Match Report:

INCHEON RED DOGS 2 -9 Les HAN RIVER HARRIERS

Sunday, November 28-, 2004

The Harriers began their match against Incheon playing the same way they did against the Expats, that is to say: badly.

 Ruben, Incheon’s superb Paraguayan striker, opened the scoring with a volley from at least 25 yards out. He managed to scoot past his lackadaisical marker (that would be me) just in time to receive a long high pass from his teammate Dunkin Quirk. Ruben’s shot rose then dipped just inside the near post. 1 -nothing for the bad guys.

 Scottish Steve (#30), Incheon’s hardest working player, then added to the Harriers?misery when his indirect free kick made its way through a phalanx of Harriers arrayed on their goal line. Didi got a foot on the ball but it wasn’t enough. 2 ?0 for Incheon.

 Just before the half Didi, Lawrence and Guillaume combined on an indirect free-kick to give their team a much needed pick-me-up. Didi ran at the ball as if to shoot. At the last moment he side footed the ball to Lawrence standing by. Lawrence quickly took a shot that curved around Incheon’s wall. The ball made contact with Incheon’s keeper and deflected back into an on-rushing Guillaume. For some reason Guillaume was doubled over as he leaped through the air (I’ll have to ask him about that) and the ball hit his back and went into Incheon’s net. One of the ugliest goals ever scored in the SSFL but at two ?nil down the Harriers weren’t about to turn anything down.

 By the final whistle Guillaume would have two hat tricks under his belt, a feat only a handful of players in SSFL history can lay claim to. Felicitations Guillaume!

 But I’m getting ahead of myself?At half time the Harriers came off the field in a despondent mood. Captain Christophe told his players at the beginning of the match to play a passing game and simply enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, for the first 45 minutes, the Harriers did neither. Passing was atrocious and no one was having fun (Didi looked like he was about to explode).

 Drastic action had to be taken. Subs were made to bolster the defense and for the first time this season Christopher pulled out a small vile that he’d brought with him from a small town in Gaul. Each player got a sip; Guilaume had two sips and it was a new Harriers team that took to the field in the second half.

 The next Harrier goal came from the unlikely partnership of defender Kevin Cowell and Jonathan, a striker. An Incheon player booted the ball out of bounds in Incheon’s half. Kevin took the throw for the Harriers. His delivery met the head of Jonathan at the near post facing away from the net. The Harriers?recent American import deftly flicked the ball backwards into Incheon’s net.

 Jonathan showed a lot of promise in early games but never really put in a sustained performance until this contest. This also happened to be the first game for which his wife Jackie was in attendance. The team is deliberating whether Jonathan should be permitted on the field for future games if Jackie is not also on the side-lines.

 Jonathan had a part in the next goal, another of Guillaume’s. First Didi chipped to Jonathan (“ol?? then Jonathan passed to Guillaume (“ol?? who passed to Didi (“ol?? who passed back to Jonathan (“ol?? who finally passed into the center to Guillaume who had inserted himself between one of Incheon’s defenders and the keeper. Guillaume kicked Jonathan’s pass at the exact moment the ball hit the ground (a half-volley?) and scored (“ol??.

 The Jonathan ? Guillaume connection would have a final contribution before the day was over. Jonathan spotted his striker in the clear about 22 yards out and delivered a short pass. Guillaume made a meal of it, smashing the ball into the underside of the top post where it ricocheted over the goal line.?

 If one had to choose a “TSN Turning Point?for the game the next goal would have been it. It’s something you don’t see everyday. The Harriers lost possession of the ball in their end. An Incheon player made an attempt which Mike, the keep, slid to retrieve. In the process, the ball hit Mike in the chest and bounced out, although he finally managed to get a handle on it. Mike cleared with a long kick towards the Incheon goal where Guillaume was jostling with a defenseman. The Incheon keep went forward to retrieve the ball but let it bounce. This turned out to be a bad decision as the ball took an awkward spin in the mud patch in front of the Incheon goal. As if in slow motion the ball arced over the keeper’s head and into the net. Mike, the Harriers?keeper, had just scored, only the second such goal in his entire football career.

 Mike’s goal seemed to have deflated several Incheon players. Many were shaking their heads with disgust. To be fair, the game was being played on a field of natural turf and the ground in front of Incheon’s goal for the second half of the game was a swamp.

 At about this point in the game Incheon pulled out their trump card: Rashid -- a player with marvelous touch and, shall we say, a lot of “passion? In his first five minutes on the pitch he created two or three opportunities for his team mates while getting involved in as many altercations (nothing serious however). John Bennis, the ref, never let the game get out of hand and put in one of the best reffing performances all year.

 No Harrier game would be complete without out Greg showing up somewhere on the stats sheet. This time he managed an assist. Guillaume was just inside the box unmarked when Greg spotted him and passed the ball in the air. Guillaume brought it under control with his right foot and found himself in a one-on-one with Incheon’s keeper. Instead of immediately rushing forward, Guillaume waited for his opponent to make a move. Once the keeper budged off his line Guillaume lobbed the ball over his head. Only the most experienced of strikers have that kind of patience in front of the net.

 Not wanting to be left out, Congolese striker Jean Blaise put on a master class of dribbling in midfield, finishing up with a perfect chip over an Incheon defender and onto the feet of (no points for guessing) Guillaume who had his back to the net. Guillaume controlled the ball with his right foot, pivoted 180◦, and then delivered a diagonal shot across the goal face just inside the far post; 7-2, the score.

 Moments before the game with Incheon, Didi made a public vow to score a goal. Actually, he does that before every game, but this time he actually put one in the back of the net. Some good work from Greg on the left side brought the ball from the Harriers?backfield into Incheon’s half. Greg (or “the pistol?as the Expats nick-named him in their last report) centered to Guillaume who, being pressured by Incheon’s defense, back footed to Didi who had no hesitation in firing a right footer “dans les petit filet? 8-2.

 Didi returned the favor to Guillaume on a corner just before the final whistle. Guillaume at the far post had to dive strait into the cold mud but he managed to get a head on the ball and a double hat-trick to boot. 9-2 was the final score.

 Incheon played very well in the first half of the game, as well as any team the Harriers encountered this year. Although the Harriers undoubtedly upped their game in the second half, part of the reason for the flood of goals was the change that took place in the Incheon ranks some time early in the second half. One got the sense they were simply tired -- not so much physically tired, but psychologically tired of a season of bad bounces.

 Having said that, Incheon have some very quality players. Apart from the lads mentioned above, recognition has to be given to the excellent ball winning skills of Cummins and especially A. E. Lee’s superb one-touch passes.

 Thanks to all the Incheon players for their hospitality and for booking the only natural grass pitch we’ve played on all season.

 Man of the Match: Guillaume Cario (who else?)

 Goal: Guillaume Cario x6, Jonathan, Mike Cop, Didier Balistaire

 Assist: Lawrence Heavey (re: Guillaume), Kevin Cowell (re: Jonathan), Jonathan x2 (re: Guillaume x2), Gregoire Frecon (re: Guillaume), Jean Blaise (re: Guillaume), Guillaume Cario (re: Didi), Didier Balistaire (re: Guillaume)