Hello and welcome.
This is Clive Oliver, “Australia’s answer to Anabelle Francis.” I was back in Singapore this week to watch the progress of the local league. The off season continued with many top players on leave. Also new video equipment was being tried out – an experiment keenly watched by the rest of the unicycling world. Due to absentees, only Maxim, Kee, JH, and Reine opened for the World Team. Controversially, Si Yong started late. Allegedly he was also late for a training session in Tuas at the weekend. Although his agent refused to comment, one wonders if the World superstar will be able to cope with his growing fame and status as a media celebrity. Unnamed sources say he was seeing actress Natalie Portman last Saturday. [Ed: -_-;] Will such Hollywood connections affect his play in future hockey matches? We shall wait and see.
Joseph on the other hand, although closely linked to the music industry this week, was on time to play for Orange, as were Kai Lun, Remi, Geoffrey and Ben1. However they were missing their goalie HF, their young star Andrew, and also their top goal scorer, Sean. Rumours abound, that the Orange hardman was serving a voluntary suspension pending an investigation into an alleged foul the previous week. But the Sean Fan Club dismisses this as nonsense. No foul was called on him 7 days ago. Why, they say, should he be suspended now? Surely there is another reason for his absence.
Finally, controversial video footage was tested this week. Supposedly an aid to referees, would it simply undermine their authority? The video would show that one disallowed goal was in fact legal, whereas a “last minute” goal actually occurred after the half time whistle! [Ed: What half time whistle? It was just the crowd going silent. It was in actual fact extra time] Should this evidence be used to update the scoreline? Surely not. The referee’s decision should be final, and must be accepted.
The Game started with an instant goal, as Ben1 with yet another new blade took a long shot. One nil! A great start this for Orange.
A strong team counter attack gave the World a good shot on goal, but just wide. Then it was Orange’s turn. Ben1 swung through midfield and passed wide to Joseph. Joseph, strangely attired in blue, (Blue J?), took it out to the left, and then flicked it back to Ben1 who’d found space in front of the goal. Using an unorthodox one handed push, he guided the ball home. Two nil to Orange. Superb passing from Blue Jay, reminiscent of his great last minute pass to Ben1 last week. Is Blue the new Orange?
Ben1 was having a great time with long shots. Letting rip from just over the half way line, he made it a hat trick! Three Nil to Orange! But no. The goal was disallowed, although the video footage shows him to be well inside the dark half! The fans were outraged, but Ben1 seemed unaware of his position and meekly accepted the result. Only Two nil to Orange. Was the Orange veteran losing his fire? Where was Sean when we needed him?
It was up to Blue Jay to reassert Orange’s dominance. He literally blew (blue?) the World away, beating their defender and striking home. Three nil to Orange! A really great start this for the Golden (and blue) boys!
Remi was having a good day too, often finding space to attack, having a few early shots, and even hitting the crossbar once.
Ben1 weaved pass JH and kee. Riding wide he took a good shot on goal, but this time producing a gut wrenching save from keeper, Raine! (She took it directly on her stomach).
PS You may have noticed I don’t know how to spell Raine! [Ed: Raine is spelt Raine]
But the Darkside stepped up a notch, fighting back to win a corner, but no joy. The ball was cleared to way up field, bouncing back to find Remi near the dark goal. He took a brilliant reverse angle shot and almost scored. The enthralling end to end play continued, with Kee getting a breakaway. One on one with the Orange keeper, he could have scored, but the ball went just wide. Moments later, at the other end, Remi found himself unmarked, but his shot went wide as well. Then he was in action again; the fab Frenchman flicking onto Ben1.Although One on one with keeper, the orange veteran’s shot was saved by Raine. Another breakaway for kee failed to result in a goal. Finally it was Remi who broke the deadlock! A goal for Orange. Four nil! Despite the World’s pressure, the score line was slipping away from them. This poses the question, does the World miss Sid and Darren, more than Orange misses Sean and Hui Fang? Interesting hypertheticals abound!
Without Sean to sprint upfield, Kai Lun decided to break away and have a go but it wasn’t to be. Twice in as many seconds his close range shots were shut out by Raine’s wheel! The World keeper may have started tentatively, but she was really coming into her own now. Without her hard work, the Dark Side would have been very dark indeed.
And then it happened. One of Orange’s (many?) problems has been a loss of focus. And in the closing minutes of the half, their concentration wavered once again. Unfortunately for them, the World Team never seems to sleep, so whilst Ben1 happily explained that he hadn’t really fouled Si Yong, Kee moved through to score! : one for the Dark Side!
Then, seconds later, as the music faded away, the ref allowed one more shot. And the World scored. Maxim to Si yong and Kee. Orange fans were outraged. The Video footage apparently showed that the final whistle had already gone. Nevertheless the goal was allowed. And so the half ended. Orange, who had confidently felt they should be Five Nil up, now found themselves at only Four Two. The Dark Side had finished very strongly indeed!
The Second Half
Maxim was called for a high stick. On the restart Ben1 took another long shot, and got another goal. Five Two to Orange!
But the World came back strongly. A bit hard to see from the camera angle, but I think Kee came from behind the Orange goal to slip one behind the keeper. Five Three! Yet another Kee breakaway narrowly missed the Orange goal. He will surely rue his missed chances, but there was no time to wait. The golden boys piled on the counter attacks. Kai Lun roared behind the Dark goal and flicked back to Ben1. It was a lovely bit of passing which Ben1 confidentally tapped home. Six Three to Orange!!
Undetered, the World fought on. Another Kee breakaway was blocked by Geoffrey and Joseph, but Maxim and Si yong followed up. It was Maxim who knocked it in. Six ; Four. Was the World Team coming back?
Si Yong had a go. But his breakaway move was blocked by the keeper.
A tiring Ben1 found his long shots no longer hitting the mark. Instead he scored a breakaway goal, breaking the World’s momentum. Seven : Four to Orange.
A weary Ben1, showing his age, moved back into defence. But Orange were able to compensate. It fell to KL to launch an attack with Remi. The Frenchman scored! His second today. : Eight Four to Orange!
With only seconds left, the dark ones tried to salvage some pride.
However, their goal was controversially disallowed. Orange claimed the Dark side had taken their free shot prematurely, but was this yet another example of Orange dreaming, while The World attacked screaming?
And so it finished.
The official score at the end remained at Eight Four. But should it have been Nine Five? Or even Eight Five?
Is this the beginning of a new era of dominance for Orange? Or is this the end of the beginning for the World Team? What will happen when both teams are back up to full strength?
Stay tuned! The truth will be revealed in the weeks to come!
-BenI
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