Lions did a good job in the SIFL Cup match against Cosmos

We had both our goalkeepers missing for the Cup game, with Peter still injured and a couple of other players unavailable. Luckily, Shao was kind enough to step in as goalie, and the smaller squad meant more playing time for our younger players.

We wanted to go for the win from the start and put a lot of pressure on Cosmos in the first 10 minutes with fast ball movement. Cosmos, known for their fast wingers, were dealt with by a couple of outstanding tackles from Romain. Cosmos tried with long-range shots, but most missed the target.

We took the lead with a superb through ball from Amine, who set Charlie free, and this time he didn’t hesitate to put the ball in the net! Cosmos got a couple of corners and free kicks after that, but none ended in our net. Othmane received a knee to the back of his neck from a Cosmos player, causing some irritation in our squad, mainly due to the referee’s inconsistent calls on cards and fouls.

With only a few minutes left in the first half, Kelvin intercepted the ball from Cosmos in our half. He used his speed to the maximum, kept his composure, and saw Charlie free in the box. He played a perfect pass with the right speed and direction, and Charlie was happy to score his second of the day!

At halftime, we discussed our clean sheet as a target and tried to keep playing our combination play. We had a couple of opportunities for a third goal but missed the final touch. Cosmos had a goal disallowed after a foul on our keeper and ended the game with 10 players after a send-off.

As the Kickers and Vikings drew 3-3, we knew a win would put us back on top in the Cup group. The final result of 2-0 tasted good and put smiles on our faces after the final whistle!