[SIFL News] Round 19 – Games played on 11 Mar 2017

Hebiguchi Cup Semifinals
Azzurri FC beat Shanghai Japan FC. Big Bamboo Shanghai Shooters AFC win versus Shanghai Lions FC to set up final between Azzurri and Shooters.

Plate

Voodoo beat Long Tang AFC. Kangbei United FC victorious over Shanghai Tianfu FC. Shanghai Vikings FC and Anzacs FC handed regulatory wins.

* Kangbei’s Jackson Katta scored 4!

Hebiguchi Cup Semifinals

Shanghai Lions FC crossed swords with the Big Bamboo Shanghai Shooters AFC. A 20 players Shooters squad turned up to face the Lions in the first of their two semifinals clashes. The Lions welcomed Charles Georg back for a rare appearance. Below with Azzeddine Takouloufa prior to the contest. Sun out, smiles around, confidence was high.

The Shooters started quickly out the blocks pressing high putting the Lions back four under pressure. The pressure told as the Lions soon conceded a free kick on the edge of the box, Michael McGirr stepped up and curled one towards the corner and a deflection off the wall helped it on its way into the back of the net for a 0-1 Shooters lead.

The Lions meanwhile were finding it hard to create chances against a determined Shooter defense. Felix Vroegop came closest after the Lions picked up from a hastily taken Shooters free kick. The French striker then came face to face with Chris Banyard and it looked like the Lions would equalize. The keeper however was equally to the task and saved well keeping his goal clean.

The match was getting tetchy at this point with the Lions clearly getting frustrated at the Shooters’ pressing and yellows were handed out on both sides. The half ended however without any other incidents.

In the second half, the Shooters were more threatening. That became evident by another horror tackle. John Terry elbowed Azzeddine to the ground from behind causing serious injury. It was another act of uncontrolled Shooter aggression and Azz had to be carried off while Terry escaped red once again the c*nt. (under investigation)

With arguably the best player of the league gone, it wasn’t long before the Shooters took every advantage. They got another free kick at the edge of the box and this time Gui Leclercq (#33) stepped up and put a low drive into the far corner to double the Shooters lead to 0-2.

Soon after that the Lions got a free kick taken by Felix Vroegop (#27). He curled the ball over the extensive Shooter wall getting a goal back at 1-2. The Shooters then wrapped up the game as McGirr turned home a ball from close range for 1-3 and game over. Loic Chudy picked up man of the match honors.

It was Simon Moore’s day as he earned cap number 100 for the Shooters at the highest level. Congrats mate, well done! The Shooters will now face Azzurri in the Hebiguchi Cup Final 2017. It’s going to be a spectacle!

Shanghai Japan FC were pitted against Azzurri FC. Azzurri came well prepared as Japan’s recent form caused concern for the Italian formation. Azzurri did good in the first half. Their defensive lines stood well and their offense did what was expected from them.

They found the net once so that the first 45mins ended in a 0-1 score line. The men in blue continued their scoring ways in the second half finding the net another three times for a final 0-4 Azzurri victory.

Antti Hintsanen (2), Nicolas Fajardo and club legend Andrea Speranza scored for Azzurri with Fajardo picking up man of the match honors. With this win Azzurri advance to final where they will face the Shooters.

Warhorse Speranza: “That’s fantastic, will tell the lads to beef up on burgers at Cages we wont be taking prisoners for the final. John Terry must be punished!” Azzurri soldiered on and recorded a rare Third-Half@Cages win as well. (Oranje had a by)

Plate

Long Tang AFC did battle with Voodoo. Another meeting between them meant four-and-a-half uninterrupted hours of this matchup for the ages.

Truth be told a combination of a 9am kickoff, a pitch that has seen better days and no one being able to concentrate because there were loads of Frisbee pillocks parading about the park including one top hat in a top hat meant that minds were understandably elsewhere.

A more physical Long Tang lineup made for a scrappy game with half-chances at a premium for both sides. Some very wasteful finishing from the Voodoo number whatever-the-equivalent-of-9-numbered-between-36-and-72*trunc(n+2); adding to the feeling it would be goalless at the break which turned out to be true.

But it was false. Ice Cold Phil Boyle (ICPB) won and scored a nerveless penalty for 0-1 before Sam Woollard rolled back the years by miss hitting a cross into the Long Tang goal for a 0-2 score line at the half.

The second half saw the introduction of some Voodoo players dressed for Frisbee only outdone by Long Tang’s centre half who was wearing white tights without shorts for a strong look.

Long Tang then won a penalty, which was converted by Liang Shan for 1-2. Voodoo scored again towards the end when FX got his big Danny McBride French forehead on a Big Dog corner for 1-3 and that’s how the contest ended with Jack Webster picking up man of the match honors.

Kangbei United FC locked horns with Shanghai Tianfu FC. Kangbei mobilized their entire foreign contingent for this game and that proved wonders.

They scored three times in the first half for a 3-0 score line at halftime. Tianfu’s heads dropped while Kangbei marched on in the second half finding the net another four times for an overall 7-0 Kangbei victory.