Legends Secure Clean Sheet Without a Goalkeeper

We got lucky last Sunday! The day before, it was 9 degrees and raining all day, but by match day, Shanghai weather had turned in our favor—17 degrees and a clear blue sky! We had a solid squad of 15 players but were missing a goalkeeper, as all three of our regular keepers were unavailable. Fortunately, FL stepped up and volunteered to wear the gloves. Our opponents, Super 48, a strong Japanese team that takes football seriously, arrived with a squad of over 20 players and started their warm-up an hour before kickoff—everyone present and ready.

First Quarter: Breaking Through the High Line

We started well, dominating possession, and quickly noticed Super 48’s tactical approach—they played a very high defensive line instead of parking the bus. This gave us opportunities to break through. Pierre had a great one-on-one chance with the keeper but sent his shot just wide. However, soon after, Germain delivered a perfect through ball down the middle, giving Pierre another opportunity, and this time, he made no mistake—1-0 to the Legends!

Cyril had an identical chance but, feeling inspired, attempted a Messi-like chip over the keeper. Unfortunately, it was an easy catch for their goalkeeper.

Second Quarter: Frustration and Persistence

We kept trying to break through their defense but struggled with repeated offside calls. Sometimes, we weren’t watching their defensive line; other times, our passes were just a second too late. Credit to the linesman—his calls were sharp!

Super 48 had their first shot on target, but FL made a solid save. Soon after, in a near replica of the first goal, Germain once again set up Pierre for another one-on-one with the keeper—2-0 for the Legends!

Third Quarter: Holding the Lead

We lost some momentum in the third 20-minute period, and Super 48, with their deep squad, started pushing forward. FL, now battling the sun in his eyes, made a heroic save to keep our clean sheet intact. He followed up with a few more key stops, clearly making a case for the Man of the Match award!

Final Quarter: Defense First

For the last 20 minutes, we shifted focus to defense rather than pushing for a third goal. With Super 48’s fresh legs and our fatigue setting in, we knew a 2-0 win would be a solid result, even if we weren’t at our best. Credit to Super 48 for their relentless effort until the final whistle!

[ SPL V ] Shanghai Lions FC 2-0 FC Shanghai Super 48

After the match, we enjoyed a few well-earned beers in the sunshine and started looking ahead to our next BIG three games of the season against Japan, Marlins & Wellington who stand in the league 1st, 2nd & 5th respectively.