[SIFL News] Round 15 – Games played on 11 Feb 2017

Premier League

Shanghai Krauts FC (above) beat FC Oranje. Azzurri FC defeat Shanghai Lions FC. Shanghai ReUnited win versus Shanghai United. Big Bamboo Shanghai Shooters score nine versus Shanghai 3United.

First Division

Shanghai Cosmos beat Happy FC. Anzacs FC win versus Long Tang AFC. Voodoo edge out Kangbei United FC. Shanghai Vikings and Voodoo Child share the spoils with tie.

* Wilson Scott & Kevin Wiessler both scored 4!

In the Premier League, Shanghai United were pitted against Shanghai ReUnited. ReUnited got back to winning ways with a 5-1 victory over their old rivals United. It was a hard fought game in the first half before ReUnited’s extra class paid off in the second.

ReU came into the match knowing that only three points would do considering the consistent form of their title rivals the Shooters. ReU were also aware that United could prove an obstinate foe.

The game took a while to get going but ReU steadily started to create chances and were rewarded after a fine move. Moritz Uthoff headed home at the far post from a Sascha Höltke cross taking a 0-1 ReU lead.

ReU continued to play well but some defensive slackness allowed United striker Andrey Kravchenko to run free at keeper Cody Ahlstrom. Kravchenko then got fouled and a penalty was what followed which was duly converted by Kravchenko himself evening out the score 1-1.

Soon afterwards ReU were granted their own penalty after a handball in the box but failed to convert it and so both teams when into halftime with the game still tight and tensions high.

The second half could have been a difficult affair for ReU as they lost Moritz Uthoff and David Conrad to injury and were down to only 11 fit players but Tobi Junior chose a good time to turn on the magic with a second half hattrick, which including two overhead kicks for a 1-4 ReU lead.

Debutant Joshua capped the 1-5 victory with a screamer from twenty yards, which put a gloss on the result, but was not a completely accurate representation of the game and first half in particular. Tobi Junior picked up man of the match honors.

FC Oranje crossed swords with Shanghai Krauts FC. The Dutch have a bit of a streak going and are still playing for their first win. They came to attack but so did ze Germans. New for Oranje was when trainer Melvin Lo took between the sticks as keeper number 8!

For the Krauts, Atsarov, Korchazhinkii, Madaminov and Schwab combined well in the middle and pushed Oranje back to their half. After about 10mins Stanislav Korchazhinkii had a first chance when connecting from an Azim Madaminov cross over the left but his effort went wide.

The second time Korchazinkii moved in from the left he scored at the far post taking a 0-1 Krauts lead. A few moments after that the Krauts won a free kick about 25 meters out. Thomas Schwab lined up to take it and saw it disappear at the far post for 0-2.

Oranje pressed on and created several chances as well. Just before halftime the Dutch got a bankable chance at the far post but Tank Zhang’s blast went just over and the half ended with the Krauts 0-2 up.

In the second half, the Germans continued to combine through the middle and that resulted in several chances. Dutch latest keeper Melvin Lo made some brilliant saves to keep the Orangemen in the game. At the other end Tank Zhang had another one-on-one with the keeper but the keeper saved it and 0-2 it stayed.

The Krauts then scored two quick goals going up 0-4 effectively putting the game to bed. But not before a flurry of records were in the making when the ageing master and super chief Wild van Bill took to the field. Dictator Bilgin G (below with Wild van Bill) was so awestruck he had to leave the pitch on a stretcher. In the end, ze Germans won 0-4, Oranje second! (c*nts) Stanislav Korchazhinkii was voted man of the match.

Not to be deterred, the new record holders (match #581) and men of Dutch courage went to Cages for celebrations. The Azzurri were already there after cheating on the bus race back and had to buy the beers, which they didn’t. Azzurri went home, Oranje drank the bar and ran a riot winning another glorious Third-Half@Cages. Oranjeboom was there! Below goals scorers Schwab, Korchazhinkii and Atsarov with the record holder.

Big Bamboo Shanghai Shooters AFC faced Shanghai 3United. Always good for spectacle, the Shooters did not disappoint in this fixture either and clearly had rampage on their minds knowing that a superior goal difference is as good as a point at the end of the season.

Particular Kevin Wiessler and Wilson Scott were in fine form. The first half netted 5 goals for the Shooters going into the halftime break with the match practically over.

With great effort and fanfare the Shooters continued in the second half scoring four more goals and when all the dust had settled, they clocked nine on the score board for a final 9-0 win.

Keven Wiessler and Wilson Scott both scored four, Mike Mcgirr got the other one with Scott picking up man of the match honors. Benoit Doche almost scored as well but it just didn’t want to go in. At night he did not have any such trouble.

Mcgirr (next to Scott & Wiessler): “We play like that we will beat Herr Flick’s bunch on Saturday give them a whooping and be champions!”

Shanghai Lions FC did battle with Azzurri FC. For the men in blue this was the most widely anticipated match of the season. Azzurri were dominating the first 20mins with beautiful play and controlled tempo.

Starting from the back, working the ball towards the right hand side, a ball was played inside to Giulio ‘Frodo’ Bortolaso who played it to Antti Hintsanen completely splitting open the Lions defense. Hintsanen executed a perfect slide tackle onto the ball, slotting it in the near post for a 0-1 Azzurri lead.

The next goal was an unfortunate decision by the ref from a corner, as the ball struck the hand of a Lions player. The Lions keeper initially saved the ensuing spot kick but Javier del Valle latched onto the ball as it bounced of the keeper to unleash a thunderbolt, an absolute cracker-jacker for 0-2.

After 30mins, Nico Fajardo picked up the ball on the right side of the box. Fajardo released enough venom with his right clubfoot to ping the ball into the roof of the net against a really angry and overweight Lions goalkeeper for a 0-3 Azzurri lead.

The Lions then got a goal back when Romain Haution found the net for 1-3. On the 40^th minute mark Antti Hintsanen picked up the ball on the corner of the 6-yard box and got it to Stephen Yuan at the back post. Yuan slide tackled it into the goal taking a 1-4 Azzurri lead. The game became a bit scrappy after that and frustrations crept in the Lions’ play.

Towards the end the Azzurri were awarded a penalty from a foul by the angry fat keeper. The ensuing spot kick was duly converted by Nick ‘Zorro’ Velani for a final 1-5 score line. Giulio Bortolaso picked up man of the match honors.

Zorro (above): “F*ck me, this was a showcase of amazing football against a team that clearly never lost before. One goal changed the mindset of the whole team. Either way, the Lions lost gracefully!”

In the First Division, Happy FC slugged it out with Shanghai Cosmos. After the long spring festival break, some HFC players decided to attend the lantern festival celebrations so they had to start with only 9 players.

Cosmos took full advantage when Adam Stringer made it 0-1 after only 3mins. Left wing Ant Spark put in a number of telling crosses early on and Stringer converted one to make it 0-2 with a glancing header after 12mins.

Left back Chris Wade opened his account for 0-3 with a goal direct from a corner after 35mins and by that time HFC’s 11 were all there. Another pinpoint Sparky cross allowed Jack Greenwell to make the halftime score 0-4

In the second half, HFC made a game of it and were on the attack from the start, forcing Cosmos keeper Criss Kang into making a couple of good saves. Paul Ainslie scored with a simple finish for 5-0 when HFC’s stand-in keeper dropped the ball at his feet.

After only coming on at halftime, Akbar Karenga, in his final appearance, asked to be subbed off because Friday night’s street food was coming back to haunt him. He returned from the stalls just in time to be reintroduced and convert a penalty for 0-6 and his first and only goal for Cosmos. We all wish him good luck with his return to London.

Aussie center forward and part time bookie Shaun Kastelijn caught a defender napping in the box and made it 0-7. Shortly after, Tom Morris, should have really done better with his overhead kick attempt from the edge of the box, before Kastelijn scored a second from another Sparky cross for a 0-8 final score. Man of the match honors went to midfield maestro Jack Greenwell.

Voodoo locked horns with Kangbei United FC. At the best of times in winter Voodoo struggle for numbers, let alone a 7am meet. With a few of the established heads missing through work and ‘other commitments’, Voodoo scrounged around to find a few new players make their debut for the mighty Voodoo.

In atypical Voodoo fashion, they started the brighter of the two teams in the opening passages of play but in typical Voodoo fashion struggled to find the net until our trusted French Voodoo legend FX arrived late and came fresh off the bench to score a 20-yard screamer with pretty much his first touch of the game and a 1-0 Voodoo lead.

This really changed the confidence levels and this first was followed up with a very quick second through great lead-up play and finish by Jack ‘the Lad’ Webster for 2-0 and before too long, Voodoo had made it three due to an easy tap in from Maxy ‘Three Stripes’ Strobel (above) to close out a very positive half for the team in red and a 3-0 lead.

Confidence was high at the break with the boys adamant that they wouldn’t follow the usual trend and drop their bundle and their lead but a quick goal with a great finish to Kangbei had them on the front foot at 3-1 and peppering the Voodoo backline.

A great show of individual strength and composure to finish from the big American Derreck Lilly restored the halftime lead to 4-1 and eased Voodoo tensions. Another cracking goal from Kangbei for 4-2 and a followed up tap in made it 4-3 and a final 15mins of squeaky bum time.

Voodoo played out the match and booked a great win and a fair game played by all. Lennert the Dutch Maestro (above) closely edged out Olivier ‘left back’ Corades for man of the match honors – a great effort from both considering they registered just before deadline the day before. Jiamin Hou (2) and Jackson Katta scored the Kangbei goals.

Long Tang AFC lined up to play versus Anzacs FC. Early on Long Tang took most of the possession happy enough to pass the ball sideways without really getting in behind the Anzacs defense.

The Anzacs carved out a couple of chances from set-pieces while Long Tang beat the offside trap twice but no goals were noted and halftime came with scores level at 0-0. In the second half, Long Tang opened the scoring when from a cross the ball got touched onto the bar for Cao Yixi (below) to nod in the opening goal taking a 1-0 Long Tang lead.

However the Anzacs were not behind for long; they won a free kick halfway inside their half. Andy Shepherd bent it towards the back post and saw it going into the corner for 1-1.

Moments later Sam Di Marco latched on to a long kick by keeper Hunt with only one defender to beat and beat him he did before sliding in the second goal taking a 1-2 Anzacs lead. Long Tang put pressure on the Anzacs towards the end and created a few chances, which the Anzacs did at their end as well.

Then in the last minute the Anzacs got another free kick outside their area. This time Daniel Zhang curved it left-footed towards the near post where Stephen Pek was first to react and hit home the rebound off the post for a final 1-3 score line and three points for the Anzacs. Kieran Hunt picked up man of the match honors.

Shanghai Vikings FC negotiated Voodoo Child. VC were looking to carry on the good form of 2017 against their bogey side the Vikings, and went for a line up mixing pace and youth from the Fat Nick Academy, with experience and no pace being covered by some VC stalwarts.

Following some well-organized drills and a rallying team talk, the first half was one-way traffic VC taking a 0-2 lead by a goal from Ned Kelly from a glorious Fat Nick ball and an own goal after some minor assistance from the Vikings keeper.

Jules Goodes selected in the midfield this week after claims of supreme fitness and without the threat of penalties at the end of the match was able to flourish. With Paul Waller able to dictate play even whilst carrying a very bad injury (below).

For the second half, the Viking Luwan training regime began to bear fruits while VC ailments set in and the team were pushed back. Some players after having `exerting’ holidays seemed to tire more and the sun maybe went in someone’s eyes to let the Vikings get a goal back at 2-1.

The Vikings (above) got their tails up and as with the first game, snatched a goal with the last kick of the game to tie it up 2-2, a fair result after a battling performance by both teams. Adebowale Adewale and Kasper Kristensen scored the Vikings goals. Nick Lewis and Kasper Kristensen received man of the match honors.