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Randal Smith
Once again the Harriers
lose to an Irish team in the dying minutes. It wasn¡¯t as bad as last
season¡¯s loss to St. Pats when the Harriers came back from a three – nil
deficit (with a brilliant goal by Evan from the center circle) only to
lose by a last second goal, but it still hurt.
Things might have been different had Joel and Trent been there. Joel at
center back is fast becoming the Harrier¡¯s own ¡°Rio Ferdinand¡± in so far
as when he¡¯s playing his team looks sharp at the back, but when he¡¯s away
baking the best bread this side of Marseilles or banned for skipping his
steroids test (the team suspects he takes some kind of steroid for
hair-growth) the defense falls into disarray.
And if Joel is Rio Ferdinand then we¡¯ll have to call Trent our ¡°Roy Keane¡±
because nobody in the league plays sweeper as well as him. The next time
you get a chance to see the Harriers (tickets are cheap) watch how
intelligently he clears the ball. It usually lands directly at the feet of
an open midfielder or striker.
That kind of quality was missing from the back on Sunday. Clearances were
made with a hope and a prayer that one of our players would pick them up.
The few attempts to pass were sloppy.
Poor substituting also cost the Harriers. When the Harriers first formed
they made a commitment to make winning a priority but lately it seems they
have gone back to their beer league habits, trying too hard to make sure
everyone gets at least sixty minutes of play. When this happens the
ludicrous situation arises where a player of Didi¡¯s caliber is sitting on
the bench at the same time that Daniel Aliaga, a natural striker, is
playing in midfield. This should never happen. Granted, Didi has a problem
of not supporting the defense enough; nevertheless, when he¡¯s fit he
should be on for ninety minutes every game. He¡¯s too good to ever sit on
the bench.
Now to the game: the first goal came care of Evan Hale, the Harrier¡¯s
undisputed top sharp-shooter now that Guillaume is injured. From the left,
Dave Shin provided a waist-level pass that Evan deftly volleyed into the
net, catching the keeper off guard. Evan is not particularly fast or
graceful but he has a certain nimbleness to his game; moreover, his
excellent balance makes him difficult to knock off the ball, and, like all
good strikers, he has an instinct for where he should be around the goal
mouth.
At about the twenty minute mark Randal and Alain joined to take on a
Celtic midfielder twisting and turning just inside the corner of the box.
The predictable ¡°tumble – penalty¡± routine ensued, resulting in Abo¡¯s
confidently taken spot kick directly into the bottom left corner. Tie
game.
Celtic had more of the ball in the second period. At the fortieth minute
Rags scored with a cheeky lob from just outside the area.
Ten minutes later Christophe kicked an excellent corner that Evan just
managed to head back into the area to an unmarked Sean Freer. The young
Aussie-New Zealander-Livestock Abuser had the time and space to head the
ball just under the top post.
Moments later the Celtics had an indirect kick which Michael Cop dived and
saved. This was Mike¡¯s last game before ¡°retirement¡±. His talents will be
missed as will his well conditioned hair.
Now we get to the heartbreaking part of the game, at least from the
Harrier¡¯s perspective. Predictably, it occurred within the last five
minutes of the game. Ed Cosgrove – a defender no less (!) -- left unmarked
about twenty yards out, let out a cracker of a shot strait into the top
left corner of the net. Michael leapt up to reach it but he never stood a
chance. It was a miracle the Canadian keeper even got a touch on the ball.
For the remainder of the match the Harriers put on relentless pressure
hoping for the equalizer. But it was not to be. The Hounds circled the
wagons and their keeper made some good saves. The score remained Seoul
Celtic 3 – Harriers 2.
Man of the match honors go to Evan, who not only scored but created
several opportunities for others.
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