Randal Smith

Scorers: Evan Hale (3), Andy Collin, David Shin
Man of the Match: Evan Hale

Last Sunday against the scenic backdrop of Sangmyung University Field, the Han River Harriers scored 5 goals against Cheongju International who scored 0. But the result, as lopsided as it was, could have been much worse were it not for the dazzling performance of Brian Fingler, the Cheongju keeper. All talk after the match centered on his spectacular saves - some acrobatic, some instinctive, and some requiring considerable bravery. At one point he was hit hard in the face as he dived from one post to the next, covering a well aimed shot from Trent Anderson at what seemed to be an open net and easy goal. The ball ricocheted out of touch but left the keeper stunned on the ground. After a few moments he got up brushed himself off and in short order made a second diving save, this time against a low blast to the corner courtesy of Brian Oestrike.

In the first period when the score remained stubbornly at 1-0 and the usually sharp Harrier strikers squandered opportunity after opportunity the Cheongju keeper was a definite concern. The goal in question came after Joos Louwerier of the Harriers received a short pass in midfield, ran several meters to the goal line, and passed the ball across the face of goal just out of reach of the keeper and into the orbit of one Evan Hale who made no mistake in smashing it into the right side corner.

Midfield was a problem for the Harriers, perhaps even more so than their poor marksmanship. Cheongju actually had a measure of control in center pitch despite the 3-5-2 formation employed by the home team. Harrier midfielders were slow to come back and defenders did not push up enough to close large gaps in the middle. Logan Mead, Cheongju’s wily center-midfielder, did not help matters. His ability to befuddle markers with sharp changes in direction provided him with enough space to deliver perfectly weighted passes up the middle. Fortunately Lawrence Heavey, having moved back to central defense from his usual midfield duties, was standing by and anticipated most of the runs by Cheongju’s strikers. For a tall man he’s quite speedy and his spirited play has already earned him a bit of a reputation. Combined, these qualities disrupted the few counter attacking opportunities created by the opposition.

The Harriers only really settled in the second period when Karl Jackson was called off the bench to replace Hassan Kajee, still somewhat weak after several weeks of Ramadan fasting. Karl is a certain starter with the Harriers so speculation was rife that he was benched the first period for spending too many of the last few Sundays golfing with other members of his knitting circle. Be that as it may, Karl’s impact on the game was immediate and the renewed scoring partnership of Evan and Andy Collin finally received the distribution they had been missing in the first period. Karl’s clever dribbling and well placed passes set the tone for the rest of the team who had been in the habit of hoofing the ball down field at every opportunity. Sean on the right finally received the crosses he had been screaming for while defenders Lawrence, Randal Smith and Kevin Cowell had a go-to man other than Trent to rely on when they found themselves in a tight corner.

One of Karl’s chips into the box resulted in a brief melee at the mouth of the Cheongju goal. Evan, “in the right place at the right time”, put an end to proceedings with an emphatic shot into the roof of the goal.

Evan completed his hat-trick after Andy headed a corner kick away from goal back to the edge of the box where Evan had posted himself. His low hard hit to the left corner gave the keeper no chance.

By mutual agreement the break between the second and third period was cut short so that both teams could keep moving and stay warm. Many players sported toques (or “beanies” in Australian) throughout the match much to the amusement of the Korean spectators in attendance.

Early in the second period Andy had missed some opportunities at close range which had his teammates quietly wondering if he had lost his touch after so many weeks off with a knee injury. But the concern was unwarranted. His one-two pass with David Shin put Andy in the clear where he confidently slotted the ball home just under the keeper.

Karl was again instrumental in the fifth and final goal of the game: winning the ball in midfield the big man passed it forward to meet Sean making a diagonal run from the right. Sean rounded his defender then headed directly towards goal with speed. He was in position to shoot but as he would later report, he considered the angle too sharp and the goalie too good to make an attempt. Instead he slipped the ball back to David who nutmegged the keeper for the goal.

There’s no question that the SSFL has matured in terms of organization and attitude since its early days as a loose collection of pub teams. While players still show up to games supporting hangovers the governing ethos is now “we’re playing to win” not “we’re playing for the fun of it.” Teams are ruthless about leaving players on the bench especially in close match-ups where league points are in the balance. Cheongju is one of the remaining holdouts to this growing quasi professionalism; they give everyone a fair chance to play, they play with considerable spirit and sportsmanship, and sadly, they always lose.