Division By Seven
Wu Tang Wing
Grilled Birds would land in Changhua, Taiwan for today's friendly against III.10 hosts Dzeržinskij Division, which did bring queries as to how their American founders - L.A. Lapers - had named their subsidiary after a Bolshevik secret policeman. Moniker aside, Dzeržinskij appear to have been entirely good citizens, with Israeli head coach Matthew Colvin's biggest recent buy being 19 year-old national youth team candidate Xiong Xiaoyi, for close to S$5.6 million from Taipei's Carini e Coccolosi for achievements.
Xiong was not included in the squad for the exhibition, which had 21 year-old São Tomé e Príncipe playmaker hopeful Aron Menalha as perhaps its best player. The U-20 midfield would be augmented by their reserves, and captained by the dependable 30 year-old left forward Deng Xinguo. Local fullbacks Lin Chufeng and Zhang Cunfu provided additional impetus up the wings, at least in theory, with first-team goalkeeper Luan Shuangfa featuring in the stead of usual friendly custodian and backup, Lin Xinhao.
That was far from enough to limit the Birds' output, as left winger
Wu Ping De emphasized as early as the second minute. 19 year-old Lu Futian was hardly a wallflower, as evidenced by his dismissal after two yellow cards against Fighters Youth Academy in his last appearance, but there was simply nothing he could do against Wu's rampage in the second minute, which ended with a cannonball into the roof of Luan's net.
Deng made to encourage his juniors as he prepared for the restart, but none of this was about to work against a Wu in the mood. The former Singapore U-20 star had made no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction at being a rotation player over the early part of last season, and poor Cao Xianghang would bear the brunt in the thirteenth minute, when Wu left him on his bottom with an oh-so-slick dragback - before scoring once again.
Lu Futian did show praiseworthy fight in taking
Genki Nagano on in the 29th minute, but his left foot let him down at the end.
Radomil Marcol duly distributed the ball across to
Chia Kwang Tse, who squared it low for
Phillip Nagata to slide home from the return. It was 5-0 four minutes later, as
Houssam Belhocine's sneaky free-kick got through to
Hwang Teck Fu. Hwang's strike came off Zhang Erlei, but
Hein Thiha Pyae Ko was on hand to knock it past Luan, being unattended.
The over five thousand home fans at Čeka were getting restive now, but even they had to recognize the pluck of
Wu Ping De, who was absolutely unstoppable at times rushing up the left flank. Fullback Zhang Cunfu simply couldn't keep up, and Wu had his hat-trick in the 37th minute on one of
Ananda Hettiarachchi's usual through balls. There might even have been a fourth as he fooled Cao once more, but Zeng Zhiming forced him wide this time.
Six first-half goals meant that the result was never in doubt, but Colvin appeared to take it in stride as he chatted amicably with
Dan Alstani as they disappeared down the tunnel. For whatever reasons, the Birds would get the second half going with their pace being turned down several notches, which would allow Menalha in particular to string together some very-watchable passing patterns.
There would be little of note with Dzeržinskij's lifted balls out to Deng going nowhere, and the Birds appeared set for a seventh when Lin Chufeng cut
Chad Thach down right as he ran into the box, in the 69th minute.
Genki Nagano took the penalty but hammered it comically wide, which had Zeng Zhiming spearhead a quick counter down the middle. A well-considered backpass had Lu Futian with half the goal to aim at, but the winger could not keep his drive on target.
The hosts would not have much time to mourn that miss, as Grilled Birds began to attack in earnest once more.
Chad Thach turned it on with a dribbling masterclass to cut past two men, and he had just released it for
Hwang Teck Fu, when striker Su Ruoxiong took him down from behind. Hwang finished easily in any case, and Su was duly booked by Guam referee Steven de Luis, who had otherwise been very hands-off in his approach to the match.
The 80th minute saw
Houssam Belhocine off for
Fu Wenlong, with the 28 year-old Algerian having being defensively dominant against Deng throughout. This perhaps helped Dzeržinskij find a late consolation, as Su Ruoxiong recovered from his booking to beat
Genki Nagano for speed five minutes later. A terrible pass from Zhang Cunfu then gifted
Chia Kwang Tse with a possible tap-in, but Chia wasn't concentrating either, to his great relief.
