff outflanked a sluggish-looking
Colby Awyong, which he celebrated with a proud salute at the masses in the stands, who appeared very entertained by the fare served up, especially since their team was playing the part of the circus and Grilled the bread.
The Birds did manage to hold on till half-time, but the rest did them little good as they shopped two goals in the four minutes after the referee got the second half underway. The defence in particular had to answer for those, with 40 year-old Renze van Beveren criminally open for the first, and Sammy Assenmacher taking it off Awyong, who was having a nightmare, for the next.
Awyong could take cold comfort in the fact that his centreback partner
Hilal Bakhtiar wasn't playing much better, getting the weight on his backpass horribly wrong in the 57th minute. Vietnamese import Nguyễn Sinh Cung wasn't about to let that go unpunished, and Noubaryan came out unsuccessfully. He would then be beaten from the penalty spot, with the wily old van Beveren sending him the wrong way.
Grilled did get some of their best football going after that made it 7-2, and Dalmolen was left to rue not scoring from either of his brilliant opportunities as his 78th minute effort was unbelievably kept out by Noubaryan despite the goalie having already gone to ground.
Neo Da Teck then supplied some counterrevolutionary impetus with a cute cultured chip after drawing Gorbachev wide, but that was about as large a reaction as they could muster.
