McLucky FC

Guess who's this SHUAI guy?

2008-05-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

As stated on the title - Prizes to be won for correct guess!

Match this saturday

2007-07-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Guys the venue for the match is confirmed.. it is the field of the old TKGS, a place which weiwei will love =P

The venue is roughly one bustop south of the "star", near the bridge.

Meeting time is 9.15am.

As for the attire, wear our gold jersey. For those who don't have, either wear white, or perhaps something yellow, because the opponents will be in orange.

Please make yourself free as pangsehers will be duly condemned.

See you all on saturday!!

Post-Exams Match

2006-11-26T22:50:00.000-08:00

Match Details:

Date: 101206
Time: 0900 hrs
Venue: Marina South Pitch 2
Opponents: Kamal's Team
Attire: Wear GOLD
Meeting Point: Be at the field by 0830 hrs

If you don't know how to go to Marina South field, I don't know where you've been for the whole of your life. Here's a little help if you are really clueless. You can take the MRT to Marina Bay station and take bus no 400 from the bus stop outside the station.

If you're able to make it for this match, please drop your name in the comments section so that we can ensure that there are enough players for this match.

Alright, if you're reading this and you still have papers to sit for... Tsk Tsk Tsk... Time to get back to your books! Zai Mug!

On behalf of all from McLuckyFC, I would like to wish every student all the best for the exams and I look forward to meeting you all on the football pitch again.

That's where we truly belong, isn't it?

P.S. - McLuckyFC would also like to wish Alvin Lee Chia Wei a speedy recovery from his knee injury. For those who don't know, Alvin Lee had damaged his knee ligaments and meniscus during the match against Khee Yong's team when he took a big tumble while attempting to twist away from his marker. According to the big fella, he would have been through on goal with only the keeper to beat if he had been successful. He's still pissed that he lost an opportunity to score a goal and defy his critics. 'What a passionate player!' as Captain Ong would say.

Anyway, Alvin Lee would definitely be missed by all at the club and we once again send him our most sincere of well wishes.

The Young and Restless

2006-08-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

Mclucky FC Versus Ivan's Team

Time: 3.30pm
Venue : Marina South Pitch 6
Weather: Cool and cloudy

Starting Line-up:
Kelvin (GK), Huzer (DR), Wai Fu (DL), Ee Yang (DC),
Wei De (DC), Chun Wei (MR), Sin Cheng (ML),
Ben (MC), Siu Chun (MC), Rayner (ST), Ee Bing (ST)

Substitute: Gerald

Formation: 4-4-2

Pre Match

Having been missing in action for almost three whole weeks, it was time to get back to writing for Mclucky FC after the fun and games of the tetiary orientation camps. Mclucky FC had been on a 5-game losing streak ever since the crushing 6-1 win over Jackson's Team (can you remember when that was?). This time they were up against (another team with no name) Jackson's Team, which we thought were going to be easy meat after looking at their line-up, which consists of multi-racial players over a wide range of ages. However, like the famous saying "Don't judge a book by its cover", Mclucky were about to find out how things were not what they seemed to be...

Match Highlights

First Half

Things do not look too well for Mclucky FC when they go behind within the first 5 minutes after kick-off. A bad back pass by Ee Yang results in No. 16 (in the orange shirt) of Ivan's Team (IT) getting to the ball and slotting it into the bottom right corner of Kelvin's goal. 1-0 to the opponents.

Mclucky score a worthy equaliser in the 10th minute when Eebing dribbles and dances past the opposing defenders before unleashing a daisy-cutter into the bottom right corner of the opponent's goal. 1-1 and Mclucky are back in the game.

Substitution for Mclucky FC in the 17th minute. Sin Cheng is replaced by Gerald, who will operate on the right flank while Chun Wei moves across the pitch to the left.

A heart-stopping moment for Mclucky in the 20th minute when IT have a clear shot on an open goal after Kevlin comes off his line to clear a loose ball, albeit unsuccessfully. Fortunately, the player fluffs his shot and the ball sails wide of the goal.

The action continues to be fast and furious when Rayner fends off defenders to shoot in the 22th minute, but the ball sails just over the bar. He then gets on the end of a low shot on goal by Ben, but the referee calls for offside just as he directs the ball into the back of the net.

The last chance on goal for the first half falls to Mclucky in the 30th minute, when Ee Bing powers in a shot on goal. However, the shot is straight at the keeper and he palms it over the bar. The first half ends all square with both teams going into the break with a goal each.

Second Half

The second half starts with Gerald still remaining on the right flank while Sin Cheng replaces Siu Chun in the centre of mid-field. Almost immediately, the Mclucky goal comes under siege in only the 3rd minute, when "16" of IT shoots at goal but Kelvin reacts quick enough to turn it away for a corner.

Mclucky's defence is broken in the 5th minute when "16" (him again!?) shoots from beyond the penalty area and scores from long range. 2-1 to Ivan's Team

Fired up, Mclucky begin their own assault on IT's goal, with Chun Wei and Ee Bing hitting the opponent's post consecutively around the 10th minute mark. Substitutions follow suit in the 13th minute, with Siu Chun replacing Rayner in the striking role. Rayner then comes back into the pitch for Wai Fu in the 18th minute as Mclucky switch to a 3-4-3 formation.

The change in tactic does not seem to work however, when an IT player (the Indian in the Holland jersey) shoots from long range and scores. 3-1 to the opponents and they seem to have an insurmountable lead.

However, Mclucky manage to narrow the scoreline within minutes when Rayner reacts fastest after the opponent's keeper spills a free-kick by Siu Chun. He scrambles the ball into the net after a goalmouth melee for the ball. 3-2 and Mclucky manage to close the gap with a typical "Mclucky" goal (LOL).

In the last minute of play, Siu Chun receives the ball just outside the opponent's penalty area and tries to get a long shot on goal, but it goes agonisingly wide. The final score reads: Mclucky 2 Ivan's Team 3

Post Match

No player ratings this time round, but there is plenty to discuss about. Though the match seemed like ours for the taking, our opponents played with disclipine and purpose, effectively disrupting our tactics. Playing with a sweeper and utilising the long ball tactic, they negated the presence of our midfield, allowing their strikers to take advantage of their pace (remember the Indian guy in the Holland Jersey and "16"?) to get on the end of these long balls. Ivan's team could often be seen having 7 or 8 men behind the ball while their strikers remained just in line with our defence, in preparation to break the offside trap.

Though the offside trap worked to a certain extent, it is a dangerous tactic to employ if the defence do not communicate with each other. Too many people were seen going for the same ball when the opponents pressed into our half, often resulting in goal-scoring opportunities for the opposition. One such instance was when Ee Yang and Wai Fu went for the same ball on the left side of midfield during a counter-attack by Ivan's Team. With 2 of our defenders being drawn to the same man, their midfielders were able to overlap into our penalty area which resulted in Wei De being outnumbered and overworked.

Passing between players should also be less casual, especially when they are being tightly marked. Players should also try to spread play to team-mates in open areas when they are under pressure from the opponents, instead of trying to pass into already built-up areas of the pitch. The defence must also handle long balls more confidently, deciding on the best route of play to get the ball out of our half safely.

On a brighter note, players are now more willing to track back to help out in defence once we lose possession of the ball, unlike previous occasions when only the defence would often be left to face the full impact of an opponent's counter-attack. Keep the morale up and let's make sure we break our losing streak in the next match!

Next Match

2006-08-23T01:55:00.000-07:00

Here's the details

Date: 26th Aug, Saturday
Time: 3pm-5pm
Venue: Marina South Pitch 6
Opponent: Ivan's Team ( No idea who he is, only gotten his contacts at Marina South)
Attire: Wear Blue
Meeting point: Be at the field at 2.30pm

5 games losing streak. Let's have go for positive result on Saturday~!

-doubleU

A Cure for Insomnia Anyone?

2006-08-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

McLucky 0 Marist Seniors 1

Match Details
Date: 20th Aug 2006, Sunday
Time: 9am - 11am
Venue: Punngol Sec School
Weather: Dry conditions

Starting Line-up:
Kelvin(GK), Chunwei(RB), Da Hao(LB), Weide(CB), Zhangwei(CB),
Xin Cheng(LM), Benny(RM), Bingde(CM), Rayner(CM),
Khee Yong(AM), Alvin(ST)

Substitutes: Eeyang, Nicky, Siu Chun

Formation: 4-4-1-1

Drab. Bore. Dull. Jaded. Stale.

Adjectives to describe the largely listless, uneventful, low-scoring and at times uninspiring match. Both teams lack the cutting edge and the extra motivation to lift the game or to take it a higher octave. In short, even Tohari Paijan will have trouble keeping his eyes open on this early Sunday morning kick-off!

It was unusually odd as this was a match much anticipated and awaited after the hustles of orientations and hall activities. It was perhaps due to this very reason that also contibuted to such an insipid display. Even the Marist Seniors, which fielded familiar faces like Zhirui(not again!) Kelvin and some others whose names i can't remember, were off the pace and poor. Well, the previous night exertions on EPL could be a factor too, but certainly not to such an extend; where quality was nowhere to be found on a completely lack-lustre performance!

Moreover, even the preparation and warm up was non existent for some. Pig in the middle? One touch passing? Just start the match.

I'm struggling to recall and piece out any exciting moments of the match...and even that requires serious brain avtivity involving thought processes more complicated than the limit of tanx. 1/x. But before we know it, we "settled" ourselves in familiar territory and senario- we went 1-nil down!

A battle down (our)left flank between Kelvin(Marist Seniors{MS} right winger) and Da Hao ended in the former overpowering the rueful full-back before cutting the ball back into the danger zone for an onrushing striker bombarding his way forward to sweep the ball into the gaping net. "ZAI concede goal in the first 5 mins!!!!!" was our common exasperated reaction as we found ourselves once again on the backfoot early on.

Misplaced passes, pathetic first touches, lousy control and poor decision makings were strewned throughout the match as the game soon evolved into a scrappy and dismal affair. Even the few chances that fell McLucky's(Mclys) way, was spurned in the form of Alvin Lee but he too was clearly not match fit with his already Chuix knee as mentioned in an earlier report.

At the other end, little or no action followed after the goal as the only eventful event was probably the soft free-kick given away at the edge of the penalty box which the foul was actually committed inside the penalty area and thus it should be a spot-kick and not a free-kick but it should not be given as it was not a foul at all in the first place!(Phew...get it?)

Half time approaches...

Team Captain Ong WeiDe encouraged comments by fellow Mclys and to speak up to express their views. Play passing, play balls into space, opponents closing down in double quick time were just several issues raised as we believed we could get something out of the game as our opponents were neither superb nor at their best.

If you think the first half was bad, the second half that followed certainly encouraged Wang Meng Meng or Edwin Yeo to continue snoring their heads off, or snore even louder!

The only highlight worth mentioning was the penalty awarded to MS conceded by Chunwei. However, that should NOT be a penalty in the first place as contact was made OUTSIDE the penalty box but once again the dubious referee awarded a rather controversial penalty. As Weiwei later explained, he ensured that the opponent was outside the box before committing himself to the sliding tackle which warranted a yellow card.

HAHA! The MS striker side-footed the ball onto the right-hand post from 12 yards and fortunately the rebound fell to me which i was able to hack it away from danger! Penalty missed by MS!

As the match draws to a conclusion, MS resorted to some dirty tactics like shirt-pulling on the "tu lan" Bingde(who was surprisingly quite on this particular day...the loudest he shouted was probably this incident when his shirt was pulled!) And Weiwei was almost sent off as the shirt-pulling episode irked him off and he vented his frustrations out loud but his swearing was unfortunately overheard by the referee who gave him a last warning. -_-"'

The referee blows for the final whistle!

5 games in a row now that we've lost! With this streak continuing, we'll probably face the likes of Ipwhich and Wolves instead of Chelski or Liverpoot...just to quote an analogy. As said earlier, this was a match where both teams deserve to lose and a nil-nil scoreline would be a better reflection of the actual proceedings of the match. We can only hope things look up from here!

Players Ratings

Kelvin, 6.5: confident in catching high balls, but has to speak up more to communicate with the
back four and to be alert when dealing with onrushing strikers.

Chunwei, 6.5: Did improve on previous match but can still curb on emotions..haha zai yellow card! And get accustomed to the right midfield role again.

Da Hao, 6.0: did his job rather competently. can try supporting attacks next time if possible.

Weide, 7.88: a few misplaced passes but otherwise another stable display(well i can only give 1 mom so that explains your score ya)

Zhangwei, 7: did reasonably well to clear his lines...be wary of long balls too and also communicate more with back four.(Communication for the defenders are of utmost importance!)

Xin Cheng, 6: Didnt reali get to the play as he was injured half-way. have to show more consistency.

Benny, 7.5: made some intelligent runs and did provide telling crosses to the strikers. your dm role was full of running but try not to drop too deep

Bingde, 6.5: the commanding(literally) mildfield maestro was not at his loudest and lack the extra confidence up front.

Rayner, 5.5: many misplaced passes. perhaps the long break shattered my confidence. certainly disappointed at my own contributions.

Khee Yong, 8.0: full of running and hard tackling. however must be aware of team's level and it quite diff for every1 to play the passing game especially at such high tempo and uber-fast closing down by opponent.

Alvin, 7.0: again shows wonderful Mclys spirit coming down for a game! once u fully recover, u'll be a force to be reckoned with once again!

Eeyang, 7.5: never let the team down with his committed displays and bombastic surges into opponent's half. can work on control of ball though.

Nicky, 6.5: hardworking closing down opponents defenders, but as strikers must anticipate balls and to hav the ability to ks!

Siu Chun, 6.0: perhaps too tired after the Gao Lung game...but showed enthusiasm and spirit coming down for the game. was not reali at ur best though!

Quotes of the day

"eh...hows Uni life?"

"Do NOT let ego get in the way of a simple backpass!"

"The fundamentals of a CHEE HONG KIA!*"

*Only meant for those surviving the aftermath of the match(i.e. lunch)

Match this coming Sunday

2006-08-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hey people, how's orientation so far? Hope you guys have fun, cos i enjoyed myself. Now I hope you guys can still run or even remember how to stop a ball after the long break, for there's a match coming soon. It's this sunday!

Match Details
Date: 20th Aug 2006, Sunday
Time: 9am-11am
Venue: Punggol Sec
Opponent: Marist Senior Team ( 1984 batch)
Attire: Wear Gold
Meeting point: Be at the field at 8.30am. ( Don't be late!)

If you do not know how to get to Punggol Sec, here's a map of it. For those taking public transport there, you can take MRT to Punggol. From there, take LRT to either OASIS or COVE station and make your way to Punggol Sec.

Alright, that's all. See you guys this sunday!

-doubleU

Gallant Effort by McLucky

2006-07-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

McLucky FC 2 Zhirui's Team 3

Match Details
Date: 29th July 2006, Saturday
Time: 11am - 1pm
Venue: Marina South Pitch 3
Weather: Hot scorching midday sun with minimal cloud cover

Starting Line-up:
Alvin(GK), Chunwei(RB), Da Hao(LB), Zhangwei(CB), Eeyang(CB)
Norman(LW), Benny(RW), Siu Chun(MC), Xin Cheng(AM), Rayner(DM),
Kenny(ST)

Substitutes: Weide, Wong Keng, JianXing
(haha surprised by the inclusion of the these familiar ex dunmanian faces? hoho! You are not alone!)

Formation: 4-5-1(4-4-2 as the game progressed)

A fourth defeat in a row for the Mclucky's..after our last encounter with Alvin's indian team(ps: for those not updated, due to the mysterious disappearing act by our regular correspondent Ang, please refer to insert inserted at the bottom of this column for more details of the last 2 unposted reports.)

A surprised was installed for all as Mclucky recruited the likes of Norman, Jianxing and Wongkeng. All thanks to Alvin for jioing them! They later proved to be valuable players and contributed significantly to the spirited display.

All pre-match talk was about how strong and PRO our opponents were! I mean even before the game started we were like condemning and resigning ourselves to fate!Tsk tsk not a very convincing nor confident preparation.(i was 1 of those pessimist though!!!!!!!!Zai Crite!) But one can be forgiven for formulating the above thesis that poor McLuckys will be THRASHED! The likes of Zhirui, Gerrald and Gabriel send shivers down our spines and the thought of facing them was not a very enticing nor welcoming prospect! Moreover, most of them were from ex TPJC school team so we were just a tweedy weedy nervous(yeah Right~)

The usual pig in the middle was executed before the referee blew his whistle for the commence of Barcelona against Luton Town...WHEY! Okok can't you see that i'm joking? You think everyone as serious as Weide meh?....... Immediately, some deep, husky and masculine voice shouted from Hougang Ave 8, "I'm a serious guy!"

1st Half

Zhirui's Team(TPJ for short) started the ball rolling. Immediately we were brought to attention to their style of play and admired their confidence on the ball, off the ball running and their neat passing, and perhaps that was the reason why we conceded the first goal in the 8th minute. Left mesmerised by their fluid and incisive football, Alvin was suspiciously caught drooling and off his line as Gerrald send in a tremendous shot from all of 30 yards that left Alvin grasping for thin air. Result? 1-0 to TPJ (Haha seriously Alvin, not your fault! It was a Great shot.)

Sensing a whopping, McLucky(McL for short) pulled up their socks and rallied on, not wanting to be at the wrong end of a serious thrashing. Fighting for every ball, McL pressured and gave TPJ no time at all. Following Siu's pot shot that went wide in the 22nd mid, McL went from strength to strength, boosted by our attacking play and possesion of the ball. On 25 mins, Wongkeng subbed in for Kenny and that proved to be an inspired substitution as the former scored a much deserved equaliser that lifted the McL's spirits. A simple throw-in on the right flank was flicked on to Xin Cheng, who in turned fed a delightful through ball to Wongkeng, and the speedy forward didn't disappoint as he sprinted pass his static marker, shrugged off the attention of the imposing Zhirui, and toe-poked the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net past the onrushing keeper! WOW! 1-1!! Game ON!!!!!!!!!

Stunned by conceding that equaliser, McLs capitalised on TPJ's shakened backline by pumping long balls for the pacey Wongkeng to chase. On 1 such occasion in the 34th min, Wongkeng was chasing a ball rolling towards the opponent's keeper. Both parties collided and the ball rolled towards a gleeful Siu*
*Pause* Situation: keeper on the deck, TPJ's defenders rushing back to try to cover Siu's line of sight for a shot on goal.
*Resume.. from just outside the penalty box, Siu floated a nonchalant and delicate chip towards goal...Yes Lah over the keeper...Yes Lah over Zhirui...F*CK lah over the bar!!!!!!!!! The whole team then started hurling insults at Siu!

It proved a turning point as TPJ awoke from their slumber and pinned McL in their own half. The defence, marshalled by an excellent Eeyang, prevented TPJ clear-cut opportunities resulting in way-ward shots from their frustrated attackers. However, on the stroke of half time, a long cross field pass was missed completely by the head of right back Chunwei, and the mistake was capitalized hungrily by TPJ's left winger, by stroking the gift into the far corner past a hapless and helpless Alvin, who was still feverishly claiming offside.(HA! Funny leh i tell you the look on Alvin's face protesting in vain!) 2-1! TPJ regained their lead just before the break!

Ref blows for half time!

The half time team talk was encouraging, as we were not outclassed or outplayed, with the scoreline having a respectable look to it. Sensing an upset on the cards, we each patted ourselves on the back as we trotted back to the pitch, fuelling our belief for a win against a fearsome opponent! Ke yi de! "We can win this!" were the wise words of Siu as he sat out the start of the 2nd half.

2nd Half

McL started the 2nd period by having a shot on goal from the half-way line!(a tactic formulated by the Dunmanians or so it seems) Play was scappy and both sides couldn't stamp their authority on the match.

However as the match wore on, TPJ seemed to notch up a gear as a series of corners led to Da Hao clearing off the line twice. Moreover, Alvin was certainly the busier of the 2 keepers as he was called into action much more often than his opposite number, with out-of-this-world saves that probably cemented his place as TJC's 85 batch's best keeper! Unfortunately, on 1 such desperate lunge to claw the ball away for a corner, the Gamma 1st choice keeper landed on his already chuix (this word means damaged fyi) knee and was left writhing in pain...sob. A big blow to team McL as we lost the service of an oustanding and indispensible goalkeeper. Weide was on hand to take over though.(in case you are still wondering why in the galaxy is Weide not playing, not starting and now even have to deputise as a back-up keeper, well i'll tell u later!)

In the 58th minute, the move of the game by McL! It started on the left with Zhangwei passing the ball to Norman, who dribbled his way forward before releasing the ball to Benny, hugging the left byline. With a short look-up, he send a searching ball down the middle to Kenny, and the ex Marist top softballer trapped the ball expertly for an on-rushing Siu to smash it towards goal...only to see it fly towards Marina Way(NOW Kenny finally realises and understands wat a lay-off is!) {And Siu! It's YOU again!!!} And although it didn't result in a goal, it was a beautiful move!(Kkkkks!*)
*try figuring out for yourself!

Soon, with time tckling away, McL became desperate and committed more men forward. This resulted in a counter attack by TPJ which led to the 3rd killer goal in thr 61st min that deflated all our hopes. A chase down the right flank with speed demon Chunwei and TPJ's own version of flash: Gabriel; saw both players racing for the ball. The latter uses his superior strength, will-power and Weiwei's indecision to win the ball and feed it to the central striker who needed 2 bites of the cherry to make the scoreboard read 3-1 to TPJ. Chao Taiko!

Tasting defeat at the tip of our tongues, McL lost the plot and were frantically struggling to even string 2 passes together. Benny was even yellow carded for blocking the take of a free-kick and shoutings were heard echoing through the rather deserted marina bay. However, a few tenacious tackles by our DM(He.he.) soon set the tone for an unlikely comeback as McL chased the game to reduce the deficit or even better, to try to muster an unlikely comeback!

On 72nd mins, after a fine move that resulted in a corner for McL, Benny wickedly whipped in an inswingger which found Kenny's head to knock the ball home, and at the same time maintaining his amazing record of a goal every game! Well done Kenny CanHe? Goal!
3-2! McLs pulled a goal back!

Alas! It was too little too late as TPJ closed shop and belted away any ball that look menacing. In the end it was a good-old tough game as although we lost, we can lift our heads high and feel heartened for the respectable scoreline!

Post Match

Injuries, lack of keeper and other factors were thrown into the pot as we speculated on the reason for this defeat. All in all, it was a good test and judging by the looks of things, we may win them next time round! The 4-4-2 system was adopted due to the lack of central midfielders and although there's an extra man up front, it will be the midfielders that win the ball to release to the front strikers! The lack of protection for the midfield is worrying too as the DM was overloaded with too many poeple to mark and shackle. Wingers too in a 4-4-2 formation must try to help out in the middle third and in defence leaving the 2 strikers up front to do the donkey work chasing and harassing the opponent's defenders. Whether this system will be further implemented in the future will be discussed further next time round as it all depends and hinges on McLucky's players response.

Players Ratings:

Alvin, 8.0: brilliant in goal, came even with a chuix knee! wonderful McLucky spirit there!Do take care!

Chunwei, 5.5: not his usual self, lost concentration for the second goal, attitude must improve for the third goal too! for McLucky! for the team! yup and cool down k?

Da Hao, 6.5: played well. gaining experience and confidence with every match. you can only improve from here. keep it up!

Eeyang, 8.5: My Man of the Match! need i say more?

Zhangwei, 8.0: played his heart out. actually he plays his heart out every game! yup form a good partnership and communicates well with Eeyang. work on positioning though.

Benny, 7.0: not many opportunities to shine. did competently on either flanks. wonderful corner for the 2nd goal!

Norman, 7.5: was a threat going forward. good dribbling and incisive runs. need to pass more though.

Xincheng, 7.5: improve with every game. had the vision for the 1st goal. need more craftiness from you in the future too!

Siu Chun, 6.0: a clear miss per game u say? haha nvm at least you are there to shoot! not your best day.

Rayner, 7.5: too tired trying to close all of them down. must still continue to work on touch...er.. and awareness!

Kenny, 8.0: lead the line well. well taken goal too. continue your goals per game ratio!

Wongkeng, 8.0: scored a wonder goal. pace much needed! tricky too. come more often!

Jianxing, 6.0: centre back must be more commanding and clear well. must play with the defensive partner to hold the line. you'll learn such tactics as future matches follow.

Oh and our dear captain Weide? Apparently he's not feeling well, that's the reason for his inactivities on the field! ratings: 3...

...out of 5! (for THAT lousy free kick!)

Quote of the day:

Whole team shouting in unison to one Mr Lai," F*CK LAH SIU!"

Insert

Before playing Alvin's indian team we lost to some big size team 5-4 where i had a black out during the match and thus don't recall much of it!haha

Immediately on the next day we challenged Alvin's indian team for a farewell game for our Australian-bound friend John Lee Wei Chern on a rainy Sun afternoon! another close fight! 4-3 if i recall correctly!

Yup plus the soccerblues game we hav lost 4 games in a row...hopefully better result next time round!

Urgent! Urgent!

2006-07-26T00:15:00.000-07:00

Yoz, after 2 weeks of rest, there's a match coming up real soon. For those itching to play check out the details. For those who are not, you are welcome to watch us play too.

Match Details
Date: 29th June 2006, Saturday
Time: 11am-1pm
Venue: Marina South Pitch 3
Opponent: Zhi Rui's Team
Attire: Wear Gold but bring Blue in case of clashes of colour with their Green
Meeting point: Be at the field at 10.15am. ( Don't be late!)

Description of the team: The team comprises of largely TPJC and TJC ex-students who are one year our senior. It has confident centre backs to command the defence. Their midfield, armed with quick wingers and skilful holding players, is competent. Their weakness is probably their full backs and keeper.

Lads, keep yourself fit for this saturday's match. Let's strive for a convincing victory!

-doubleU

This is what i meant...

2006-07-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Just rough sketches that I came up with during half-time during the England-Portugal game hahaha...... No offence to anyone, the names mentioned in the above formation are just who I thought would play to their abilities when deployed in those positions. Who plays where is still decided by Wei De haha....

NOTE: Please envision the name "Sin Cheng" as one of the 3 attacking midfielders and "Dao Hao" in right-back. Too late when I took this picture and realised I left out their names...Too lazy to capture a new one haha =X Pai seh pai seh...

Some key points when viewing the above 4-2-3-1 formation:

>> No prizes for telling why Rayner was chosen as 1 of the 2 holding midfielders. Bing De was chosen because he is more of a defensive player and has enough tactical discpline/knowledge to know whether he has to cover Rayner's area (when Rayner moves further upfield with one of his runs) or to venture further upfield when he has the ball (since Rayner will remain behind).

>> The two defensive midfielders would be able to provide support to either of the flanks when defending during a quick counter-attack. This reduces the pressure of the wing-back, especially if the opposition deploys fast wingers down their flanks. We will be able to close them down more efficiently while there would still be a holding midfielder close to the defence for us to pass the ball to if we manage to regain possesion of the ball, rather than just pumping long balls down the flanks.

>> The central attacking midfielder might have to drop back slightly to fill up the gap if one of the DMs moves to the flanks during an opponent's counter-attack. This AMC would have to be alert to the movement of the DMs so that he does not become a headless chicken and run aimlessly up and down the midfield.

>> Alvin/Elson could arrive deeper to receive the ball, drawing out defenders along the way to create space for our midfielders upfront to run into.

>> Chun Wei, if deployed as a right-back, could be allowed to roam further up the pitch when we attack since he has enough pace and stamina to recover to his position if the enemy counter-attack immediately after we lose possession.

It's pretty late now... about 1am in morning haha... so the last few lines may not seem to make much sense...so feel free to leave your comments! Enjoy the game!

Inspiration....

2006-07-03T08:44:00.000-07:00

The report on the recently-played match between Mclucky FC and Soccerblues FC drew numerous players to leave their comments on the blog. Many formation and tactical suggestions were brought up and it is good to see that we are all brain-storming for ideas on how to improve the team. So, inspired by all these comments, here are some ideas for this week's upcoming match with the "Damai Field" team.

If I remembered correctly, the "Damai Field" team (lets call them DFT and spare my fingers haha.....) had tall central defenders and quick wingers that counter-attacked constantly down the flanks, although apparently it always happened on the right side of our midfield...Remember? Our photographer Junhan had problems trying to capture the team on film during the game because the action was happening far away from where he was. Not sure whether the same group of players will face us again, but if they do.......

1. Use Alvin (he should be there =P) as the target striker

Not much explanation needed haha... We all know he has great physical presence upfield and nobody chests down long balls quite like Alvin. Will be able to shield the ball from the tall and big-sized central defenders for quite some time, allowing support to arrive from the wingers or midfield.

2. Speed on flanks to cut into middle

In an ideal situation, the presence of Alvin upfront should cause a few problems for their central defenders and either of them (should/will) stick close to him whenever we attack. This is where the forwards, either Ben/Boon Wee/Khee Yong/Sin Cheng come into play.

Alvin with ball:
Support Alvin and get him to lay the ball to them while the rest of the open forwards start their runs into the box, drawing defenders along with them. This will create more space for the forward with the ball to work with, leaving him with more options.

Any forward with ball:
Alvin would then try to support that forward while the rest make their runs into the box. If Alvin manages to draw the central defenders out, it would create more space down the middle.

3. Limit area where wing-backs overlap to

This would be a little "negative" in footballing terms, but at least it would reduce the chances of our wing-backs being caught out of position if we lose possesion deep in the opponent's half and they start a counter-attack using a long ball. Where the limit would be placed would depend on the pace of players deployed in those positions and how attack or defensive-minded they are.

4. Pack the midfield

Deploying more players in the middle would give us more options when we pass the ball around. Using the 4-2-3-1 system (as described by Siu Chun), the 2 holding midfielders would keep things tight in the area close to defence while the 3 midfielders further upfront would be able to provide adequate support to Alvin when we attack.

Finally! An Opponent With A Team Name!

2006-07-02T00:26:00.000-07:00

Mclucky FC Vs Soccerblues FC

Time: 3.00pm
Venue:Pasir Ris Crescent Secondary School
Weather: Sunny with scattered clouds

Starting Line-up:
Alex (GK), Chun Wei (DR), Zhang Wei (DC), Wei De (DC), Yang Teng (DL), Rayner (MC),
Siu Chun (MC), Sin Cheng (MC), Boon Wee (FL/R), Wei Chern (FC), Ben (FL/R)
**FL/R represents Left or Right Forward**

Substitutes: Bing De, Da Hao

Formation: 4-3-3

Pre Match

Anyone can fill me in on what happened before the match started? Other than warming up by playing "pig in the middle"? Yours truly woke up late on a sunny Saturday afternoon after being hypnotised by the football match between Italy and Ukraine at 3am. Watching the first half of the match was like watching paint dry, a fantastic remedy for insomniacs who simply cannot get to sleep. I arrived at the pitch just in time to catch the later moments of the first half, so anyone who wishes to add to the match highlights (and arrived a lot earlier than me) are highly encouraged to do so. Moving along...

Match Highlights

First Half

The first half saw Mclucky FC taking the lead through Wei Chern, who plants a firm header into the back of the net following a good delivery of the ball from the corner. 1-0 to Mclucky.

Siu Chun almost scores a second goal for Mclucky when he spots the keeper off his line and trys a 25-metre screamer from distance. The ball sails over the keeper's flailing arms but it hits the cross-bar and goes out of play.

The Soccerblues manage to secure an equalising goal soon after when they scramble the ball into the net after a frantic goal-mouth scramble. All square at 1-1.

The Mclucky lads then get a chance to take the lead in the closing moments of the first half when they are awarded a penalty after a Soccerblues defender was deemed to have held back Boon Wee while he was heading towards goal. Wei Chern steps up to take the spot kick but it is saved by the flamboyantly-clad Soccerblues keeper, who had been giving quite a reassuring performance throughout the first half. A goal each for both teams as the referee signals the end of the first half.

Second Half

The 4-3-3 formation adopted by Mclucky FC seems to be working well when they come out with all guns blazing in the second half. However, the forwards seemed to have left their scoring boots at home, unable to convert the numerous goal-scoring opportunities into actual goals. Credit must also be given to the Soccerblues defenders, who were quick to close down our forwards and deny them space to move or pass the ball into.

The inablity to score a crucial goal would prove to be Mclucky's undoing later in the second half when Kee Yong, the playmaker of the Soccerblues, curls a free-kick into the top right corner of the net from outside the penalty area. The Soccerblues take a 2-1 lead towards the end of the match.

The goal fired up the Mclucky lads, who stepped up a gear and tried to press for an equaliser, but were stopped in their tracks by the outstanding Soccerblues goalkeeper, who came off his line several times in the closing stages to thwart the threat of our on-rushing forwards. Tight defending by the opposition towards the end also made it hard for Mclucky to create any realistic goal- scoring opportunities. A hard-fought match where finishing proved to be the decisive factor. It ends 2-1 in favour of the Soccerblues.

Post Match

The 4-3-3 formation proved to be penetrating enough, but poor finishing cost us dearly. With better finishing, the match could have finished in our favour and by a much larger score-line. However, one can see that the ball movement between our own players has improved quite significantly when compared to our previous matches. Our players seem to be more composed when in possesion of the ball too, looking out for open team-mates to pass the ball to or simply passing the ball back into defence when they run short of options. Off-the-ball positioning has also improved, which along the formation, gives the forwards and midfielders more space to work with. Defenders were also quick to back-track and shadow opposing players making runs into our penalty box, limiting the opponents to long shots and high balls.

Now with the demerits. The 3-men midfield were often seen shifting out of position as the game progressed. Sin Cheng in particular, was most often seen drifting out of his position to move further up the pitch. Our triangular 3-men midfield became a 3-men "diagonal line" midfield in the end, with Rayner in danger of being over-worked as he had to cover the area left behind by Sin Cheng whenever the Soccerblues counter-attacked. More discussion is needed on this issue so all are welcomed to leave your comments! Don't be shy! "Just Shoot!"

With the 4-3-3 system, our forwards on the wings are encouraged to dribble and run with the ball to maximise their speed and agility advantage, but sometimes they are often caught too far up near the corner of the pitch with little or no options to pass the ball, resulting in them trying to take on 2 or more defenders on their own and more often than not, losing possesion of the ball in the process.
Perhaps in a situation like this, we could push our midfield slightly higher onto the pitch to support the wingers, or could we get our wing backs to be more adventurous and move beyond the half-way line to support the attack? Maybe this is the reason why Sin Cheng drifted out of postion so often during the match with the Soccerblues? To provide more options in attack? More discussion is also need on this topic. 不要客气，有话直说。

Player Ratings (flames not included...just honest comments...haha)

Alex:
Competent replacement for Kelvin, but could do better with his handling of ball when under pressure from opposing players. Thanks for coming!

Chun Wei:
Another reassuring performance at right back, but became largely anonymous when deployed as a forward as he did not use his pace and agility to their full advantage.

Zhang Wei:
Deputised in central defence as Wei De's partner and did well. Watched his man and shadowed him well. Was also on hand to clean up any loose balls in the penalty area, providing important backup to Wei De. Now we know he can play in any side of the defence.

Wei De:
Puts in effort week in, week out. A composed and imposing figure in defence, but should have helped Alex in organising the defence during set-pieces.

Yang Teng:
A newcomer in Mclucky FC. Often caught out of position (as described by Bing De in his "don't-stand-in-front-of-the-man-you-are-marking" comments earlier) whenever opponents attacked down his flank. Needs to communicate more with fellow midfielders and defenders to distribute defensive duties (ie: who marks who).

Rayner:
An excellent defensive midfielder with exceptional ball-winning skills. Provides an added attacking edge with his surging runs down midfield and has good vision to pick out fellow players with a long through-balls. Protects the defence well.

Sin Cheng:
Jekyll and Hyde performance. Attack-mindedness caused him to drift out of his midfield position often, leaving a gaping hole in midfield to be covered by the remaining midfielders. We all know you can do better, just like you did at Bishan. I want to see that sort of through passes again!

Siu Chun:
One of the best performances I have seen from him. Played accurate long balls for the forwards to chase. Has good vision and distributes the ball well, although his stamnia could be further improved to allow him to last a full game.

Boon Wee:
Made use of his pace and trickery to cause problems for the Soccerblues' defence. Could be better in his decision-making when faced with numerous markers by passing the ball back to open players nearby rather than trying to take on the defence himself.

Ben:
Similar to Boon Wee. Penetrating runs into the heart of the opponent's defence but made questionable decisions on several occasions with his decision to run and jink his way through defenders rather than making use of open team-mates nearby as the easier option.

Wei Chern:
Held the ball well as the target striker but still lacked physical presence upfront when compared to Alvin. A good header of the ball but is essentially still a creative midfielder who prefers to pass the ball and play-make rather than shooting on-sight.

Bing De:
Commanding and defensive-minded figure who can play either in defence or just in front of it. Has good tactical knowledge and reads the game well, allowing him to help out in organising the defence when opponents counter-attack.

Da Hao:
Has improved since I last saw him play. Should be more composed when he receives the ball in defence if there are no opposition players nearby. Playing a short pass to team-mates nearby is a better choice rather than just clearing the ball high up into midfield.

Mclucky's Man of the Match: Siu Chun

Quote of the Match:
"Bing De, you know you got 3 or 4 options to pass the ball to? etc etc..."
--- Siu Chun

McLucky on YouTube

2006-07-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yo check this out. Website of our most recent opponent, Soccerblues FC., which has some clips of the game.

Inside includes the unforgetable penalty blunder by John Lee Wei Chern. He might want to save the clip for future references when he goes back to Australia.

Meanwhile, the rest just enjoy!

-doubleU

Not A Good Test

2006-06-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

Opponents: Hougang U23 Team

Time & Date: 1530 hrs on 240606

Venue: Pasir Ris Cresent Secondary School

Field Conditions: Decent

Weather: Sunny with intermitten drizzles

Team Line-up: Alvin (GK), JueHai, ZhangWei, Weide (CPT), Bingde, Rayner, WeiChern, SiuChun, BoonHwee, Elson, Benny

Subs: WeiWei, Kenny, XinCheng

Built-up to the match:
After the defeat to Advicer Alliance FC, Mc Lucky FC was looking forward to a better performance against their next opponents. The origins of our opponents were somewhat shrouded in mystery, with the only information about them gathered when a few of the McLucky players shared a kickabout session with some of them on a obscure field in the opposition stronghold of hougang. Numbers were exchanged and a matched was arranged.

From their appearances, Hougang U23 Team looked much younger and smaller in physical built than the McLucky players. How good they are as football players would be made known after 80mins of action on the rather decent Pasir Ris Cresent Pitch.

Match Highlights:

10min: McLucky gets taken by surprise when No.10 of Hougang U23 Team scores with a scorcher from the edge of the penalty box. Alvin Lee, the stand-in keeper, had no chance at all as the box was rifled into the bottom left corner of the goal. 1-nil to Hougang U23 Team.

15min: A morale-boosting equalizer from Elson, McLucky's foreign import from AHS's 4D Team, who showed his physical poweress to put the ball into the net after a long ball into the opponents' half.

20min: Penalty! The opponent's No. 10 collapses under pressure from Rayner who had his arms around him. The world No.2 Referee (some say No.1 after Graham Poll's blunder) points to the spot. Anxious faces were everywhere in the McLucky team.
Fortunately, a moment of sheer class from Alvin Lee denied Hougang U23 Team from taking the lead once again. Guessing correctly the direction of the penalty, McLucky's stand-in keeper produced a world-class save. This was the turning point of the match as McLucky awoke from their slumber to impose themselves on the game.

25min: Elson once again proves his worth with a well-taken goal to put the team in front.

30min: A pass to Kenny inside the opponents' penalty area and he makes no mistake with a solid shot into the top left corner of the goal. This continues his incredible record of at least 1 goal per game for McLucky FC.

35min: A good build-up leads to the ball being delivered to WeiWei on the right. He produces a perfect cross for BoonHwee who heads the ball into the top left corner of the post. Goal! 4-1 to McLucky.

40min: Half-time. Capt Ong urges the team to maintain their focus and not to get complacent. He reminds the team that they are capable of a better performance.

45min: Benny increases the lead when he converts a cross from the right which eluded the whole of Hougang U23 Team's defence.

48min: Alvin showed good striker's instinct to slam the ball in after Hougang U23 Team failed to clear a corner from SiuChun. The Keeper-turned-Striker then indulged into an elaborate array of celebrations with what looked like a tumble and roll on the ground followed by some shaking of his fingers which were shaped like guns aka Robbie Keane. 6-1. And looks like there are more to come.

53min: A high ball pumped into McLucky's defence evaded everyone except Hougang U23 Team's striker. Stand-in-Stand-in keeper WeiChern fails to get the ball off him as he advances into the penalty box. A scramble ensued as McLucky defenders rushed back to prevent a goal but the ball still ends up at the back of the net. 6-2. A laspe in concentration from the defence.

60min: Elson completes his hat-trick as Hougang U23 defenders fail to cope with his physical presence once again.

70min: The moment of the match. A freekick was conceded at the edge of Hougang U23 Team's
penalty box. A yellow card was awarded to 1 of the opposing players who had elbowed Alvin in the neck. The referee observed signs of distress on Alvin Lee's face and blew the whistle. Up stepped SiuChun, the freekick specialist of McLucky. Exposing a gap in the wall set up by Hougang U23, SiuChun slammed the ball into the top right corner of the goal. A world class goal that took the breath of all who were lucky enough to witness that moment of magic.

75min: Yellow card awarded to BoonHwee for diving in the box. Ironic cheers from his team-mates who applaud the referee's decision.

80min: End of the match.

FINAL SCORE: McLucky FC 8 Hougang U23 Team 2

Post-mortem:
Although there were smiles all around after recording a large victory over the youngsters from Hougang, the ever-wise Capt Ong brought everyone back to earth with this quote-of-the-day : This was not a good test. Indeed, the gulf in standards was painfully obvious to all present. After all the intense debate about McLucky's tactics and style of play, evaluation of the new 4-3-3 system must be put on hold until after next week's match against KheeYong's team. I'm sure they would prove to be a better test.

We have FUN in Tanglin

2006-06-25T00:33:00.003-07:00

Dancing Queens

Stickin Tongue

ON3 Tw0
Machiam Goal

OUR Playersin Tanglin

2006-06-25T00:12:00.000-07:00

NUS Leslie

AU Weichern

Our DR Chunwei

Our MR chunwei

Safe Hand

Power Overwhelming

2006-06-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

Mclucky FC Vs Advisors Alliance

Time: 3.00 pm (40 minutes per half)

Venue: Tanglin Field 1

Starting Line-up:

Kelvin

ChunWei EeYang WeiDe ZhangWei

Ben SiuChun Rayner SinCheng

Alvin BoonWee

( 4-4-2)

Subs: Leslie, WeiChern, BingDe

Pre Match

Following their massive 6-1 demolition of Jackson's Team, Mclucky were off to the semi-remote Tanglin Field to face off with Advisors Alliance (I remember them having a proper team name, but I forgot what it was, so we'll just have to make do with what was printed on their jerseys...). Advisors Alliance, with many middle-aged members and a few younger ones mixed in between, were up against a young and energetic Mclucky team. Experience versus Youth. Composure versus Gung-ho. Who would prevail? Mclucky FC also welcomed the return of Wei Chern, who is in Singapore during his term break from study in Australia.

Team Tactics: Players were told to maximise their superior speed advantage and pass the ball around whenever Mclucky had possession to try to wear the opponents down. The long ball tactic used in previous matches was also to be put to use, with the ball being played down the flanks towards the corner flags. Our strikers, Alvin and Boon Wee, were told to spread their play towards the flanks in support of the wingers.

Match Highlights

1st Half

Mclucky concede their fastest goal ever in all the matches played so far. Within a minute of play, No.14 hits a left-footed shot which hits Eeyang and lobs over the stranded goalkeeper into goal. This is what the papers would term as a "fluke" goal while the rest will just say "Tyco!". 1-0. Advisors Alliance claim first blood.

Goalkeeper Kelvin then shows the rest why he should remain as No.1 for Mclucky when he makes a goal line clearance in the 7th minute after No.14 pounces and strikes on a long ball again. No.14 of Advisors Alliance is proving to be quite a handful for the Mclucky defenders, who try hard to deprive him of the ball. Substitution for Mclucky FC is made in the 22th minute, when Bing De replaces Zhang Wei at left-back. Siu Chun is then replaced by Wei Chern in the 24th minute in an attempt to improve the fluidity of Mclucky's play.

Mclucky then get the chance to equal the score in the 25th minute, when the referee awards them a penalty after No.21 (known to us as the "ang moh") handles the ball in the penalty area. Wei Chern makes no mistake from the spot as he fires home to put Mclucky on level terms. 1-1 and all square.

The tactical formation of Mclucky FC is then reshuffled in order to accomodate the introduction of Leslie into play, who replaces Ben and will operate in the middle together with Wei Chern. Rayner moves further down to play at right-back while Chun Wei is pushed up to operate in the right wing.

The introduction of Leslie almost results in a goal when Mclucky are awarded a free-kick outside the opposition's penalty box. Leslie gets the resultant kick on target but the keeper saves.

Siu Chun is then paired up with Alvin as Mclucky's striking duo after Boon Wee leaves the field in the 33rd minute. Ben then slots in on the left wing after replacing Sin Cheng three minutes later.

The unthinkable then happens just before half-time when No.14 of Advisors Alliance scores his second goal after latching on to yet another long ball after Eeyang mis-times his interception.

2-1. He then registers his hat-trick in the closing moments of the first half, scoring via ANOTHER long ball. 3-1. Double salvo in double minutes. Half time and Mclucky are down by two goals. They had better find a way to counter Advisors Alliance's long ball tactic.

Half Time

After much discussion, it was though that Mclucky's defence line was operating too far up on the

field. Instructions were then given to players to try to anticipate the movement of the ball while Wei De was assigned the role of sweeper in order to prevent any the of Advisors Alliance's strikers (particularly No.14) from latching onto long balls played from their half. Boon Wee regains his striking role in front while Siu Chun was placed in a withdrawn striker's role behind him. Leslie and Wei Chern remain in mid-field while Sin Cheng comes in for Chun Wei in the right wing.

Second Half

Mclucky are unable to break through the well-discliplined Alliance defence for a good 20 minutes before substitutions are made in order to introduce fresher legs onto the field. Sin Cheng is taken off and Chun Wei reverts to his role in the right wing while Siu Chun is taken off his withdrawn striker's role. Rayner replaces him and Alvin comes in for Boon Wee to regain his target striker's role.

33 minutes into the 2nd half, and Advisors Alliance are awarded a free-kick outside Mclucky's box. No.8 ("Jack") takes a good whack at the ball and it flies into the net, leaving the goalkeeper grasping thin air. 4-1. Advisors Alliance seem to be doing a demolition job.

Mclucky then manage to score a consolation goal via Ben when he gets the ball into the net from close range after the Alliance's defenders had missed Weide's long free-kick from the half-way line. 4-2 and the matches ends that way.

Post Match comments

What a footballing lesson the Advisors Alliance folks gave Mclucky FC. A well discliplined defence, good passing of the ball, composure under pressure and lots of stamina to show for their age. I won't say the Mclucky lads lack pace and stamina, but the defence is certainly messy at times while the movement of the ball also seemed limited. Defenders were often seen going for the same ball, resulting in more open space created for opposition strikers to run into. Crosses into the opponent's box from the flanks were also relatively poor, therefore the strikers did not get the service they so badly needed.

You would have realised by now that our goals from this match came from a winger and a penalty taken by a midfielder. No service = No goals in this case, unless we had Khee Yong who is fast and is able to fend off more physical defenders. I believe he more efficient at receiving the ball from deep and running at opposing defenders.

Boon Wee is quick too but he lacks the physical build to fend off larger-sized opponents and is easily muscled off the ball. This is where Alvin comes into play. Using his large build, he is able to hold up the ball up and lay it on for oncoming supporting players. However during the match, the defenders assigned to mark him were much bigger-sized than he was, therefore he was unable to hold on to the ball for extended periods of time.

What I suggest is that Mclucky should play a 4-3-3 system when attacking while changing back into a 4-5-1 when the oppenent is in possesion of the ball. Place Alvin in the middle of the 3-men attack, while placing Boon Wee/Ben/Chun Wei beside Alvin as forwards. A 4-5-1 will allow players to aim the ball at Alvin for a quick counter-attack when we regain possession of the ball. The forwards will then leave their midfield role and roam further up in support of Alvin. (Alvin you can also start to train to "turn and shoot on sight")

Siu Chun/Rayner/Leslie/Wei Chern/Sin Cheng can then operate as a 3-men midfield to keep things tight in the middle.

Sin Cheng has vision and can pass short balls with ease, but let's admit it, the dude has to improve on his crossing. Why not place him in midfield? The flanks is not really where he belongs to as Mclucky's "down the flank" playing style requires the wingers to possess pace and stamina, which he does not have a load of. Perhaps he will do better in midfield, we will never know until we try.

My choice of Boon Wee/Ben/Chun Wei as forwards are explained in this way. All three have pace and agility. Ben and Boon Wee offer more attacking options as they like to cut into the centre of the field. They can draw defenders away from Alvin and create more open spaces for attacks. This works vice-versa between them and Alvin. On the other hand,Chun Wei, though less willing to cut into the middle, offers a more flexible option as he seems tireless and I am quite sure he will be the first to rush back to help out the midfield during an opponent's counter-attack. (Provided he does not suffer from cramps =X)

Ultimately who plays where depends on Mclucky's style of play for that day, and it is the Captain, Wei De, who makes the decisions. So many choices and so many styles... Which one will you pick? 4-4-2 and down the line passing? Or 4-3-3 that goes into 4-5-1 while defending? 3-5-2? 4-2-4? Hahaha... No matter what formation, it takes a lot of disclipline to keep the formation in shape and to use the formation to its full advantage. That we must try to do.

Upcoming matches

2006-06-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Guys, here are the details of the matches.

Match #1
Date: 24th June 2006
Time: 3-5pm
Venue: Pasir Ris Crest Sec
Opponent: Some team from hougang ( No info about them)
Attire: White
Meeting point: 2.15pm at Pasir Ris Crest Sec

Match #2
Date: 1st July 2006
Time: 3-5pm
Venue: Pasir Ris Crest Sec
Opponent: Kheeyong's team
Attire: White
Meeting point: 2.15pm at Pasir Ris Crest Sec

Match #3
Date: 8th July 2006
Time: 3-5pm
Venue: Pasir Ris Crest Sec
Opponent: Zongwei's team ( the team we lost 3-1 at Jln Damai)
Attire: Blue
Meeting point: 2.15pm at Pasir Ris Crest Sec

Note: Bus no. 358 from Pasir Ris Interchange goes to Pasir Ris Crest Sec.

From now onwards, after you have finished doing your warm-up, take the ball and do some juggling or shorts passes among each other. When there's at least 5 per group, you can begin playing monkey.

When playing monkey ( or some call it pig in the middle), the area is supposed to be small. Firstly, start with 2 touches then when you are getting comfortable with the ball, you can play one touch. It's your turn to be a monkey if your pass is intercepted by the monkey or your pass go out of the circle.

Another alternative is to practise juggling as a group. Keep the ball in the air as long as possible. 3 touches and pass the ball to your fellow teammate. Do it in a circle.

Please refrain from playing the corners and shooting. Those are only secondary. We should get our basics right first.

Alvin now has a ball bag. Any of you who wishes to contribute your footballs to the team can bring them along.

-doubleU

2006-06-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

hey hey my first blog on mcLucky blog heehee.....after tinking the choice of the jersey i guess pink the best la....the cutest of the three...of cos the most outstanding....though the color abit gu niang but i pretty sure we wun play like gu niang....hmmm or will we....=)

Flying colours

2006-06-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, after playing a handful of matches, draped in different shades of blue, different designs of jerseys, it's time we go professional. No, we're no joining the S-league yet.

This discussion has been on all the time but we can never decide on the colours of the jerseys. So now I take this opportunity to lay out a few nominations for you guys to vote.Some criteria to ponder about.
1. No more blue or white.
2. Colours that are seldom worn by other teams in order not to clash with them.
1. Pink Top and Black Shorts. A parody of Juventus away kit.

2. Did someone say Portugal? Finally we can call ourselves Maroon 11.

3. Some what like the Swedes. In fact, their playing style is quite similar to ours too. Ahem...

4. Others.

So place your vote by leaving a 'comment'. If the three choices still do not appeal to you, you can say out your preference and it will be taken into consideration. Please vote wisely. You are going to wear these colours on the pitch.

Remember voting is compulsory.

-doubleU

WC...WaiChong?WeiChern?...NO.Its the World Cup!

2006-06-11T03:34:00.000-07:00

McLucky FC

YES LAH! I smelt it! I even tasted it as the world cup fever kicks into town on friday! From Lor Ah Soo to Bedok, almost every football fanatic will tune in and be glued to their TV sets to catch the once in every 4 years event...The World Cup!

YES LAH! While the male half of the population mysteriously disappears from the face of this earth, the opposite half can either join into the disappearing act or get left out in the cold.(Therefore i strongly encourage the latter to join in too..it'll be more fun that way!) Haha Crite!

YES LAH! It' all so exciting don't u think? Enjoying a match with close friends, lazing in front of the screen, slurping down boats of Tiger...i mean Pokka green tea, munching on Pringles and Pokkies(ang can testify on that) plus raving, shouting and beralting at the players on the pitch itself if they're under performing...Heavenly delights! Besides, when can friends and pals these days gather around interacting, mixing and enjoying each other's company? Chances are extremely limited due to the nature of our schedule and a hectic lifestyle. It's really a blessing that we have the World Cup to look forward to every 4 years ya?!

YE...OK enough! Football is a universal sport. It brings people from all sorts of race, background and status together. Even in Singapore, evidence can be supported by the fact that we see many die hard kakis and football enthusiatics group together for a healthy game of soccer week in week out. Be it Alex Cheng, Huzer or Lowtide, soccer is the common language spoken when it comes to matters on the pitch. It knows no boundaries, it knows no barriers, the spherical object we used to kick about with our legs, heads and chest(courtesy of Alvinapp) is the tool which can communicate with the rest of the world.

The Floodgates Open For Mclucky FC

2006-06-11T02:17:00.000-07:00

Mclucky FC Versus Jackson's Team

Time: 3.40pm (40 mins per half)

Venue: Some Field In Bishan

Starting Line-up:

Kelvin

Zhang Wei Eeyang Weide Jue Hai

Edwin Siu Chun Rayner Sin Cheng

Alvin Boon Wee

Subs: Elson (ST), Chun Wei (Mid), Nicky (ST), Da Hao (Def), Yang Teng (Def)

Pre Match

The match had originally been scheduled to take place at Bendemeer Secondary School, but due to the heavy rain that poured earlier on or some say, the lazy school field care-taker, the playing condition of the venue was deemed unsuitable. An alternative was found and the Mclucky lads found themselves in the middle of Bishan as they prepared to face an old foe, in Jackson's Team ( JT ), the team which they had drew with during an earlier match at Tanglin Field. New faces were placed between the sticks for both sides. Mclucky, with Kelvin as their goalkeeper this time round, were certain that their goalkeeping woes had been solved once and for all. With Chun Wei recovering from a slight injury on his foot, Edwin was preferred to start on the right side of mid-field.

Jue Hai was given a starting role at left-back while Zhang Wei shifted to right-back. Upfront, Alvin was paired up with Boon Wee, with the former given the task of holding up the ball and providing the physical presence needed at the frontline while the latter's task was to attack the opponent's goal using his speed and agility. Instructions were given to pass long balls down the flanks towards the corner flags for the strikers and wingers to give chase. Players were also told to shoot on sight if any clear opportunity was present instead of passing the ball around too much.

Match Highlights

The playing field had a slight gradient and many shallow pot-holes were present due to the upgrading works that were going on in the nearby HDB blocks. However, it was Mclucky FC who drew first blood during the match, with Weide, epitome of the "shoot-on-sight" policy, driving a long range shot into the net in the 21st minute of play. 1-0 to Mclucky.

With confidence in the Mclucky camp growing, it was Alvin who widened the margin 10 minutes later when he slotted the ball into goal while lying on the ground during a goal-mouth scramble after receiving a long ball in the opponent's penalty box. 2-0 and leading comfortably.

An immediate response came from Jackson's Team (JT) in the 35th minute when their midfielder powers a long range shot at goal from the left. Kelvin gets a hand on it but it is not enough to prevent the ball from going into the net. 2-1 at the end of the 1st half.

The 2nd half presented Mclucky with more goalscoring opportunities as we played with more confidence and stamped our authority on the game. Miscommunication between JT's keeper and his defender in the 57th minute allows Elson to slot home from close range after Jue Hai curls a dangerous ball into the box from the left. 3-1 and Mclucky are cruising

Further lapse in JT's defence results in Boon Wee scoring from close range in the 68th minute after yet another defensive mix-up in the penalty box. Mclucky take a commanding 4-1 lead.

The game looked set to be over after 70 minutes of play as Elson scores his second at the far post, heading in Chun Wei's cross from the left flank. However, the Mclucky lads seemed hungry for more action after Boon Wee completed his brace by rounding the keeper and slotting the ball into an empty net, settling the match once and for all. Final score: 6-1 and Mclucky complete a rout of JT.

Post Match

Though I must admit that JT wasn't a very good test of Mclucky's playing abilities, winning by such a large margin sure did a lot of good for the team's morale and confidence after going through a winless patch for almost 2 months.

Player evaluation:

Kelvin --- Gave a assuring performance in front of goal. The ideal solution to our goalkeeping woes. Hope to see more of you in the future!

Zhang Wei --- Has improved a lot over the past few matches. Should have no problems holding down a place in the first team if he keeps up the good work.

Eeyang --- Imposing defender that opposing strikers have to get pass. Used his physical strength to a good deal in this match, keeping JT's strikers at bay.

Weide --- Calm and composed while forming a good partnership with Eeyang. Always gives a steady performance.

Jue Hai --- Shows signs of good crossing ability. An overlapping defender who provides an extra attacking edge down the left flank.

Sin Cheng --- Deserves the man-of-the-match award with his off-the-ball running, tackling and THAT glorious through-ball to Elson, though he didn't finish it off. Played like a man on a mission and ran more than he ran in the previous matches combined together. Keep it up dude!

Siu Chun --- Put in some strong tackles during the first half, but faded out in the second.

Rayner --- Performed his DMC duties to the best. Is good at breaking up opponents's attacking build-up, yet is penetrative when he goes on one of his runs down the centre of the field.

Edwin --- Committed and hardworking, but needs to improve on his touches and crossing abilities.

Alvin --- The target man to receive fellow players' long ball. Is good at holding up balls using his physical presence and is also a good header of the ball.

Boon Wee --- Fast and agile, but is often muscled off the ball by bigger-sized opponents. Needs to be a little more physical in order to retain possesion of the ball.

Nicky and Da Hao --- Still not familiar with how the team plays, but could improve with more playing time. Nicky to work on his awareness of where his teammates are, while Da Hao to work on his defensive abilities.

Chun Wei --- Same old tireless and effortless running down the flanks. Fantastic pace and stamina allows him to dribble pass oppenents without much trickery.

Elson --- Showed his striking prowess by scoring a brace. Is not afraid to pull the trigger on sight and is a confident player. Perhaps he could work on his ability to hold the ball so as to prevent over reliance on Alvin as the target striker.

Yang Teng --- Did not see much of him. Should get himself involved in more of the action, so no comments on him for now.

Mclucky Man of the Match: Sin Cheng

Match Day Quote: " Just Shoot !!! " --- Wei De, team captain

World Cup...And other round things this month...

2006-06-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

You can almost smell it. The fresh green turf at the various stadiums in Germany, waiting for the players to put their best foot forward (literal and non-literal). World Cup fever is officially engulfing the entire global map. From Ang Mo Kio to Zurich, I guarantee you will find football fanatics, young and old, male or female, topless or clothes on, cheering on their favourite team in front of the television set.

The magical quartet of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Robinho looks set to terrorise opposing defences. How did they manage to leave Adriano out of the picture? The benchwarmers in the Brazilian team could almost walk into the first team of any other participating country, so be warned... The Selecao are coming to town!

Other than the defending champions, I reckon Argentina, Spain, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portugal and England will be the teams to look out for, especially Portugal and Holland. Why the unique choice of the team to watch? Well for starters, Portugal are drawn in Group D together with Mexico, Iran and Angola, who are participating in their first ever World Cup. Other than Mexico, I really don't see the other teams posing much challenge to the Team of Shields, but like they say, the ball is always round and I eagerly await to see what surprises World Cup 2006 is going to spring on us. Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco are the players to watch in this Portugal squad. Don't forget about Pauleta too, though at age 32, he may seem like a has-been in terms of footballing age, his experience and technique will be crucial in Portugal's progress beyond the Group stages, as seen in his recent hat-trick in a friendly against the Cape Verde Islands. (Ok... I noe Cape Verde Islands is no big deal, but a hat trick isn't easy to come by in international friendlies!)

Holland too promises to become a threat to teams beyond the group stages, provided they get pass Group C, or more commonly known as the Group of Death. Van Basten has reshuffled almost the entire Oranje, bringing young players such as Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt while leaving out household names such as Clarence Seedorf and Edgar Davids. Old ranks such as Ruud van Nistelrooy and Phillip Cocu however, still retain their places to give the Dutch team a more complete look, with the combination of youth and experience. The reserve players also managed a come-from-behind win over Mexico in a World Cup warm-up match, so if this new-look Oranje does not self-destruct like the previous Holland squads, we may see more of them to come.

(On a side note: Yes lar... My fingers were itching to write something on the World Cup and I have stopped the itching hahaha... Which team are YOU supporting? Feel free to write it down and post it on the tagboard... Meanwhile... its off to watch the NBA Finals!!!)

Soccer Enthusiasts

2006-06-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

To all soccer enthusiasts out there,

To encourage interest in soccer and the betterment of soccer skills, our team has been playing regularly at TJC D area every Sat at 930am. So all soccer players out there who are interested to join the team or jus play for recreation with us feel free to leave a msg behind n leave ur contacts so tat when we are playing u will be informed. Hope to hear some favourable responses from u guys out there!

Alvinapp

Fixtures for June' 06

2006-05-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, here are the matches lined up for McLuckyFC in the month of June. The details are right below. Please make yourself free and physically ready for the matches.

Match #1
Date: 10th June 2006
Time: 3-5pm
Venue: Bendemeer Sec
Opponent: Jackson's Team ( the team we drew 2-2 at Tanglin Field)
Attire: Blue
Meeting point: 2pm at Boon Keng MRT control station

Note: Jackson's Team is replacing Sincheng's Friend's Team, due to half of SFT cannot make it for the match. The match goes on!

Match #2
Date: 17th June 2006
Time: 3-5pm
Venue: Tanglin Field
Opponent: Alvin's Uncle's Team ( Rumour has it that they have not lost for a long time)
Attire: Blue
Meeting point: 1.30pm at Orchard MRT control station

Match #3
Date: 24th June 2006
Time: 3-5pm
Venue: Pasir Ris Crest Sec
Opponent: Some team from hougang ( No info about them)
Attire: White
Meeting point: 2pm at Pasir Ris Interchange

Please do not be late. For those who are going there by yourselves, be at the field 30mins before the match starts. Your punctuality will affect your preparation to the game. For more info about the location of the fields, go to www.streetdirectory.com.sg .

Our goal: To win all of the games.

-doubleU

Winner of 'Most dramatised song'

2006-05-28T01:22:00.000-07:00

Enjoy..

Our schoolmate in Singapore Idol.. Lay Shi Wei!

Don't Complain! Don't Complain!

2006-05-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

If you think the football pitches back home are bad, take a look at what we have over here in Aussie Land! So... Don't Complain! Don't Complain!

Barcenal Final

2006-05-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

It was billed as one of the most spectacular match-ups in Champions League history. A showcase of attacking and flowing football. Some may even call it a spectacle, where two of the world's greatest footballers take centre stage. Ronaldinho, in Barcelona colours, was the epitome of Joga Bonito. He showed the world how the game could still be played beautifully even as defences continue to tighten and formations become more defensive, in a bid by managers to safely secure league points. Then there is Thierry Henry, a masterclass act in the English Football League whose pace and attacking flair is surpassed by few in the world. The media and pundits thought that these 2 men were crucial in dictating whose hands the Cup would land into, but in fact it was the referee, 2 defenders and a certain Henrik Larsson who would prove decisive in determining the outcome of the match.

The red card given to Lehmann close to the quarter-hour mark. No doubt it was a professional foul by the Arsenal goalkeeper on Samuel Eto'o, who had a perfect goalscoring opportunity, but the referee's decision to stop play and award Barca a free-kick on the edge of the box did not go down too well with many. Perhaps the referee should have just awarded Barcelona the goal and cautioned Lehmann instead of sending him off? Some thought that this was a anti-climax and it was going to dull the occasion, affecting the fluidity of the match. This was especially true if you were tuning in to the match from ESPN, whose commentators were clearly catered for the English crowd. (The one with the scottish accent, who keeps lamenting on how the referee should just get on with the game. Like a child receiving a candy whenever Arsenal obtained possesion of the ball and went forward on an attacking move.)

Biased commentators aside, Arsenal amazingly took the lead minutes later, when Sol Campbell headed into the net after Henry had accurately curled the ball into the six-yard box. From then onwards it was all Barcelona. Ten men were leading the proceedings against 11, confirm Barcelona "buay lun". So they decided to set up camp in the Arsenal half for the remainder of the first half, retaining possession of the ball and trying to carve Arsenal's tight defence apart.
The Gunners were happy just to pump long balls to lone striker Henry, or take speculative shots at goal from long range whenever they had the chance. In the end, they only just managed to hold on to the lead at the break.

After the break, Arsenal played with much more focus, but they were unable to prevent Barcelona from scoring two goals, as the Gunners tired out from closing down the opposition (I think Arsenal were playing almost like a 4-5-0 formation, with Henry being slightly forward in the middle). The two goals came courtesy of Henrik Larsson, the former Celtic war horse, who despite nearing the end of his career, still showed deft touches to lay the ball off to Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belleti respectively for them to finish off. To be fair to Arsenal, the winning goal from Belleti came off Manuel Almunia's legs and deflected into goal after he had shot from a tight angle. To me, that was more of a good fortune than a good finish, but like they say "the ball is round". Tough luck for Arsenal.

I hope the referee won't receive bullets in his mailbox. The way he oversaw the match was pretty appalling. No issue about the sending off of Lehmann, but he should really be prescribed a pair of spectacles. Henry clearly got the ball when he slid and tackled near the 65th minute mark. Some of the players on the pitch (Mark van Bommel, Deco) clearly play-acted or even dived in a bid to win free-kicks, yet the referee payed no attention to them. Henry was even yellow-carded for his cause. Still, the match managed to deliver excitement and stir the crowd at the Stade de France even though it was 10 men versus 11. Credit to Arsenal, who hung on for 50 minutes and looked on the verge of claiming their first ever Champions League trophy in years.
(I wonder if Henry will be at Ashburton Grove next season, after he said he would "think about it" when a reporter asked him if he would stay or move on to another club...). Congratulations to Barcelona, on being the best in Europe again after 14 long years (according to the commentators, the last time they won it was back in 1992). Campeón de Europa Barca!

Random photos @Tanglin Field

2006-05-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

Team Talk Time

An introduction to our new right mid... Ben.

A long and threatening ball ensues.

"Hands Off!!!"

"That's the number of goals I let in today."

Photos by A.Y.Z.

-doubleU

The Better Team Did Not Win

2006-05-13T00:31:00.000-07:00

Mclucky FC vs Weide's Friend's Team (WFT)
(hmm better start asking these teams to get a proper team name... it's tiring when u try to think of
names for them...)

Report: U-Noe-Who aka YZ

Time: 9.35am
Venue: Tanglin Field (yes... yet another "ulu" location within the confined spaces of Singapore...
amazing how they find space to allocate such fields...)

Starting Line-Up: Zollin (GK), Chun Wei (DR), Huzer (DC), Wei De (DC)(c), Zhan Wei (DL),
Ben (MR), Rayner (MC), Siu Chun (MC), Kee Yong (ML), Elson (ST), Boon Wee (ST)

4-4-2 Formation

Subs: Leslie, Sin Cheng, Ah Hao (Sin Cheng's Friend), Nicky (Hey...Guess who's back)

Pre - Match Commentary

On a three game losing streak, the McLucky lads were eager to prove their mettle as they travelled to Tanglin Field to meet "Weide's Friend's Team". Tough luck though, as mother nature had the final say when it suddenly began to rain just before the stipulated kick off time. Fortunately the downpour subsided and we managed to reach Tanglin Field via taxi (but not before the standard procedure or "horlan-ing" along Holland Road). Singapore must be really running short on space...with the Integrated Resort and other land development projects coming up.

Special guest Zollin was invited to be McLucky's goalkeeper for the match as the team's goalkeeping woes have yet to be resolved. (Any "zai" keeper who thinks you have got what it takes, please contact Wei De by leaving a message on the tagboard). More substitutes were also available this time, with the highlight being the appearance of Nicky (remember him?). Let's hope he doesn't leave at half-time again this time, whatever the reason. =X

The referee called upon this time to officiate the match seemed imposing and fit. Got the "zai" look. Hopefully he will be more mobile and be less fussy on the throw-in procedures compared to the previous referees.

1st Half Highlights

Fast and furious play on a yet-again wet pitch, albeit with less mud. Th referee awards a free-kick to the opposition on the left, just outside McLucky's penalty box. No.4 hits the ball with power and pace, but the inviting ball curls past the right post. WFT get the first goal of the game in the 5th minute, when No.11 runs onto a long ball and shoots it past the keeper. 1-0 to WFT

McLucky make a substitution when Leslie replaces Huzer in the 7th minute. Huzer exits the pitch with an apparent hamstring problem. Leslie moves to central midfield while Rayner drops back to central defence. An attacking move in the 12 minute sees Kee Yong laying the ball through to Boon Wee, who then passes the ball to Ben. Ben whips in a dangerous cross but the opponents clear it for a corner. The resulting corner is a poor one as Kee Yong puts the ball out of play immediately.

A long ball in the 16th minute by Kee Yong is chased down by Boon Wee, but the WFT keeper rushes out of his goal and collects the ball. The introduction of Leslie made the difference when he was involved in the build-up play that resulted in McLucky's equaliser in the 20th minute. Boon Wee receives Leslie's pass and lays it off for Ben. He puts in a low cross and Kee Yong finishes the move by bulging the net with the ball. 1-1 and it's all square

Shortly after kick-off, Elson is substituted out and Nicky replaces him as a striker. In the 21st minute of play, Boon Wee chases down yet another long ball from the McLucky half. He gets his shot in from a tight angle on the right but the WFT keeper saves it rather comfortably. McLucky make yet another substitution when Zhan Wei and Ben are taken out. Ah Hao slots in at left back while Sin Cheng moves to the right wing.

McLucky almost took the lead in the 25th minute when Boon Wee shoots on goal. The ball deflects off the keeper and Nicky gets on the end of the loose ball. Unfortunately he hesitates a tad too long and is muscled off the ball. Defenders clear the ball away from the WFT goalmouth. Confidence in the McLucky camp is growing as players start lining up to shoot the ball. In the 26th minute, Siu Chun shoots from long range after getting the ball off No. 5 but the ball goes over the bar.

The referee awards WFT yet another free-kick near McLucky's penalty box. No. 4, the opponent's designated dead-ball kicker, curls the ball over the bar. The opponents get a lucky breakthrough in the 34th minute when No.5 tries his luck from long range. The grounder is slowed down by the mud on the pitch but Zollin hesitates before going in the opposite direction and is unable to stop it from rolling into the back of the net. What a bizarre goal. 2-1 to WFT

Nicky then gets a needless yellow card for obstructing play when he stands too close to the ball as the opponents try to take a free-kick towards the end of the first half. In the words of Wei De, "What's that for ???". McLucky almost equalise in the dying minutes of the first half when a free-kick is whipped across to the far post but Boon Wee misses the ball by a whisker as he slides across the ground and towards the goal.

Half Time

It was quite obvious that the McLucky lads were dictating the tempo of the game , but were unable to get the goals they needed. The mistake by our keeper also led to us going in behind at half-time.
However, spirits were high as we sensed that this could be the match that will end our winless streak. McLucky was doing well so minimal changes were made to the team tactics and starting line-up for the 2nd half. Huzer replaces Zollin as the keeper while Zhan Wei and Ben return to left back and right-mid respectively. Sin Cheng moves to the left wing while Kee Yong pushes up to pair up with Elson as McLucky's striking pair.

2nd Half Highlights

A free-kick is awarded in the 3rd minute of the second half. Leslie lines up the ball and gets ball into the opponent's six-yard box but Elson and Kee Yong are unable to reach the ball. McLucky break from the left in the 5th minute. Sin Cheng attempts to cross but the ball is blocked and goes out for a corner. From the resultant corner, Wei De slots home from close range after a goalmouth scramble. 2-2 Game on yet again

In the 10th minute of play, McLucky get a corner kick and Leslie gets in an inviting ball into the opponent's six-yard box, but the ball is cleared away from danger at the goalmouth. Substitutions for McLucky in the 20th minute when Siu Chun is taken off and replaced by Nicky. Ben comes off with a slight knock on the ankle and Ah Hao comes in for him.

Danger in the 28th minute as No. 14 chases down a long ball and goes one-on-one with Huzer. Fortunately Wei De rushes back and manages to put pressure on the striker, resulting in him shooting over the bar. McLucky nearly take the lead in the 36th minute of play when Kee Yong has a crack on goal from 20 yards out, but the opposition keeper dives to his right and punches the ball out to deny McLucky a well-deserved goal.

Ben comes back into play to replace Elson as full-time draws near. Nicky is now paired up with Kee Yong. In the 40th minute of play, the effervescent Leslie hits a freekick from outside WFT's penalty box. The ball sails over everyone and seemed to be destined for goal but the keeper punches the ball, hitting the crossbar in the process. WFT defenders frantically clear the ball behind the goal for a corrner. Leslie takes the corner and Wei De manages to connect with the cross, but the header, lacking in pace, allows the keeper to make an easy catch.

In the dying minutes of the second half, Nicky gets hold of the ball and shoots on goal after a goalmouth scramble as the McLucky lads give it one last shot and decide to throw the kitchen sink at WFT. To the horror of the players and the spectators, the ball shaves the left post and goes out for a goal-kick. Full time score: MFC 2 WFT 2
On another note, the referee gave out another yellow card in the closing stages of the second half when Zhan Wei was carded for a body charge on an opposition player. Good thing yellow cards aren't significant in friendly matches...hahaha...

Post Match Comments

McLucky deserved to win. It was as simple as that. We dictated the tempo of the game almost from the start till the end. Blame the keeper u say? One must remember that he is playing his first competitive match in who-knows-how-many years. He doesn't even fully understand what the team tactic is all about. So its back to the drawing block for McLucky's goalkeeping plans. We really need to get a decent (or at least half-decent) keeper. That is the most pressing issue at this moment, so anyone out there who is reading this blog, please feel free to leave a message on the tagboard if you think you have what it takes. If not, every match we would have to invite a "special guest" to help us out...hohoho...

Managed to listen in to what the referee had to say about McLucky FC's playing style. Apparently the last man needs to be more imposing and shout out instructions to his fellow defenders on watching the defence line, when to push up or when to fall back. He also noted that in Leslie, we have a competent playmaker and that we should pass the ball more often to him so that he can direct the play more often. There was also the goalkeeper issue, but let's not get to that again haha...

Here are the players' performance evaluation:

Chun Wei --- Back to his usual tireless running self again after that bout of throat infection. Ran tirelessly along the flanks to support play, allowing Ben to push up without having to worry about defensive duties.

Zhan Wei --- Has improved much since joining McLucky. Could be too committed to players at times, but is an imposing figure that opposing players have to face when attacking down the flanks.

Wei De --- At his usual commanding self, with several crucial tackles that prevented the opponents from getting scoring opportunities.

Huzer --- Had to leave his position unfortunately due to his injuries, but returned in the second half to keep the opponents at bay.

Ben --- Thanks to Boon Wee, I now feel that the pairing of Ben and Chun Wei at the right wing is
one of the best we have seen so far (though I've only been to 4 matches so far). Puts in good crosses and is pacy too.

Rayner --- Ironic role as the destroyer and starter of attacking moves. Relished in his defensive
midfield role and helped to shield the defence effectively.

Siu Chun --- A competent show from him as he was not afraid to take on opponents of larger build
and showed enough confidence to shoot from long range, but did not play long enough to make an impact.

Leslie --- Playmaker of McLucky FC. Dangerous during dead-ball situations. An important factor in
the build up of attacking play.

Kee Yong --- Pacy striker who likes to receive the ball from deep and run at opponents. Perhaps
he can play in a deeper role? See how lah ah...hahaha...

Elson --- A so-so performance from the tall guy. Was not at his best if compared to the previous
match. Needs to push up more to support the attack and get inside the opponents penalty box during dead-ball situations to be more of a threat.

Boon Wee --- Another pacy striker who can chase down long balls, but is often outmuscled by
bigger-sized opponents. Could be slightly more aggresive.

Sin Cheng --- Did not play long enough for me to comment on his game.

Nicky --- Missed several good opportunities to score. Needs to work on his finishing, but at least
he is more motivated when playing outfield...hahaha....

Ah Hao --- Seemed quite invisible during the game so no comments on him too hoho......

New Section: McLucky's Man of the Match Award

No prizes for guessing who it goes to this time round haha......
Leslie

Quote of the Match Day: "I think we should not play at this field (Tanglin Field) until we own cars"
--- Siu Chun

3 in a row

2006-05-07T03:29:00.000-07:00

Date: 6th May 2006
Time: 9am plus plus plus
Venue: Farrer Park Field
Opponent: Edwin's Church Team
Score: Lost 4-3
Red cards: None.
Goals: Wei De (1 goal), Elson(2 goals)

Yes, we lost again. This is our 3rd succesive loss.

I shall not go into details about the game. This time, we had a few new players. 3 to be exact. Again, it goes to show that we are still experimenting our formation and positions.

The pitch was wet, water-logged. The weather was cool. The instructions were simple. Play long balls down the flanks. Cross in to the strikers. Pass the ball above the ground. We managed to do it for a while, yet our wingers, probably having their off-days, just could not get the ball pass their defence. Their short last man could easily head our crosses away.

We were dominating and we lost. Their goals? Some fluke goals. Most due to defensive errors. The defence really need to buck up, especially the last man, himself. Was the defence line pushed to high up? Pls comment.

Although we lost. It was still good effort. We never gave up. 1-0 down? 2-0? 3-0? We still came back and gave them a good fight. We lost, but our fighting spirit is never lost.

Now here's the breakdown of the players' performance:

1. Alvin (Keeper) - A reluctant keeper but always does his job well. He is the best keeper that has ever played for McLucky yet. He has the initiative to rush out timely to clear the ball away. That's how a keeper should play and not being stagnant between the posts. Alvin, you should consider my offer to you. Being Mclucky No.1.

2. Chunwei (Right-back) - Hardworking player. Can provide long balls down the right flank. Need to improve on his touches.

3. Juehai ( Left-back) - Has a delicate left foot. It's a pleasure just to see him play. He needs to watch the line more closely. An explosive player. Maybe a Left-Midfield is a more suitable position for him?

4. Wei De ( Centre-back) - Shouts alot. Needs to watch his touches. Needs to be more agressive with fat and pushy strikers.

5. Darren ( Centre-back) - First time partnering Wei De. Does a competent job. He has improved from the last game he played. As a defender, do not ever let the ball bounce in front of you.

6. Sincheng (Right- mid) - Probably didn't have the best game. Held the ball for too long. Must try to improve on his crossing, getting the ball over the first man of defence. Needs to lift up his game more.

7. Yongyang ( Left- mid) - Pacy guy. Has problems controlling the ball. Needs to get the crosses in too. Needs to be more mobile with the ball at his feet.

8. SIU ( Centre- mid) - Played well. Getting the long balls into spaces. However, he has one touch too many. Need to release faster and train up his fitness.

9. Rayner ( Centre- mid) - Has done a good job protecting the defence and destroying the opponents' play. That's how I want you to play. Keep it up. My applause to me for rushing to the pitch in a taxi.

10. Boon Wee ( Striker) - Hardworking. Needs to be more effective. Maybe too little service to him? Needs to be more agressive.

11. Elson ( Striker) - Pacy fella. Missed a few good chances. A great presence upfront. Should use his towering build more.

12 Edwin ( Centre- Mid) - Played at Rayner's position before jumping boat. Although playing as a DM, he likes to support attacks, hence neglecting his defensive duties, creating a huge gap in the centre mid. Garang player but his touches fail him very often.

Field soccer is unlike court soccer. It's not only about techniques. There's much more elements on the field. Long balls, fitness, heading, more off ball running etc etc. The ball does not roll as well as on the grass than on the floor. So far, in our team, not many can pass long balls. We really need to be able to get the ball over their defence line, over their heads. Crossings. Our corners can't even go pass their first man of defence sometimes. Fitness. Many of our players lack it. You may have the determination to chase for balls but without fitness you will go nowhere.

Now, all have been said. We'll see how we fare for the next game. Pls comment.

-doubleU

Random Photos

2006-05-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

Our professional Editor Ang is never seen without his precious paper and pen.

MOM, Eeyang, is deep in his mental and physical preparations.

WaiChong thinks: What's WeiDe up to now?

WeiDe: Hey Ang, make sure you write good reviews of me in the blog.

Ang: No problem, CAPTAIN!

Another new signing by Jose Mourinho.

Tuo Diao, Tuo Diao, Tuo Diao....

Scenes from the Intervals

2006-05-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

Before the match, there were smiles and sounds of joy.....

During the half-time break, the dressing room filled with confused and tired faces.

After the game, just too shagged to smile.

Don't be despaired, McLucky.

Come On McLucky Lads... K(ick) O(ff) or K(nocked) O(out)?

2006-05-02T20:33:00.001-07:00

McLucky FC vs Huzer's Junior's Team

Report: YZ

Time: 9.29am
Venue: Bukit Timah Field

Starting Line Up: Alvin (GK), Huzer (DR), Eeyang (DC), Weide[c] (DC),
Zhan Wei (DL), Chun Wei (MR), Bingde (ML), Leslie (MC),
Rayner (MC), Sin Cheng (FC), Siu Chun (ST)
[ 4 - 4 - 1 - 1 Formation ]

Sub(s): Darren

Pre Match Comments

Its been a while since McLucky FC last played their match against SCFT. On Labour Day, McLucky FC took to the field again, this time, to pose a challenge to the likes of officer cadets (sorry...no capital letters for them... ORD loh...) and current enlistees in the army. However, the weather was once again unforgiving and McLucky members had only just recovered from the street soccer session on Saturday that was held under similar weather conditions. Furthermore, our industrious right winger Chun Wei was also suffering from a severe sore throat and seemed uncomfortable with the playing conditions. Against seemingly fitter and younger opposition, how will McLucky fare?

With Nicky being unavailable (no prizes for guessing why), Alvin was called upon to become McLucky's last line of defence. Instructions given out by Team Captain Weide were that play was to be concentrated down the right side of midfield and midfielders were to try to get the ball into the "gap" between the opposing defenders and goalkeeper for the forwards to chase. Defenders were reminded to play the ball down the line towards our wingers.

1st Half Highlights

Kick-off at 9.29am as the referee blows his whistle to start the match. The pace of the game is fast and furious as Huzer's Junior's team (HJT) tries to wreste control of the midfield away from McLucky. The opposition almost got lucky in the 5th minute of play when a long cross from outside the penalty area hits the cross-bar. They get cheeky in the 7th minute when they try to lob the keeper from the outside. Fortunately the ball sails right over the bar.

In the 11th minute of play, HJT breaks down the right flank and crosses the ball into the penalty area. No.19 is unable to control the direction of his header and heads over the bar. A close shave for McLucky. Right now, it seems that both teams are instigating attacking movements from their right flanks respectively. Bingde makes a run down the left side to the by-line (in the 18th minute) after controlling the ball but the resultant cross is poor.

The deadlock is broken after 23 minutes of play when No. 6 of the opposing team receives the ball in the right flank and drills a shot from 20 yards out into the lower right corner of McLucky's goal, beating Alvin at his near post. However, upon closer scrutiny, it seemed that the "shot" was meant to be more of a low cross into the 6-yard box. Was it a fluke or was it a properly taken goal? It was for the goalscorer to know and for the rest of us to find out... 1-0 to HJT

Zhan Wei is substituted in the 28th minute. Darren comes in to replace him at left-back. McLucky has to endure yet another HJT attack in the 34th minute when the opponents attack down their left flank, with No.11 taking a shot on goal from the left. The ball goes wide. Surprisingly, the referee blows his whistle to signal the end of the half at the 35th minute, instead of playing the full 45 minutes. Half-time score: HJT 1 MFC 0

Half-time Team Talk

Half-time and the McLucky lads find themselves a goal down. The not-so-good memories from the last match against SCFT comes into mind instantly...... Seems like the opponents' well-oiled engines are enabling them to dictate the pace of the game. Time for Weide to device a plan for McLucky to play more energy-efficient football against our much-fitter opponents.

Darren stays at left back while Huzer moves into goal to replace Alvin. Zhan Wei slips into right back while Sin Cheng replaces Chun Wei as the right winger. Chun Wei is substituted out at half time as he is feeling unwell and unable to continue to play for a prolonged period on the pitch. Leslie and Rayner retain their places in central midfield while Siu Chun is pulled back from a striker's role into a more attack-minded midfielder's role. Alvin goes straight up and will become McLucky's lone striker for the second half. McLucky will switch to a 4 - 5 - 1 formation after the break.

2nd Half Highlights

A much better start for McLucky in the second half as they get their first attempt on goal in the 47th minute (2nd half started from the 35th minute). From a corner, Rayner is able to get the ball under control and shoots on goal. Unfortunately the shot is weak and the keeper manages to save. After 52 minutes, Bingde is taken out and Chun Wei replaces him as the left winger. A heart-stopping moment occurs in the 55th minute when the oppositon pumps a long ball down the right. No.3 chases down the long ball and Huzer comes off his line to pressurise him into losing the ball. A collective sigh of relief could almost be heard when he succeeds in doing so.

In the 58th minute, the referee awards McLucky a free-kick outside HJT's penalty area. Siu Chun steps up to take it, but the ball sails just over and above the top left corner. 3 minutes after, HJT manages to break down the left and No.8 lets fly a long grounder which skids across the goal. The opponents signal their attacking intentions in the second half with a goal coming in the 63rd minute of play. No.19 crosses from the left and the ball evades everyone but No.11 for a easy tap-in into the back of the net. 2-0 to the opposition

McLucky get yet another chance to score from a dead-ball situtation in the 75th minute, but Leslie fires the free-kick straight at the keeper from 25 yards out. Almost immediately HJT launches a quick counter-attack which results in No.14 lobbing the ball over our goalkeeper after controlling a long ball from his keeper. 3-0 to HJT and all is not well for McLucky FC.

HJT are relentless in their attack and this time No.17 gets in a strong header that is on target but the keeper fists the ball upwards and catches it to nullify the danger. McLucky get their chance on goal in the 85th minute when Alvin has the goal in sight after being played through by a long ball from Siu Chun. However No.21 puts in a strong tackle and brings the ball away to safety. HJT still try to widen the scoreline in the 87th minute when No.11 tries to lob the keeper from 20 yards out. Fortunately our keeper recovers in time and prevents the ball from going into the back of the net.

The referee then brings a lively second half to a close with his whistle. The full time score read: HJT 3 MFC 0. Another defeat for McLucky FC. What can the team do to get their long awaited win? The full-time team talk beckons...

Post Match Sentiments

The scorching heat. Our sick right winger. Saturday's street soccer session under the hot sun. Superior fitness of the oppostion. All these culminated into the loss for McLucky FC. I was unable to obtain much post match comments but the above points mentioned were taken into view after much consideration. Trying to get the ball down the right flank was not really effective as our right winger, Chun Wei, had a sore throat that day and was not performing at his best. The hot weather did not help either as most of the players were still recovering from playing under similar weather conditions during saturday. Perhaps someone can come up with a training plan to help improve on our match stamina? Feel free to post your comments on the tagboard!

Random Photos ( vs SCFT Part 2)

2006-04-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

Our professional Editor Ang jotting down details furiously

Top right hand corner

Eeyang: Hey, where do you want to go for lunch later?

WeiDe: How about Bedok?

Owner of foot in sandals: THANK GOD I DIDN'T PLAY!

M for McLucky

Photos Galore ( v SCFT Part 1)

2006-04-25T04:33:00.000-07:00

The face tells it all

slack defending....

losing possessions........

not agressive enough.......

what's next?

It's A Goal......keeping Crisis!?

2006-04-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

Report: A.Y.Z

Prelude

The venue and time was set. The players were present. The weather was fantastic. Fantastic, however, was not the word to describe McLucky FC's communication skills, for there was a mix up over the venue where the match was to be played. Damai Secondary School or Jalan Damai? No one seem to knew where it was until further confirmation was done by Sin Cheng. 13 men seemingly lost in Bedok Reservoir Road...... An ominous sign, perhaps, of things to come?

Venue: Soccer field adjacent to Telok Kurau Primary School
Time : 2.30pm
Opposition: Sin Cheng's Friend's Team (SCFT)* ---> (for reference in text highlights below)

Line up: Nicky (GK), Chun Wei (DR), Ee Yang (DC), Zhan Wei (DC), Bing De (DL), Siu Chun (MR),
Leslie (MC), Joseph (MC), Sin Cheng (ML), Boon Hui (ST), Kee Hong (ST)
[ 4 - 4 - 2 Formation ]

1st half highlights

Kick-off as the referee blows his whistle to signal the start of the match. The pitch was surprisingly wet and muddy even though the hot afternoon sun was scorching down on the players' back. The action was fast and furious, with the opponents having more possession of the ball. McLucky FC spent a good deal of time on the backfoot with play concentrated down our right flank. Even our resident photographer, Jun Han, was complaining that he could not get hold of any decent shots of the players in action as he was situated on the left side of the pitch.

With increasing pressure from the opponents, the inevitable came in the 10th minute of play, when a long ball was launched into McLucky's penalty box. A goalmouth scramble ensued and No.11 of SCFT* was on hand to force the ball into the back of the net. 1-0 to the oppostion.

McLucky played with a greater sense of urgency after SCFT opened their account in the 10th minute, with Kee Yong coming close with a shot on goal in the 15th minute, albeit off target. Substitutions followed soon after with Edwin coming in at the right wing and Siu Chun shifting forward to a striker's role. Boon Hui was taken off.

Kee Yong gets in a shot during the 20th minute of play. The shot is off target but the ball is kept in play. However the resultant cross from the byline was disappointing and the ball goes out of play. At the half-hour mark, Team Captain Weide finally arrives at the venue and throws himself straight into the fray. He slots in at central defence and displaces Zhan Wei. Sin Cheng comes off and Edwin shifts to the left flank, with Chun Wei moving up to the right flank. Rayner takes up the position on the right side of defence.

Near the 40th-minute mark, Chun Wei is hacked down by the opponent and appeared to have taken a slight knock. He is subsequently replaced by Sin Cheng. At the stroke of half time Kee Yong manages yet another shot on goal, but the result is indifferent as the ball sails over the goal. Half time and the McLucky lads are down by a goal...Will it be a game of two halves for them? Will they spark a revival in the second half after their rather ordinary performance in the first? There is an awkward silence amongst the players as Weide prepares to discuss the fine tuning of the team tactics with them......

2nd half highlights

An unwanted situation occurs during the half time interval when McLucky stand-in goalkeeper for the match, Nicky, bids us goodbye and leaves just before the start of the second half. Perhaps he has an emergency to attend to? Or is he frustrated at being unable to be deployed as an out-field player? No one seems to know and frankly, no one seems to care......

A out-field player had to be sacrificed to fill in the gap between the sticks. In came Rayner as the new goalie, with Bing De replacing him at right back and Zhan Wei coming in at left back. Chun Wei regains his role on the right wing and Boon Hui reverts to his striker's role.

No. 21 of SCFT goes on a marauding run from his own half down the pitch and almost makes it to the penalty box on his own. Fortunately he is cut out by retreating defenders and the danger is nullified.

McLucky's build-up play comes to a climax when Chun Wei hits a long overhead through ball to Boon Hui in the penalty box. The latter was brought down in the area but the referee waves play on despite claims for a penalty. Following that, a long ball sails into opposition territory in the 50th minute. No. 17 of SCFT misses his clearance and allows Boon Hui to get hold of the ball, but the stout defender recovers well and outmuscles him to clear the danger.

53th minute. SCFT's attacking movement culminates into a open shot on goal, which No.8 takes with relish and power. The ball skids across the surface of the goal before hitting the bottom left post and into the goal. 2-0 to the opponents.

The misery does not end there for McLucky as a mix-up between the keeper and defenders allows SCFT to slot the ball into goal from long range after the keeper became entangled with his defenders while coming out to deal with the SCFT striker running down our right flank. Things are not looking too rosy for McLucky. 3-0 to SCFT.

Signs of a spirited comeback? Siu Chun dispossess No.17 as the latter tries to control a long ball from the McLucky half. He puts in a nicely weighted cross, but no one is at the far post to finish off the move. Opportunity wasted. McLucky's morale takes another dip when Leslie limps out with a foot blister with 20 minutes left to play.

With McLucky trying their very best to close down the opponents in their own half and pressuring them into losing the ball, their efforts finally paid off in the 72th minute when the referee awards a penalty to McLucky after Joseph was felled (and reacted rather theatrically) in the opposition penalty box. Kee Hong steps up and blasts the ball into the bottom right corner. 3-1 with less than 20 minutes to go.

Yet another opportunity was wasted in the 76th minute when no one was at the far post yet again to force the ball into the net after Sin Cheng had shot across the face of goal from the left flank. More bad news to follow as Joseph limps out with a muscle strain. McLucky have now ran out of usable substitutes. In comes a Malay man (who was watching the match from the sidelines) at the goalkeeper slot.

In the dying minutes of the match, Rayner was deployed as a makeshift striker with Edwin moving in to central midfield. SCFT almost made it 4-1 in the 85th minute when No.5 chased down a long ball into the penalty box. The central pairing of defenders close him down and clear the ball to safety. Then it was all over. Full Time Score: SCFT 3 - MFC 1

Post-Match Comments

As this is my first time reporting for McLucky FC, I did not really obtained many post-match comments from the McLucky lads personally. However, the comments from the ever out-spoken Team Captain Weide have provided much food for thought. I personally felt that this sentence summed up the day for McLucky FC...

"......the passing sucks lah......"

but the experience gained from this match was invaluable and it would help us in the future when preparing for matches against opponents of similiar playing style or when playing in simliar conditions as such.

My thoughts

I realised only during the second half that our defence line was playing pretty high up into the pitch and if we want to play with a line like that, we had better make sure either our defenders communicate with each other more or we would have to push the defence line backwards. Reason? For this particular match defenders did not communicate enough with one another, resulting in the occasional errant defender playing a striker on-side when the offside trap has to be set in motion.

Playing in a muddy pitch is one of the more unpleasant ordeals that a football player has to go through as the mud and uneven ground makes it difficult to even execute the simplest of passes. Since McLucky FC often plays with a short passing style, our tempo was seriously disrupted by the condition of the pitch during the match, resulting in a lacklustre performance. Perhaps we could incorporate the long ball tactic into our gameplan and familiarise ourselves with it so that we have a PLAN B when the occasion calls for it.

AND YES...We need a reliable Goalkeeper...A regular one... fast!!!

Mclucky 2-0 POP Privates FROM SRJC

2006-03-16T22:03:00.000-08:00

Comments: Rayner Tan

it could hav been more.

tt was e story of the day as Mc ran riot ovwer therir less physical opponents(POP). though the scoreline read 2-0, it doesn reflect the nature of the game as we spent most of the match camping in the opponent's half.

flash back to the recent Man U v Newcastle encounter where the REd Devils ran out comfortable 2-0 winners(sadly for me though as i'm an avid Toon supporter).same scoreline, same dominance, same no. of shots. chances aft chances were spurned as Mc wasted glorius opportunitiesto take e lead or to even finish e game off as a contest.in e end, it was left to a scorcher fr EEYANG n a clinical finish fr KENNY to grab e victory over a team tt look disorientated n disorganised at times.

at times, it appears to b boys vs men as POP struggled to contain e Mcluckies n had to rely on quick counters or left to feed on scraps. in all, there was a tinging feeleng of a backlash as Mc responded brilliantly fr their previous setback.

REVENGE

fresh in our minds was e humiliating 7-2 throuncing by edwin's OCS occs(ironically edwin played for us this time), we came out of our shell n were able to recall back key members to our team: KENNY WAIFU n JIHUI(surprise!) who forms much of our spine which was seriously lacking fr e previos defeat.

TEAM FORMATION
back when weide into central defence from central midfield ( a mistake the Captain realize at a heavy price) to stabilise the defence and to give it a more solid look. Partnering him in the centre was the muscular and fearsome Eeyang who once again regains his form with some crunching challenges, sliding tackles to save the blushes of Weide on one occasion and even scored the opener. Behind them in goal was suppose to be Huzer, whose car apparently broke down and was going to be late and in came a stout looking Waifu which inject more confidence to the leaky defence. Completing the defence was the left footed darren on the left and the ever-reliable and calm BingDe on the right. Siu Chun and myself settle ourselves in central midfield ( which we later formed a decent partnership to give John and Weide food for thought) Wingers were Sin Cheng and Chun Wei and I guess i don think to tell you which side they are playing. And in attack, the ruthless and clinical Kenny and the lethal Jihui with his "turn shoot goal".

ONE OF THE BETTER REFEREES

An almost perfect referee, this little perfect balding indian, lets call him "Vishnu" for simplicity's sake, was mostly accurate in most of his decisions. At times, he even explains the reasons behind his calls for offsides or foul throws.

AND SO IT BEGINS...

The match starts with Mc Lucky getting most of the possession and controlling the game within 10 minutes, Kenny Jihui and Siu Chun all had shots which were either deflected or off target. As the first half went on, POP were getting more dangerous on the counter and Mc Lucky had to rely on the brilliant WaiFu to act a sweeper on a few occasions where POP broke the offside trap. On 23 minutes, Mc Lucky were forced to make a substitution with the injured Darren (thigh strain) coming off for the hard working Edwin. A tactical switch was made by the excellent WeiDe as BingDe moved to left back, Edwin going to the right win, with WeiWei slotting at right back (it later proves an inspiring move as POP struggled to contain our right flank and the 2nd goal was also created from there). On 29 minute mark, Kenny had a glorious opportunity to take a lead as he was through on goal but was delayed and the shot was blocked. 5 minutes later, JiHui had another chance from 20 yards but his well timed shot took a bounce and made it easy for the keeper. On the counter, POP always had a chance as they had speedy strikers but they never really troubled our defense as they lacked the penetration and sometimes took a pass or touch too many. On 39 minutes, a short corner resulting in XinCheng heading the ball across goal and a close call from Kenny as he just shoots wide. Even closer was to come at the stroke of half time as a cross from the left rode across the 6 yard box but Edwin failed to connect and the chance was lost.

HALF TIME

No change from McLucky but we were just wondering how late Huzer would be.

A DIFFERENT POP?

We were quite amazed to see POP changing half of their team at half time(apparently they had 18 men). However, it resulted in little change to the pattern of the game as Mc Lucky found themselves desperately unlucky on several occasions.

SUAY

Twice, yes twice, in the 51st and 62nd minutes, Siu Chun free kick and shot from all of 25 yards was curled beautifully over the wall and beyond the outstretched keeper but it struck the frame of the goal and was cleared to safety. Kenny and JiHui also had open chances which were either well saved or off target.

THE BREAKTHROUGH!

Finally, just as frustration and desperation of the McLuckys reached a boiling point, the opener and a much deserved goal came in the form of Eeyang at the 80th minute, though it can be said that the keeper was desperately unlucky in this occasion. A rare surge forward by WeiDe and interplay between XinCheng and the captain brought him to the edge of the opponents left penalty box. The robust POP defender muscled WeiDe off the ball, but then instead of clearing, he pattern zhui guo badminton, and soon I made a challenge on him. Realising the ball was free for a split second, I toe poked it forward to WeiDe who was still in an advanced position and the latter put in a cross that was only half cleared to Eeyang 3 yards outside the penalty box. From there, he unleashed a thunderous shot that was so breathtaking that it MUST hit the bar again, but this time, it ricochets off the poor keeper and into the goal! Pressure off at last! Celebrations!

MORE TO COME

Obviously deflated and demoralised after conceding the goal, POP began to commit more mistaked than normal. Unsurprisingly, the second goal soon came 4 minutes later, courtesy of some brilliant work down the right flank. A simple throw in by WeiWei to Edwin started it all. The ever improving speed demon burst forward to receive the return and embarked on a mazey and mesmerising run down the right flank(where else left flank?). He did a Stevie G by racing to the byline outpacing the rightback in the process and cutting in a cross so perfect to the near post that Kenny had the simplest of tasks by stroking the ball beyond the keeper's reach. Clinical. 2 - 0. More celebrations.

EPILOGUE

Towards the end, a few more half chances were created, but sensing a victory took the foot of the pedal by passing the ball around and keeping possession. In the end, it was a well deserved victory which will hopefully restore some of our pride and confidence after the horrendous game with OCS OCC OOC. However, the standard of the 2 opponent teams are not on equal basis and we know we must be more clinical and lethal to beat the best around. At the end of the day, kudos to the Mc Luckys for a job well done.

And Huzer still has not appeared.

POST MATCH COMMENTS

WeiDe, the star captain, the loud mouthed inspirational figure, was more than happy with the way the match went.

"I felt we controlled the game from start to finish. They had some quick strikers but I think that our defense (me mostly) (crite boasting once again) was able to handle them."

On the missed chances from Kenny and JiHui, WeiDe commented:

"Maybe they should have some more warmup or shooting practice to improve their strike rate."

Eeyang the goal scoring defender, who was obviously jubilant after his goal, though had a slight regret.

"I just shoot when i had a clear view of the goal. Alas, the ball went in via their keeper... and I didnt have the last touch!"

He even cheekily added, referring to Siu's effort that smacked the bar:

"I told him (after Siu's first attempt) that he'll hit the bar again.. and he did! Well 3rd time lucky for me though... I struck it... but it still went in!"

Last words from WeiDe again:

"I should be the man of the match."

Player's ratings:

WaiFu, 7 - did well when called upon, reliable and imposing on opponents. Can improve by patrolling penalty area more often.

BingDe, 7.5 - reliable and calm to sweep out when danger lurks. Can improve on his offside timing though.

Darren, 6.5 - played awhile, did reasonably well, but misses ball at crucial areas most probably due to thigh strain.

WeiDe, 9 - commanding as usual, chased certain lost cause with passion and spirit. MOM (must lick boots abit sometimes)

EeYang, 9 - formed a rock solid partnership with our dear captain and even scored a wonder goal (something Ong couldnt do).

WeiWei, 8.5 - tireless running and lightning feet. Slot into right back with ease. Assisted in creating 2nd goal. Can only get better. Watch this space.

XinCheng, 7 - did competently at left wing. Was isolated most of the time. Could do with a little more enthusiasm and marist spirit.

Rayner, 7.5 - performed the simple things like hopefully tried to support teammates on pitch. Could improve on first touch, heading and distribution though.

Siu, 9 - desperately unlucky, technique near perfect, wonderful vision. Work rate improving but must still work on it.

Kenny, 8 - missed certain sitters but never gave up as he scored the second goal which wraps up the victory.

JiHui, 6.5 - did well on his first comeback after 3 years out. Could improve on strength and also to shoot more often.

Edwin, 7.5 - passionate and hardworking as usual. Need to improve on his touches but his never dying spirit never fails to impress us.

Huzer, 0 - for failing to come.

Vs SinCheng's Bro Team ( Chao Recruits)

2006-03-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

Date: 16- March 2006
Venue: Former Braddell- Westlake Sec Sch Field
Opponent: SinCheng's Bro Team
Attendance: Waifu ( keeper), WeiDe, ChunWei, EeYang, Rayner, BingDe, SiuChun, SinCheng, Edwin, JiHui, Kenny, Darren.

Match Report:
Braddell- Westlake Sec Sch. A place the team is so familiar with. With the nightmares of the thrashing by SAFTI MI HQ team fresh in our minds, we took this opportunity to redeem ourselves from our past failure. As usual, it is an opponent we knew little of, but looking at their shaven heads, it certainly invoked a mixtures of emotions. Happy. We were, as most of us had just collected our Pink ICs. Victorious. We were, as the feeling of ORD unquestionably overwhelmed that of mere POP. Sardonic. We were, as we cheered " ORD LOH!" in front the botaks who have to wait for 2 years more till the day.

However there was a tinge of worry inside us for it is tested and proven that recruits are generally fitter than ORD personnels.

The match began with the team adopting the 4-4-2 formation. It seems to have worked well against a technically skilful SAFTI MI team, it should operate against a bunch of recruits without much problems. Some changes in the positions were made from our last match. WeiDe decided to ditch his dreams of playing in the midfield and paired up with his TJ soccer team-mate, EeYang, as centre backs. Darren left and BingDe right. For midfield, we had Rayner and SIU in centre mid. SinCheng left and ChunWei ( not surprisingly) right. Upfront was our favourite long-lost partnership of JiHui and Kenny. Last but not least, McLucky FC had the tough and steady WaiFu between the goalposts.

First half went on and within the first few minutes, we were already dominating. The ball was played mostly in their half, allowing us to play with more adventure and creativity. Yet, there were times when the midfield and defense were switched off, letting our opponent to start a few counter attacks. Luckily no potent threat was made. In the middle of first half, Darren felt an intolerable strain in his tighs and had to substitute for Edwin. Then, BingDe shifted to DL, Edwin to MR and ChunWei is being experimented as DR.

Though the opponent was played under our pace of game, there were still numerous frustating moments. We simply could not convert our chances at all. Kenny caught offside a few times. JiHui was passing the ball when he could have tried shooting. There was a hilarious moment when SIU screaming viscerally at Kenny to lay-off to him and Kenny just looked confused at SIU. The first half ended at a disappointing 0-0.

During the break, everyone knows this is a game that we could not afford to lose. No changes were made for the second half. WeiDe urged everyone to be more confident in front of the opponent's goal mouth. That's all we need to complete our victory. Also, SIU took the opportunity to explain to Kenny the meaning of "lay-off", a term that is rarely used in a softball game.

Second half started. We, as expected, kept the gameplay at their territory. WaiFu was literally having a morning stoll in the park. Nevertheless, we still missed some sitters. Many chances created yet only to result to nothing. When the strikers weren't effective in shooting, SIU decided to try some on his own and only to be denied by the bar twice. If only he can hit the bar two more times, he could be our next Ronaldinhno. The next highlight came when EeYang received a ball from SIU 30 yards from goal and tried his luck. "Bong!" The ball rattled the bar again, bounced on their keeper and went in. GOAL! Our dominance finally paid off. It certainly sent a surge of relief to all of us. By then, 80 minutes had already gone by.

Our second goal came went right-back ChunWei made a jinking run down his most familiar flank, dribbled past 2 defenders and sent a pin-point pass to Kenny. Kenny, with his striker instincts, with one touch, put the ball past their helpless keeper. GOAL! Elation written all over Kenny's face for he was able to maintain his one goal per game record.

The opponent never gave up and pressed harder. Our defense was threatened at times. Midfield and full backs were too absorbed in attacking, sub-consiously neglecting their defending responsibilities. Our opponent managed to penetrate into our half and test our keeper. Yet, their shots were all wide. It was already too late for them. The final whistle was blown. Final score was 2-0.

SIU, undisputedly, deserves the Man of the Match award (MOM). His vision and decisive passing were consistent throughout the match. He was also involved in creating chances up front. Keep it up SIU! You could be the missing link we are looking for.

Kudos also to Edwin and ChunWei for their tireless runs down the right flank, tormenting the opponent's defense with their speed and crosses. JiHui, for showing composure upfront, but you could have tried more shoots.

Some points to take note of. Try to cross in the ball early instead of making short passes along the flanks. As usual, full backs to give more options to the keeper during goal kicks by moving down the flanks.

Yes, it was a mediocre team we are playing with. Deep down in our hearts, we knew we could have won by a larger margin. It is still a commendable effort though. Putting memories of our last game away, we fought and won our next fixture. Still, we shall not be complacent for the team needs fine-tuning in many areas to play against stronger and more aggressive opponents.

A bright future is imminent, McLucky FC.

-doubleU

Use your eyes

2006-03-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

Gerrard receives the ball. He controls it and looks around for options. Everyone is marked so tightly that he cannot decide where to pass. The score is now 1-1. Steveie G knows he has to make a difference. He wants to win. Now with the ball under his feet, it's all in his hands.

Gerrard spins around and suddenly he saw his chance! Within split second, he made the pass. What a defence-splitting pass that is!! All the defenders look baffled.

And the ball reached Henry! No! No offside. The flag is down! Henry can make no mistake. Round the keeper and scores! GOAL!

What an assist!! Even Gerrard cannot believe it himself. Henry celebrates with the home crowd and gives a thumbs-up to his accomplice. It's a partnership made in heaven.

As if.

Pleading for a move?: "I think that pass should give Wenger a hint."

To all soccer players out there reading this, remember this. " Look before you make the pass"

PS: Thanks Gerrard. And thanks Ramage too.

-doubleU

Happy 21st Birthday WeiWei!!!!

2006-03-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

He puts in 100% of his efforts, if not more, in everymatch. Not a single blade of grass on the right flank is spared by him. He runs like nobody's business. And all of us have seen him improve day by day, game by game. Yes, he is ChunWei. Our incumbent Right Winger.

The first time i saw ChunWei join us in our usual saturday football games at Andy Kong's field, I was surprised. I didn't know my Chess Club member then, who irritates people around him with his constant singing, would know how to play soccer. I was proven wrong on the spot. ChunWei, someone blessed with both speed and stamina, was all about on the pitch chasing ball after ball relentlessly. This trait still lies in him now. And he is a much better player today.

During our first few matches when McLucky FC was still an infant, ChunWei never fails to piss me off on the pitch. " Hey better first touch la!", " Oei don't let the ball fly over you!", " What? Cramp again? WaiChong! Sub!". Obviously not all of them were contributed by me. " Hey! Use your body!"

However, as we played against more teams, it is obvious that ChunWei has shown signs of improvement. His touches were better. He dares to head any ball fired at him. He can even wrestle off a bigger-size player for the ball. Crossing a ball is not a problem now. His cramps per match rate has decreased too. But even if he gets cramps, we can all understand it for he is one of the most hardworking player on the pitch.

Now he may want to work on his temper which frightens me at times. " Hey, ENOUGH la!". His pet phrase when an opponent underestimates him and starts kicking his legs. There were times, when someone ripped the ball off from him, he fired up and charged back at the thief. Any time ChunWei could give a nasty tackle which can result to a furore on the pitch.

Today, he is part of the core of the team. Once in a while, he even organises matches for the team. His commitment to the team is second to none and a role model for other players as well. Still, somethings just don't change; there's only one position for him to play in.

Happy Birthday to you, WeiWei.

-doubleU

Life After Sentosa

2006-03-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

After the euphoria of qualifying for the 2nd round of the Sentosa Football competition and eventually being kicked out, the Marist Brothers thought that McLucky FC would go on to achieve greater heights.

How wrong were they!

In fact, after the Sentosa Football competition, McLucky FC went into a self-imposed exile. No follow-on football competitions; No 11-aside matches being organised; No challengers for 7-aside matches; No nothing...
Perhaps 1 reason for our inactivity was that our so called team manager Muthu Pang was busy expanding his lucrative curry business, leaving no time to manage his amateur bunch of kachang putih footballers...

But make no mistake, the Marist Brothers were not short of football action. It was just that they took a step back instead of moving forward.

Void deck football; More void deck football, Somemore void deck football; Saturday Football at Andy Kong's field; Saturday Football at Waichong's house field, Football at the Multi-purpose court in Maris Stella; Football on the basketball courts in Maris Stella High; Football with Alvin Lee's brother's friends at GreenHall.... And more football at some ulu ulu venues playing with ulu ulu opponents...

Though the quality was amiss in these football encounters, there was no shortage of drama mama moments...

Some of the strange experiences that you might be interested in...

- There was no lack of disapproving looks from bypassing aunties whenever we had a kickabout in the void decks of any HDB flats that we terrorised. However, things reached a boil when we clashed with one Garang(Pun intended) Guni Uncle who stored his cardboards in the same void deck that we ply our footballing trade in. In previous games, there were a few occasions that our ball interfered with his passion of collecting used cardboards. The Uncle showed us a black face and uttered some crude sentences that none of the Marist Brothers could understand and nothing more. However, 1 fateful saturday afternoon, we inccurred a greater wrath from this Garang Uncle. It seemed that his patience ran out when once again our ball collided into his precious pile of cupboards. With anger written all over his face, and a pair of scissors in his hand, he proceeded to grab the ball and punched a hole in it with his weapon. The Marist Brothers were flabbergasted! It signalled the end of our footballing exploits that day. And it was a long time before we played at that particular void deck again.

-This incident occurred in another void deck as well. This time, under AlvinLee's HDB flat. The weather looked uninviting that particular afternoon. It seemed that the skies were about to open their flood gates soon. So after attempting to play a game on the ultra tiny weenie outdoor Sepak Tekraw court beside AlvinLee's house, we gave up and moved indoor to the void deck. After kicking a few balls to warm ourselves up, we saw the famous (some say infamous) Andy Kong (or some say Andy Diouf) walking towards us. He had joined us late as he had some personal issues to attend to. We were happy to have an extra player joining us. However, something else put a worried look to our faces- we saw what looked like a police car passing by. Police Car = Policeman= Trouble! Within minutes, we saw Andy Diouf making a run for his life... Some other Marist Brothers managed a feeble attempt to conceal themselves. But it was too little too late, 2 police officers emerged out of nowhere. 1 a senior looking Malay man and the other a Garang young chinese man with an AH BENG look.
'Stop! Don't run!' the chinese man shouted! 'All come here! Playing football in the void deck huh!' he continued.
At this point, all of us surrendered. We gathered around the 2 civil servants who proceeded to give us a longwinded lecture about the inconsiderateness of plying our professional trade in the void deck. At points and junctures, one of the more vocal Brothers who harboured hopes of being a lawyer, intercepted the 2 of them with arguments and counter arguments that we had just moved into the void deck because it was going to rain soon and we had not actually started to play.
To add to the drama of the afternoon, Waichong (once well-known for his surging runs down the flanks and his KUNGFU kicks but has been MIA in recent years) suffered a cramp in his legs. Showing great sympathy that his young colleague obviously lacked, the Malay officer persuaded Waiching to sit down and rest. What happened next was routine - The police officers proceeded to take our names down and gave us a stern warning... That was it. But this incident was to put us off playing at that void deck for some time 2. One more playing arena down...

-This frustrating incident occurred at the action-packed field near Andy Kong's house. It was a hot, humid and sunny afternoon in the middle of our school holidays. The Marist Brothers gathered to play 5 or 6-aside among themselves. It was a usual practice that we used our bags to construct goalposts in the past. However, on this occassion, a certain Smart Alec (think it's the same as the 1 who thought of the team name) suggested using the public dustbins as goalposts. This would eradicate the controversy that often surrounds a goal when the ball seems to roll past a bag or bounce off it. The dustbins were much more sturdy and looked more similar to a real goalpost.
The Marist Brothers were happily engaged in their mini-game with both sides evenly matched and plenty of goalmouth action when once again a couple of police officers marched onto the field and ordered us to stop the game.
'What?! Play on field also cannot?!' the MArist Brothers thought...
We obediently gathered around the 2 policemen grudgingly.
'You think the public dustbin is a goalpost is it? Why don't you bring the dustbin from your house to use as a goalpost?!' (I would if i could. Just that it's 2 troublesome taking the bus and carrying a huge dustbin) 1 of the policeman started in his macho-sounding voices... And then proceeded in his longwinded lectures about damaging public property... (seems that the police force trains their officers in lecturing. They're all pro at it!)
Anyway, after the macho man had said his fill, his colleague(who remained mum uptill this point) started to demand our ICs from us. It was then that we discovered that he was a faggot! His voice was so high-pitched, it sounded like Liang SiMei! We struggled to contain our laughter while handing him our ICs...
After the 2 policemen were satisfied with taking down our names, they left. And we started bursting out in laughter.
* It seems like the police force is more interested in disrupting young boys enjoying a game of football than spending more time on more serious cases like theft, murder or rape cases? Hmmm, I'm not sure. Just an afterthought.

- Once again, this occurred on Andy Kong's field. The Brothers were happily playing a mini-game among themselves with some guest appearances (jianhong!? WeePing?!) by their classmates when a group of Mats came to challenge us. Having itchy backsides, they eagerly accepted their challenge. The game started on a rough note as the Mats committed a few rough tackles that ruffled the Brothers' feathers. This continued until it threatened to boil over. The straw that broke the Mats' back occurred when they scored a goal from a long distance out and one of the Brothers, a certain ChunHan (famous for playing volleyball in the penalty box) shouted, 'Not counted! Half-court?!'
1 of the Mats, a big burly centre forward was clearly pissed off by ChunHan's snide remarks. He attempted to get into a fight with 1 of the Marist Brothers, Waifu, who was no slouch himself. Waifu, showing his typical strongheadedness stood up to the Mat taunts, adding oil to the flames of anger.
'Come la! Scared ah?! Where's your gang? Put time and place! We go settle outside!' the Mat yelled.
'Come la! Think I scared ah?!' Waifu rebutted.
This confrontation swinged to and fro until the Mat flew into a rage and executed a flying kick towards Waifu. Fortunately, the rest of the Brothers managed to separate the 2 together avoiding the kick from landing on Waifu's face. Special mention must go to AlvinLee, who showed tremendous bravery when he took the initiative to stand in between the Mat and Waifu. However, he accidentally incurred tha wrath of the Mat when he kept touching the Mat's chest with his hands... 'Hey! don't touch me! you better don't touch me!' cried the Mat.
With time, the confrontation fizzled out and the 2 groups of people began to separate and leave the field. What drama! What controversy! As if we were playing for the world cup!
Anyway, further controversy erupted as Alvin Lee, the hero of the afternoon questioned the whereabouts of AndyDiouf during the confrontation. (Hamm?!)
It remains a mystery uptill this day.

-The short temper of AlvinLee... When the brothers were still in their adolescent years, AlvinLee had a streak of shocking and infamously short temper that used to erupt during games of football with little significance. There was 1 time when even our captain marvel was not spared. AlvinLee seemed to be frustrated that his team wasn't performing well in 1 of the void deck clashes. He took it out at captain marvel, Ong, and it seemed that the 2 would clash. Luckily, Ong showed amazing composure and a clash was avoided. AlvinLee also had the tendency to pack his bags and leave a football match whenever his team wasn't performing up to his high standards, leaving a trail of confused and frustrated team-mates behind him, who upon discovering what was happening, quickly packed their stuff as well and chase after the big man. Fortunately, AlvinLee is now a changed man. His temper has improved considerably and he now shows good composure on the field. Long may this continue Alvin!

There are so much more incidents to relate to... But I guess these are the 1s that stand out most.

Anyway, as these dramas unfolded, the key personnel of the team began to evolved as well.

Gone was our team manager Muthu Pang, who decided to concentrate full-time on his curry business. Joining him was Mark Koh, who decided to leave for greener pastures. Chayuit left for Japan as well, taking away our only foreign import.

In the opposite direction, there was an influx of new players... Kenny Kenny Goh, an ultra-competitive competitor (use your BODY!), Alex Cheng (our no1 goalkeeper), Dominic Maximillian Foong (our no1A goalkeeper, whenever he doesn't pang seh us), Michael Chan (a dependable defender), Lee Ee Yang (a rock in defence! Famous for his huge forearms), Rayner Tan (the GREATEST player ever to don the McLucky jersy), WeiWei (our No.1 right Winger who can't use his left leg), ChunHan (favourite past-time is to play volleyball in the penalty box), Leong Wai Chong (lightning quick full back and amazing KUNGFU kicks!) and Ang Yao Zong (decent defender when called upon)...
Many others joined us as well... Most came in a huff and left equally fast...

Eventually a core group was formed... That would continue to spread the team's name...

some of the core members of the team

And So It Began - SentosaFootball

2006-03-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

Our Maiden Competition

And so on one early Sunday morining, the founding group of Marist Brothers eagerly made their way to the sunny resort island that is Sentosa. The Brothers were understandably excited. It was the first time that they had took part in such a large scale competition. Thoughts raced through their minds... Will we emerge champions? (fat hope!) Will we kena thrash? (definitely!) Will we malu ourselves? (upperden?) Can we make it to the next round? (hmmm... Maybe?)

So it was with these thoughts that they boarded the shuttle bus from World Trade Centre Bus Interchange to Sentosa Football field.

Once they alighted from the bus, my memory gets a bit blurred... It has been a long time since that fateful sunday (I think we were in secondary3 at that time?) so most of the events that unfolded somehow got erased from my brain. Anyway, there were several drama-mama-type of events that stuck with me through these years. Please pardon me if I recalled anything wrongly...

10 THINGS that I REMEMBERED about SENTOSA:

1) Chern (Myself!) scored a goal in 1 of the matches! (of course I would remember that! Zai crite! How many goals have I scored only? Tai ko 1 la?! Did I hear you shout that out? Don't jealous la. When were my goals not taiko goals?! =P)

2) The MC had a hard time pronouncing our team name. ' Is it MAC Lucky FC or just M C Lucky FC or is it just a TYPO error cos who the hell would have a team name like that?!!' He didn't actually say these but it was something along those lines.

3) Alex Loon had a guest appearance as our goalkeeper (unwillingly though).

4) Muthu Pang (who shot to fame with his delicious curry) was our team manager cum coach cum player.

5) Chayuit, our foreign star from Thailand, the land of Surachais and Kiatisuks, played for us. He is best known for his 180 degree turns on the ball, tricking first-timer defenders and no one else. A pity he left for Japan to further his studies. If not can have some TomYam flavour to the team.

6) Foo JiHui (who's that?!) played as our striker. Famous for his turn-shoot-goal! s...
Jihui is a class act. If only he can turn out more often.

7) Alvin Lee got a YELLOW card! He tried to kar chiao the opponents when they were about to take a free kick, tapping the ball away from where they had placed it. Typical Alvin Lee squareface! Provided some entertainment though...

8) Mark Koh, the muscular skillful player who likes to use his muscles to push his opponents during a game and shout foul when you barely touch him, played in the centre of the park for us. Mark was a class above most of us and he later moved on to greater heights in the VJC soccer team.

9) The organisers made an administrative mistake and sent us a letter inviting us for the second round the following week. We didn't actually qualify but they had a BIG cock-up. Not that we were complaining! Anyway, we still got eliminated eventually. But talk about being LUCKY! Taiko! Taiko! Chao Taiko! Told you the name has its magic!

10) We went to Burger King at Tiong Bahru Plaza to eat after we got kicked out and had a good laugh at Alvin Lee's yellow card.

Well, that's all folks! That's all I can squeeze out of my brain cells. If you remember anything else, please don't be shy to share it with all of us.

Anyway, taking part in the competition really opened up our eyes. Made us realise what our standards were and what we needed to improve on.

And it was the start of many more matches to come...

2006-03-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

Mc Lucky FC

Well, what can I say about this little, cosy, chapalang football team that was created out of the blue by a bunch of innocent Marist brothers who just wanted to play football.The first question that comes to everyone must be - How the hell did the name come about? Hmmm, actually that's a very good question. Just that I don't really have a good answer to that question. The origins of the name of this team is somewhat dubious.

The founders of the team were frantically trying to organise themselves for what would be their first forray into competitve football.One of the founding brothers, a certain Andy Kong who rose to fame for his ability to dribble the ball to the far corners of the pitch (in a Diouf-like style) to gain a corner kick as well as his knack of scoring goals from his heroic slides, discovered that a football competition was to be held in Sentosa. Andy had an easy time convincing the rest of the Marist brothers to sign up for the competition. So on 1 sunny sunday, the whole gin gang met at world trade centre to sign up for the competition.

The Marist Brothers thought that they had everything they needed. But wait a minute, they did not actually have a name for their team. So the brothers made their way to the nearest McDonalds where they started to engage in an animated discussion. Many names were thrown into the ring. I really cannot remember what the hell those names were now. They were that crappy. Not to say that the final name wasn't crappy. Just that it was the least crappy of the lot.Anyway, names after names came and went. But none received a unanimous agreement from the brothers.

Out of the blue, a certain smart Alec, affected by scenes of people munching on their delicious Mc Chicken, Big Mc, Mc Nuggets, and god-knows-wat Mcs and slurping on their Mc FLurry, threw out an extremely dubious and absolutely crappy name - Mc Lucky Football Club.And surprise surprise, no one had any violent objections to the bloody dubious name.
Perhaps everyone was just exhausted by the discussion and wanted to get it over and done with.
Mc was added to the name just because the Marist Brothers happened to be in a bloody MacDonalds restaurant. And Lucky was added in to add an element of luck to the team. Since the Marist Brothers were not really blessed with Ronaldo-like skills or Steven Gerrad-like tenacity, they reckon that a little bit of luck wouldn't do any harm. The smart Alec was pleased with himself.
And so it happened. Our captain- the legendary Ong Wei De put pen to paper- Mc Lucky Football Club.

A chapalang team was born.

Aftermath

2006-03-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

No prizes for guessing who's on the losing side.

Vs SAFTI MI HQ team

2006-03-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

Date: 04- March 2006
Venue: Former Westlake-Braddell Sec Sch field
Opponent: SAFTI MI HQ team
Attendance: Huzer (keeper), Wei De, Alvin, Chun Wei, Rayner, Ee Yang, Bing De, Darren, Sin Cheng, Siu Chun, Wang, Lionel, Jin Yuan ( Don Yeo)

Match Report:
It’s been 3 months since McLucky FC has played a match together. There was significantly something missing in the team. That is the presence of Wei Chern, who like most Singapore soccer players, had gone overseas to seek for more illustrious clubs to play in. We all wish him the best. However, we must go on without him. Like Man U losing Roy Keane, we are sure we can still function as a team.

We knew nothing of our opponent, except that they comprised of mainly SARTI MI clerks, who comprised of mainly OCS OOCs, who comprised of mainly very fit JC soccer team players. The team, missing a few key players, namely Wei Chern, Kenny and Wai Fu, we could only hope to enjoy this game and take this chance to experiment new players.

The match began with the team playing their usual 3-5-2 formation. It started horribly. Everything was in disarray. From defence to attack, we were totally dominated by them. Within the first 15 minutes, we were down by 3 goals already. Most of the faults lie in the defense. The defenders were prone to make simple mistakes, such as dallying with the ball, the usual poor first touch and letting the ball bounce before you. Our keeper, Huzer, was like training with one on ones. McLucky FC transformed quickly to a 4-4-2 formation to counter their tireless overlapping wingers. Thankfully, with the inclusion of Eeyang’s friend, Wang (pronounced as Wank), our defense seems much more stabilized until the half time whistle. Nevertheless, we managed to let in 2 more goals. As we plodded with our heads low, the second half can only get better.

And surely it was better. Plenty of changes were made for the 2nd half. Alvin was pushed to a striker position. Rayner paired up with Wei De in central midfield. Bing De shifted to left mid. Taking Wei De’s instruction as to take the whole 2nd half as a totally new game, we put the embarrassing flops of the 1st half at the back of our minds and played with for zest. Our game was smoother than before. In no time, we scored 2 goals, both from the towering Alvin Lee. We also have to give to credits for Rayner, Siu Chun and Chun Wei for the 2 goals. With 2 goals down in the 2nd half, SAFTI MI HQ fought back furiously. Their skilful Indian striker was put right back into the game. McLucky could not withstand the continuous assault and let in 2 goals. The 1st goal is let in due to a poor first touch from Ee Yang. The 2nd goal could have been stopped if the running in striker was marked. In the end, the final score line read. 7-2.

The team who played on Saturday looked like a completely new team. Ironically, we cheered “CHAPALAN” before kickoff. With a handful of key players missing, a restructuring of the team is inevitable if we want to win games. For those of you reading this, if you are an ardent McLucky player/fan and you know of people who can at least kick the ball, hardworking and committed to turning up for games, please bring him/her to the next game. And for those by-passers of this blog, you know you can at least kick the ball, hardworking and committed to turning up for games, just leave your contacts to ongweide@hotmail.com.

This team can only get better from here.