
Legends Kick Off the Season with a 4-2 Win Over England
It was a beautiful day last Sunday—blue skies, green grass, and a perfect 28 degrees! The first game of the season is always a bit rusty for the Legends, but the friendly matches we played over the past few weeks helped shake off some of that rust. We welcomed our new players during the team talk and also introduced SKIV as a new member of our coaching staff. We opted to start with three defenders at the back.
What followed was the fastest goal in Lions Football history! Hira found Pierre speeding down the left wing, and his precise low cross to Fred was perfect. Fred didn’t hesitate and blasted the ball into the roof of the net! Sometimes, however, scoring an early goal can throw off the game plan. We had intended to apply high pressure on the England defenders, but after the goal, we relaxed. England, with the wind at their backs, began putting in dangerous crosses, and before we knew it, they had equalized. It certainly made for an exciting start for the spectators, with both teams coming out flying!
A brilliant through ball from newcomer Julien to David restored our lead, with David calmly slotting the ball past the England keeper.
We had a stroke of luck when we were awarded a penalty after an England defender blocked Pierre’s run with a tackle. Pierre made no mistake from the spot, converting the penalty.
Despite a couple of clear goal-scoring chances, we failed to extend our lead. As is often the case in football, sloppy defending allowed England back into the game.
For the last 40 minutes, we switched to a four-defender formation, and with the wind now in our favor, we played much better. England’s attacking threat diminished, and we finally started stringing together some passes. Peter, charging forward from midfield, looked for a Legend to pass to but found no one, so he kept running—outplaying the entire UK defense and their goalkeeper to make it 4-2 for the Legends!
England did have a dangerous free kick toward the end, but the ball flew high over our goal. We saw out the match and were delighted to secure all three points, especially since England had strengthened their team with some quality new players.
[ SPL V ] Shanghai Lions FC 4-2 Shanghai England F.C.
After the match, we headed to Bella Vita to celebrate Samuele’s birthday!
It was a fantastic Sunday—well done, Legends!
Cheers,
Freek