Lions Reach Hebiguchi Cup Semi-Final After Penalty Shootout Win Over Vikings!

Last Saturday in Shanghai, we enjoyed perfect football weather—15 degrees and no wind! We faced the Vikings in our first match of 2025, eager to avenge our loss against them in December. With a few key players missing, Amine stepped in as a left-back, despite it not being his usual position.

The Vikings started strong, pressing us with quick, direct passes. Rustiness from our five-week break showed as many of our passes went astray, gifting the ball to our opponents. The Vikings had a golden chance to take the lead when they broke through our midfield and defense, but their effort went wide. They also won several corners, typically one of their strong suits, but we managed to withstand them all. With no shots on target in the first half, we were relieved to go into halftime at 0-0.

We started the second half much better, and the Vikings began struggling against our fast forwards and counterattacks. We created solid chances but lacked a bit of luck in the final third. However, when Peter surged forward on a quick break, he outplayed a Viking defender on the right and delivered a perfect cross to Charlie, who struck the ball beautifully into the left corner—1-0 to the Lions!

Our confidence grew, and we gained more control until Kelvin was sent off with a second yellow card, leaving us with 10 men and 30 minutes to defend our lead. Marcel, our goalkeeper, stepped up with crucial saves to maintain our clean sheet. Our bad luck continued when Peter was hit from behind, injuring his knee and forcing him off the pitch. A reckless challenge from a Viking player then earned them a red card, bringing both teams down to 10 men.

A lapse in defensive focus led to the Vikings’ equalizer (as the saying goes, “Your forwards must be your first defenders!”). We suffered another setback when Leo took a boot to the eye, leaving him unable to see, yet the referee shockingly allowed play to continue.

We held on to the 1-1 draw, and with all the injuries we endured, the match headed into a penalty shootout. Determined to get the result we deserved, we stepped up to the challenge!