Match #8 vs Chargers (5-3)
Well, these two teams have gone down in history as arch-rivals throughout the years, and this heated contest proved to be no exception. Fianna, looking to erase memories of their brutal showing in the indoor shield game against the Chargers, were firing on all cylinders again as their offence proved to be unstoppable against a Chargers defence that looked uncomfortable throughout the game.
The first half got underway after yet another fiasco over the lack of proper officiating... for the third straight game there were no linesmen! Not to let this fact stop the game from being a great contest... both teams played the way the game was meant to be played... with passion and a fighting spirit that is characteristic of the way Fianna plays it's game! There were some shaky moments at the start when the Fianna boys seemed content to soak up the pressure and hit the Chargers on the counter-attack. This strategy proved to be dangerous as a couple of Charger efforts were parried wide by Ash Noureldin to keep the score level and Fianna in the game. Slowly, Fianna started to work it's way back into the game as a team, building up possession from the back and using the wings to good effect. This time in possession proved to be useful as both Dominique Powers (on the right) and Daryl Massier (on the left) were finding space to get in some good crosses for Dave Parker and Jaime Valero. However, the answer to the Fianna scoresheet proved to lie in the hands of a combative Italian in the middle of the field. Fabio Fiorito was winning the ball well and proved to be in the right place at the right time during the 10th minute when a Dominique Powers' cross was headed outside the 18 yard box on the right. Fabio, settling the ball, had a chance to pick his target and blasted it into the bottom right corner of the net... Chargers - 0 Fianna - 1 !!! There was a few seconds of celebration before the Chargers were able to comprehend what had happened... the Green and White were looking the better team and had been rewarded with the lead. However, it seemed that Fianna was now ready to sit back again and soak up the pressure... while the Chargers were content to take the game to the "little leprechauns". There were three efforts that went close, and a dangerous period of possession which resulted in four corners being awarded to the Chargers. However at the end of the first half it was still Chargers - 0 Fianna - 1.
The half-time team talk must have done something, because as the second period got under way the Fianna "boyz" looked to be committed to playing the style of football they've become known for... attacking flare... good possession... controlled passing... committed tackling... attractive haircuts... pretty uniforms... that's right, I know you've all been thinking it... I've only given you a voice. Anyways, Dave Parker and Jaime Valero were utilizing their speed with some great balls cutting through the Charger defence being played by Filipe Dos Santos. One of these balls caught the Charger defence napping and Jaime Valero was able to take the ball at full run and go around the Charger 'keeper and slot the ball into the net with little effort... Chargers - 0 Fianna - 2!!! The sea of Green and White shirts in the stands were going wild... all three of you! It was as if the long awaited prophecy was finally coming true... would Fianna be able to hold on with redemption staring them in the face? Right after Jaime Valero's great goal... Chargers scored out of nowhere... a miskicked cross caught Ash Noureldin off his line and just like that the Chargers were back in the game! Then only five minutes later, Filipe Dos Santos won Fianna a corner. The resulting in-swinger went right to the back post... where Fabio Fiorito was waiting to volley it into the net!!! A brilliant strike and the "Tasty Shamrocks" were up 3-1!!! Could this be the end of the Charger resistance... because it's futile?!?!? Not so... another right wing cross into the Fianna box was mis-hit and Ash (dare we say sleeping... perhaps dozing is a better word) could get over in time to keep it out. Chargers - 2 Fianna - 3... a real war going on during an entertaining second half! However, a comeback was not to be... with Filipe cleaning up a bobbled cross by the Charger 'keeper to make it Chargers - 2 Fianna - 4!!! Then Jaime Valero was able to net another in a clean-up situation to make it Charger - 2 Fianna - 5!!! This was the final blow to this Charger team that had battled well... but to no avail, as Fianna put on a defensive show at the end... though the Chargers were able to snatch a late 3rd goal with an unmarked player at the back heading in with much inquest being made by Alfie Kiernan, trying to sort out the defensive lax in concentration. The end was without question however, as Fianna went on the seal the victory, final score Chargers - 3 Fianna - 5 !!! This makes it a 5 game unbeaten run since the opening day loss to Deportivo... 4 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw... not a bad record to put Fianna in first place after 6 games. Although it should be stated that Deportivo has a couple games in hand due to the "wacky" scheduling this Summer.
Final Score: Chargers -3 Fianna -5
Man of the Match: Without a doubt... Fabio Fiorito. He put the "F" in Fianna over the entire game, and a cool finish on both of his two chances to make it look like he was playing back in Catania... one might even be tempted to say that the Chargers were given the Fianna version of the Sicilian kiss... but that would be too cliche, while we're just normal cliche. Anyways, hats off to a great performance by Fabio.
Honourable mention must be made to both Jaime Valero (2 goals) and Filipe Dos Santos (1 goal/1 assist). It would seem that this Fianna team is taking on more of a reputation as the "foreign legion" although if we were in Korea there's no Korean sound for the letter "F" in their alphabet, with the closest sound being the "P" sound. So instead it would sound like "Pianna... the Poreign (sounding more like PorN) Legion, with players like Pilipe and Pabio..." It just wouldn't be the same.
Quote of the Match: "Shut the #$&$ up!!! You're embarassing me... no #$*&in' beaking at the ref... no @#$%in' whinging either!!!" -- Alfie Kiernan reminds a certain person that there should be quiet on the bench during some of the more tense minutes of the first half... which was noted and not argued after the "reprimand".
Blooper of the Game: For the third week running, although mercifully left out of the last two game summaries... Anders Alm makes it into this slot for some wonderful ball control and shooting. Becoming more famous every week... his attempted "shot" on goal from outside the 18 yard box has finally landed after it's trajectory took it into a low orbit before the earth's gravity field managed to pull the ball back to land in a remote corner of lower Moldova... thankfully there is a Fianna name and return address on that ball...
Moment of the Match: Dominique Powers' spectacular sideline run which started from the half line and took him past two defenders (one of them twice) before winning a corner after a minute of trickery! This "style" was the personification of a Fianna team on a mission... Powers was everywhere during the second half.