Sunig Closing

Keen observation by the sometimes drunk philosopher Sudhershen Hariram:

This year's Sunig results -
1st SMU
2nd NUS
3rd NTU
4th SIM

Last year's Sunig results -
1st SIM
2nd NTU
3rd NUS
4th SMU

Mirror image no?

Plus Ultra (This far and further)

Jollilads 0 - 2 SCC

Putting a long week behind them, the lads from Jollilads marched into Queenstown stadium with their chests puffed and heads held high, knowing that their brilliant FA Cup performances in the past weeks have brought them the reward of a semi-final berth against the Div 1 Champions, SCC (the alphabetical twin of SRC). The grass was green, lush and flat, lights bright, and the biggest surprise being that there was a personalized changing room for the Jollilads team.

The team, although jaded and tired from playing 6 games in a short period of 12 days, were keen to leave an impression on the game, putting pressure every single SCC player, keeping in mind what Coach Arasu said during the pre-match talk. Although high pressure was put on SCC, they showed their technical and tactical intelligence by spreading and passing the ball around their back 4 and midfield quartet effectively, keeping Jollilads at bay. Attempts at Aziz’s goal were thwarted by the Jollilads defense, with Feroz and Rafi protecting the back four like how an eagle would look after her eggs, biting and sniping at every tackle. However, SCC finally managed to break through the iron cast defense when a cross from the left was whipped in with pace towards the ‘sweet spot’ (between the keeper and 6 yard line) and Andrew, alledged to have been shoved by the striker, glanced the ball past the helpless Aziz. Showing grit and determination, Jollilads tried to push men forward and take the game to SCC, but alas, the vastly experienced back 4 of SCC managed to hold them at bay till half time.

Coach Arasu made tactical changes during the interval, taking Rafi off and introduced Khai into the fold. The second half followed in the same demeanor as the first, with SCC stroking the ball around and letting Jollilads chase both game and ball. The sucker punch finally came when SCC doubled their lead, a cross whipped in from the right was cushioned by the left winger, and the striker stood tall to power the ball into the back of the net. Jollilads proved to be a tougher and more determined opposition than SCC thought, when they came close twice to pulling the deficit back to 1. First, Sudi drilled a trademark low cross into the ‘sweet spot’, and Chengwei’s header was barely kept out by the keeper, Fuhang’s and Winston’s follow up were subsequently block. Second, a low, driven free kick was knocked away by the legs of the keeper. The late salvo proved too late, as full time crept up.

Allow me to be emo alright?

Personally, I think this season has been a tremendous success. Firstly, I’m sure everyone made new friends, lifelong soccer buddies whom we have friendly competition with, friendships we will treasure for the many more years to come. I personally enjoyed my time playing for Jollilads, even though I’m always kept out by my niggling injury problems (a.k.a Daniel Agger, Jonathon Woodgate, Ledley King), but everytime I played, I really had great fun playing with such good friends who always serve to help and provide advice. I never once felt left out cause I didn’t play much, or because I’m not good enough. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every one of you, for providing me with such memories which I will treasure and look back upon graduation or retirement from the game. While most of the seniors have probably played their last game in the colours of the Combined Uni, please join me in applauding their unwavering commitment, evergreen enthusiasm, unbreakable friendship, and unquestionable leadership. Let us continue to strive for top honours together, and may our friendship stand the test of time and hopefully, despite our busy schedules, we are able to meet up for coffee, tea, or a soccer session in the future. Till next year, Ying Ni!

Contributed by: Kenmostdedicated player

Line Up: Aziz (GK), Chris, Andrew (Bolt), Daowei, Aaron, Rafi (Khai), Feroz, Fuhang, Manfred (Chengwei), Sudi, Winston

Unused Subs: ‘Away Away Away’, ‘Orange peeler’ Kok, Weiming, Kennard

FA Cup - Road to Jalan Besar 2009

Match Details
SCC vs JAFC
Venue: Queenstown Stadium
Kick-off: 7pm
Date: 09/10/09 Friday

Attire: Bring both sets of jerseys (including white socks)

Be there by 615pm latest for warm-ups.
The lads await their biggest rivals to date, the newly crowned Div 1 champions. There is much history between both clubs, for SCC having won the Div 2 title last year without conceding a loss, but losing to JAFC in last year's FA Cup match. This year, the lads have gone hungrier than ever. Having beaten this year's Div 2 champs and Div 3 champs already, JAFC will be looking to complete their collection.

Please state in the comments section on whether you are available for the match.

The road to Jalan Besar 2009 continues...

FA Cup 2nd Round Bracket

Message of the day from Jollilads: Durex is not 100% safe

Yet another piece of history was carved into Coach Arasu’s CV and Jollilads Arsenal record books when a semi-final berth was booked via a heart-stopping/heart-thumping/heart-pounding 4-3 penalty shootout win over SRC. This quarter-final clash was also marked by the introduction of orange juices, with Kok volunteering his finesse at squeezing oranges, and the return of NUS striker/tag-board abuser Fu Chengwei.

With the gameplan set to apply as much pressure on SRC whenever they were in possession (achieved by a greater force divided by a smaller area), and the focus being on individual behavior on the field, Jollilads looked to take the game to SRC from the onset. Coach Arasu’s tactical plan almost paid off within the first 10 minutes when Steven Lam took 2 shots from dispossessing SRC. As the game progressed, the tempo was likened to a sinusoidal wave with either side not being able to find the penetrative ball in the final third. The closest both sides came to opening the scoring was when an intentional header from Daowei back to Tianci rolled past the keeper’s eyes/body/legs/feet, however, showing his supreme speed of thought, Tianci scampered back to prevent the ball from rolling into the net. The first half was also marked by Kok whispering to Andrew that peeling oranges was indeed his favourite past-time.

A few changes were made during half time when Coach Arasu sacrificed pace for speed when substituting Zul for Durex Khai. However, it was SRC who dominated the opening exchanges of the second half when Tianci was called into action, first, to attempt to save his first penalty of his ‘illustrous’ career (which he duly failed, not that it made any difference, the post came to the rescue) and second when he sprang across to his near post like a spring to keep out a header, drawing the ‘ohh’ and ‘ahh’s from the onlooking spectators. And true to the call of the wind, SRC took the lead when a bullet shot from the edge of the box flew in via the post, leaving Tianci stranded and gasping for air at the sheer might and velocity of the ball. If the fairytale ending was really ending, Jollilads weren’t listening or reading the script, when they again raised their game and attempted to equalize. Boosted by the introduction of Chengwei and Kok (he finally stopped peeling oranges), Jollilads raised their game. It was almost rewarded in the 89^th minute when a cross by Winston was just a teeny weeny bit too high for the man mountain to glance it into the open net. While heads/bodies/ears were down, hearts weren’t, as the final corner of the game from Sudi found Winston unmarked, who finished with aplomb, sparking wild celebrations amongst fans, coaches, and Uncle Sam alike, who proceeded to ‘tau-pok’ Winston even though he was complaining of chest pains and the slight distortion of his ‘you-know-what’. That proved to be the final kick of normal time as Jollilads were taken to penalties the second time in this season’s FA cup.

With Tianci hoping in desperado to finally break his duck and save a penalty, and the looks of excitement still cast on the faces of the Jollilads, Sudi ran up to take his first spot kick, sending the keeper the wrong way. This trend of hitting the back of the net was followed up by Fuhang, Aaron and Chris, until Khai stepped up (with the odds of scoring and sending us through to the semis: 1.00, and the odds of missing: 100) and added to his collection of misses when he placed the ball past the left post. With all the pressure in the world, galaxy and solar system placed on the shoulders of the final SRC taker, who would equalize if he scored and send Jollilads through if he missed, he took a long run up, saw the cheeky face of Tianci, had Kok peeling and squeezing oranges in his mind, and missed, sending cheers and volcanoes erupting.

Through the progress of the FA cup this year, we have shown grit, spirit and team togetherness in grinding out results when needed, words of encouragement was heard at all corners, available to every ear. Thus, with the ‘luxury’ of sitting on the bench and hoping to hear Coach call out my name, I hereby remind everyone of us that the road ahead of us is tough, no doubt, we’ll have to dig into ourselves and raise our game to another level, but like every other saying, the ball is round. It’s time to stop hoping and start believing, time to stop wishing and start visualizing. We can do it! Jalan Besar, here Jollilads come!

A few pointers to take note, Kok’s fingers have been severely bruised by the oranges he abused. Winston has scored in every round of the FA cup thus far. Tianci still likes to shout ‘away away away’, and sings it during bathing and murmurs it in his dreams. That’s all for now, stay tuned to more!

Lineup: ‘Away Away Away’ (GK), Rafi (Kok), Daowei, Aaron, Chris, Manfred (Chengwei), Feroz, Zul (Khai), Fuhang, Sudi, Winston

Unused subs: Tim, Andrew, Nadeem, Kennard

Cannot be used subs: Weiming, Jerome

Match Report written by Kennard Gan

.. and the journey continues - so does our wining (:

Jollilads 2 - 1 Gambas

Amidst all the rivalry from the ongoing SUNIG competition, the four universities came together putting aside our differences to sealed a quarter finals spot in the FA Cup by beating Gambas 2-1. Knowing that a win would ensure Jollilads some television coverage, the boys were all hyped up for the game. (especially so after the recent crowning of Mr Durex to you know who)

Coach started off with a fresher attacking squad while keeping the SPEEDY attacking players like Khai and Winston plus Zul on the bench. Hoping to use their PACE (or the lack of) as a strategy in the later stages. Nevertheless, the match started off slow as many of us were still recovering from our recent SUNIG games. However it didn’t take long before Jollilads started to get momentum with weiming chasing down every ball that was sent to him. His efforts was soon rewarded as he manage to latch onto a loose ball from the defence before squaring it to Feroz who took a shot that was rebounded into Manfred’s path to slot it into the exposed goal. However, the lead didn’t last long as a lapse in concentration at the back resulted in the Gambas striker running free on goal. He then made no mistakes and smashed the ball past Aziz and into the net. It was unfortunate that the half ended 1-1 as we had a lot of chances in front of goal only to be denied by the iron giant Gambas keeper.

The second half was pretty much the same story with Jollilads having most of the possession. Again there were several chances for Jollilads to slot in our second goal, the closest being weiming’s one on one with the iron giant who stood tall and big denying any space for weiming to shoot through. As the match went on, our speedy substitutes started coming in with Winston coming in first, followed by Zul and Khai (order not according to speed of players). As if to prove coach's strategy to use our fast attackers to change the game, Khai was set free down the right, using his PACE he stormed towards the ball and send in a prefect cross that was met by the on rushing Winston who headed the ball into the top corner for Jollilads second of the night. Gambas then surged forward looking for the equaliser pressing the Jollilads defence, sending balls to almost every corner of the field but to no avail.

All in all, it was a good win again, we had lots of possession and made good use of the REALLY HUGE! but nice grass pitch. However, lets try to make better use of our possession like coach mentioned and lets make all our chances in front of goal count. This is especially critical for our next FA Cup clash with SRC who would definitely make us pay for our miss chances. For now, rest well boys.

YingNi!

Lineup: Aziz, Chris, Aaron, Sudi, Andrew, Feroz, Rafi, Kok (Winston), Manfred, Nadeem (Zul), Weiming (Khai)

Unused Sub: Tian Ci

Quote of the day: “we should be playing in the European league, we are playing more games than Liverpool or Barcelona.”

Arasu Advice: “don’t go play your inter-school or your inter-hall or your inter-COLOR games. Because come Saturday you will become COLORLESS”

FA Cup

Match Details
SRC vs JAFC
Venue: St Wilfred
Kick-off: 7pm
Date: 03/10/09 Saturday

Attire: Bring both sets of jerseys, black and white socks.

Be there latest by 615pm for warm-ups. Reply in the comments section on your availability for the game.

Its the match we are looking forward to... Its like Barnsley meets Liverpool and we are looking cause an upset in this game. Opponents are not allowed to use their foreigners so its a fair chance. Still, we must prepare ourselves well for this game and anything can happen on that day. JAFC will be looking to create history, hoping that this will be the first batch of players to beat a Div 1 team.

Arasu has specifically requested each person to bring 2 bottles of 500ml oranges juice on Saturday. What we will do is drink one bottle after the game, eat bananas(will be provided), do ice bath, then drink another bottle. This is to help you recover faster. So remember to buy them from NTUC and BRING on that day.

The road to Jalan Besar continues...

FA Cup

Match Details
JAFC v Gambas Avenue
Venue: St Wilfrid
Kick-off: 7pm
Date: 30/09/09 Wednesday

Guys, i know its SUniG season rite now. But lets put our differences aside for the moment, and come together to have a good FA Cup game this coming Wednesday. Lets take this match seriously, coz we wanna go as far as possible in the FA Cup.

Attire: Bring both sets of jerseys, black shorts, including white and black socks.

Be there by 6pm for warm ups.
Please reply in the comments section on whether you are available for the match, and your body condition (whether any of you are nursing injuries picked up from SUniG).

The road to Jalan Besar 2009 continues.

FA Cup 2nd Round 2009

SAFE by Durex

Pioneer CSC 2 - 2 Jollilads
Jollilads win by penalties (5-4)

In a night where the dreams of many young men who have journey so far with Jollilads would have been shattered, a night filled with individual mistakes which we would have been punished for, that night was saved by Durex. Be Safe use Deruex (an advertorial by Mr. Durex)

So the night started off well and slow with both teams feeling the fatigue from their previous cup tie. However, a slip up at the back resulted in a quick break for the Pioneer right wing taking who then took a shot to the far post, only to be denied by the upright. This incident ignited the sparks for Jollilads whom immediately replied by stringing passes and holding up possession. The possession and good passing almost result in a goal when a quick break down the right flank by Sudi (after some really beautiful passing between Zul and Winston) whom sent in a low driven cross finding Khai in acres of space. Unfortunately, Khai disappointingly placed his shot over the cross bar and out for a goal kick. However, this did not stop Jollilads from pounding forward and soon enough Jollilads were one nil up. A well wiped in-swinging corner from Manfred found Winston at the near post who tapped the ball into the post which then rolled across the goal line finding Zul who made no mistake blasting the ball straight into the net to put Jollilads in the lead for the first half.

The second half started with Pioneer looking sharper and hungrier. They managed to string several good pass with surging runs down the centre which was lacking during the first half. However, Jollilads stood strong and to the game plan with was soon rewarded when Zul picked up a loose ball in the centre of the field. With the Pioneer defence pushing up so high, Zul hooked a through pass to Winston, making a good run and beating the offside with only the on-rushing keeper left to beat, Winston calmly and collectively lobbed the ball over the Pioneer keeper, adding on to Jollilads lead.

However, after the second goal, Jollilads was a different team. Giving away possession easily, not being able to string passes and failing to do the basics. Pioneer took this opportunity and in a flash, Pioneer struck back. Their first goal seemed like the replica of Winston’s goal while their second goal came from a corner that was swung into the far post and met by an unmarked Pioneer player. It was only then when Jollilads started to piece ourselves together. And as time ticked and fatigue setting in, the Pioneer defence started showing more gaps. A quick break down the left flank saw Zul sending in a cross that was met by Fuhang at the near post. However, it was too little too late as he could not direct the ball towards goal.

Disappointed, Jollilads went into the penalties wanting to make amends. Pioneer was first to take the penalties and the first player made no mistake by placing the ball right into the right side netting leaving Tim no chance at all. Zul then stepped up and with a bit of luck slotted in Jollilads first. This cycle of scoring continued until the 3rd Pioneer taker whom blasted the ball against the upright and over the bar. Tim then almost became the hero after saving a penalty, only to be ruled off by the linesman. With that, Khai the last taker for Jollilads, brought home victory for Jollilads as he slotted the 5th and final penalty into the net. (Other takers: Chris, Sudi, Aaron)

It was indeed a night where Jollilads would have been punished for the missed chances and the lapse of concentration. Having taken a two nil lead, the team started being complacent, losing concentration at crucial times which eventually lead to a comeback by Pioneer. Although Jollilads made it through to the next round, it was clear that much work is need as the teams that Jollilads are going to face will only get tougher and hungrier. Hence, let’s keep training hard and let’s learn from our every game and keep our spirits high and ready for the next FA cup encounter.
YINGNI!

Lineup: Tim, Chris, Aaron, Sudi, Daowei, Zul, Khai, Feroz (Weiming), Fuhang, Manfred (Andrew), Winston (Kok Siong)

Unused subs: Kennard, Nadeem, Tianci, Rafi, Jerome

FA Cup - Road to Jalan Besar 2009

Match Details
Pioneer CSC vs JAFC
Venue: St Wilfred
Kick-off: 8pm
Date: 10/09/09 Thursday

Attire: Bring both sets of colours (dont forget your white socks)

Be there by 715pm for warm-ups. Coach has brought up the issue on punctuality again. If you are gonna be late (be it stuck in a traffic jam or other reasons), inform someone to tell coach so that he will know whether his players are gonna turn up for the game or not. He wants to see how prepared and ready you are for the game before he knows whether to play you. So please be punctual.

History has repeated itself where for the 2nd year running, we have beaten the Div 2 champions in the FA Cup. However, i hope not to repeat that phrase again this coming Thursday, for we went on to perform badly when we met a Div 3 promoting team and lost. No one has seen how Pioneer CSC (Div 3 promoting team) plays, and they beat Summerville FC. So let us just worry about our own performance, and still have that determination and desire to win, just like on Monday. The road to Jalan Besar 2009 continues...

Please state in the comments section on whether you will be able to make it.

Prison Break

Jollilads 3 - 2 Prisons

Jollilads broke Prison’s FA Cup dreams with a well strategic plan tattooed on the drawing board of Michael Arasu (Coach). Having played and lost twice to Prisons, Coach and Jollilads were certain to make this 3rd clash nothing less than exhilarating and with only one objective in mind, Jollilads kicked off the first half.

Right from the first minute, Jollilads, beaming with confidence and enthusiasm gave Prisons an early scare with Fuhang, Winston and Manfred all coming close to scoring, only to be denied by some last minute scramble and goal line clearance from Prisons. It was not long before Jollilads punished Prisons for their slack defending. Winston intercepted a square ball from the Prison’s centre back, side-footed the centre back and unleashed a right footed shot leaving the keeper stranded. Jollilads continued to press forward in search for the second goal with surging runs from Manfred and Khai. One of which saw Manfred driving a low and hard cross that was well met by Winston at the near post only to be denied by a great reflex save from the Prison’s keeper. The half ended 1-0 with fears written on the face of some players for not making our chances count.

Prisons was determined to make a comeback worthy of a Div 2 Champions and indeed they came back. Within the first 10 minutes of the second half, a lapse in concentration from the Jollilads defence saw a cross wiped in from the right finding a prison’s player whom towered the Jollilads wall to head in their equaliser. It was not long before the prisons guards struck again, with Jolliads failing to clear a long ball pumped in, the prisons player latched on to a loose ball, and struck a half volley to the far right of Aziz.

Having squandered our lead, Jollilads was determined to go down fighting, chasing down every loose ball and closing down every prisons player giving them no time with the ball. And soon we were rewarded for all our hard work as Khai found himself in acres of space with only the keeper to beat. His shot was however blocked by the on rushing keeper but made no mistake with the rebound scoring from an angle so tight that rendered the scale degree inadequate. This sparked off the great “Liverpool” comeback and soon Jollilads was once again rewarded for their hard work. A great ball played from defence found Chris surging down the left flank, swinging in a left-footed cross (that would make Ryan Giggs proud) found the on rushing Winston at the near post who then glanced it into the far corner. Jollilads could have doubled their lead on a couple of occasion, with an effort from Zul being disallowed for offside. It was not long before the siren was sounded, signalling the end of the prison break.

Another great victory guys and definitely one of our best performing games this season. Lets continue to keep up and play well for the coming 2nd round FA Cup tie. Rest well guys!

YingNi!

Lineup: Aziz, Sudi, Aaron, Daowei, Chris, Manfred, Zul, Fuhang, Freoz (Kennard), Khai, Winston

Unused Subs: Andrew, Junrong, Tim, Tianci, JEROME, KOK SIONG

Injured in attendance: Weiming, Anand

Jollilads continue winning ways since dawning of yingni

Jollilads 3 - 0 NTU

Yet another win for Jollilads as we go into the final weekend before our FA cup clash with Prisons, this time Jollilads took on the NTU side whom seem to be the better team right from the blow of the whistle. The Jollilads defence, consisting of Aaron, Chirs, Anand and Andrew, took a long time to settle down and NTU almost made Jollilads for the slack defending, when Andrew’s miss pass, set up a one-on-one opportunity for the NTU striker, only for the striker to blast the ball wide. NTU continued pushing and attacking with several NTU corners testing Aziz and the Jollilads defence. However the half went on, Jollilads finally looked more composed, passing and moving the ball around with more intent.

It was not long before, Khai punished NTU (like a real teacher would) for their fail chances, unleashing a superb free kick together with a slight deflection and went straight into the net. NTU was not to be rule out just yet, they continued sending the balls to their quick wingers only to be let down by their final ball. Just before the half ended, Jollilads again made NTU pay for their missed chances. Some good passing from Jollilads found Khai sending in a really good cross, finding Winston at the far post unmarked and making no mistake, Winston tapped the ball into the net, scoring Jollilads second for the night.

The second half was pretty much the same story with NTU surging forward looking to make a Liverpool worthy come back. And as the game continued, it seems clearer that this game was simply not a friendly with challenges flying all over the place, especially among the NTU players (insight info said competition at NTU this year was too much). To cap the night off, Chris, scoring his first (non-league) goal of the season is style, latched onto a ball that was well handed (its not a typo) down by Aaron just centimetres in front of the goal line, unleashed a shot that hit the top of the cross bar and into the goal.

Although it was definitely not the best performance from Jollilads, with two clean sheets and two wins in the lead up to our FA cup tie is a good indication. So let’s work hard and play harder on Monday and show prisons we ain’t prisoners they can mess with.

YingNi!

Lineup: Aziz (Tim), Andrew(Sudi), Aaron, Chris, Anand(Kennard), Feroz (Kok Siong), Fuhang (Rafi), Zul, Weiming (Manfred), Winston (Khai)

FA Cup - Road to Jalan Besar 2009

Match Details
JAFC vs Prisons SRC
Venue: St Wilfred
Kick-off: 8pm
Date: 07/09/09 Monday

Attire: Orange Black Black (Bring White top and White socks too)

Be there by 715pm for warm-ups. Everyone please state in the comments section on whether you will be able to make it (especially those who are nursing injuries). Coach will only name about 18 players to travel to St Wilfred.

Friendly Match vs NTU

Match Details
Jollilads vs NTU
Venue: NTU SRC main field
Kick-off: 730pm
Date: 4/09/09 Friday

Attire: White

Please state in the comments section on whether you are able to make it. Note this is our final meet up before our first FA cup match of the season. Of course, it will be a long road ahead.

Slow Start, Steady Finish

JAFC 1 - 0 Goldhill

After almost a month apart, the team of Jolly lads finally came together, dressed in the colours of the combine uni for a friendly against a KL Div 2 team (Goldhill) in preparations for the big FA cup tie with prisons. The game or rather the evening and the game started out slow, it might have been due to the after effects of being shocked by the 3/4 Chinese opponents as many of us equated KL Div 2 team = Team of Malays (no offence to Rafi - based on race on IC). It was so shocking that we even forgot to huddle for the YINGNI! cheer.

However, as the ball started moving from feet to feet, the pace of the game picked up as well, with JAFC having most of the possession. JAFC had several promising runs and passes in the attacking third, however none materialised with shots going either wide or over the bar. Just when the half looked like it was going to end goalless, a well wiped in corner by Sudi found Weiming at the near post who unleashed a blazing glancing header, sending the ball straight into the net, leaving the Goldhill keeper and their defenders dumbfounded.

Just before the half ended, Coach Arasu made several substitutions, hoping to add on another goal with the introduction of hungrier attacking minded players like Khai and “Nigerian” Pramod, back from his failed transfer to the Niger Tornadoes (it’s a real team by the way). The second half took off with Goldhill stepping up their game with their passes and runs being more penetrative. Despite the pounding pressure from them, the JAFC backline stood strong, coping well with all that was thrown at them. Again the second half saw JAFC coming close a couple of times with Fuhang’s shot forcing a brilliant save from the Goldhill’s keeper and Khai’s half volley going just wide.

At the end of the day, a Steady finish from Weiming was enough to seal the victory for JAFC. Overall it was a good performance leading up to the FA Cup tie. Till the next game on Friday, rest well and train hard (a little oxymoron but you guys get the point).

Lineup: Aziz (Tim), Andrew, Aaron, Feroz (Rafi), Anand(Jin), Sudi, Fuhang (Kok Siong), Zul, Manfred (Pramod), Weiming, Winston (Khai)

P.S: I’m sorry if I messed up the substitutions and if I missed anyone out. It was kinda messy but the basically everyone played (:

Friendly match against KL Div 2 team (updated)

Jollilads vs KL Div 2 team
Venue: NTU SRC main field
Kick-off: 730pm
Date: 29/08/09

Attire: Bring both sets of jerseys

Be there by 630pm for warm-ups.

We will be playing friendly matches in build up towards our 1st FA cup match of the season.
For those who cannot make it, please state in the comments section.

Dawning of a new contributor to JAFC blog

Greetings to one and all, following the departure of jolly lad for international duties in Spain, jolly lad has gracefully appointed ying ni as a new contributor as his replacement. Jolly lad has been a great contributor to JAFC on and off the blog, inspiring players with his talks (at times screams) his attitude and his commitment not only to the updating of the blog but also to training and to the team. His presence on and off the blog (once again) will definitely be missed. But I hope that you guys will join me in wishing him all the best for his international duties in Spain, I am pretty sure that he will come back with more interesting ideas on how to deal with long throws and might even come back with a strikers instinct and an eye for goals (not that he doesn’t have it). So good luck Jerry and Bon Voyage!

Finally, as this is my first time ever blogging and given that I have such huge huge shoes to fill, I’ll try my best be as committed and entertaining in the updating of JAFC blogs. So feel free to drop me comments be it nice or not (chengwei included). So till our FA cup clash with Prisions, lets all work hard, train hard and play hard.
Cheers!

FA Cup

JAFC 0-1 AMK Utd

With 4th spot guaranteed, the lure of foreign beaches and bright lights proved too strong for many of JAFC's senior players, as they decided to head off for an early holiday. This player shortage was exacerbated by the omnipresent flu bug, robbing Anand of his right wing sidekick/shifu Sudi, and AMK Utd a dark shadowy fate along their left wing, as well as Daowei. Thankfully, this game saw the return of suspected H1N1 victim Jerome Koh, "i'm on coaching course" Khai, and Kok Siong to form a 13 men squad.

Dropped for wearing pink socks instead of the regulatory red, Aik Leong was benched in place of Nasir, scorer of AMK Utd's winning goal during the last encounter. This set the tone for the rest of the game as AMK sough to exploit JAFC aerially - Nasir the targetman supported by Zhiwei. After the 80th long throw by Lionel of AMK Utd (Aaron's senior in Long Throw School Independent), bored fans could be seen walking out of the stadium as JAFC stood firm.

However, a lapse of concentration from the defense led to AMK Utd's goal. From Tianci's goal kick, AMK Utd put a strong header back towards JAFC's half. The strong header caught the static defense off guard as Zhiwei was quickest to react, peeling away and tucking a shot past Tianci.

In typical gung-ho spirit, Coach Arasu opted for a 3 men backline in the 2nd half, pushing more men forward as JAFC searched for an equiliser. Unfortunately, the goal was not forthcoming as AMK Utd held on for a crucial win.

Lineup: Tianci, Andrew, Jerry, Kennard, Junrong (Jerome, Aziz), Anand, Kok Siong, Fuhang, Manfred, Khai (Winston), Weiming

PS Jerome suffered a knee injury and was replaced by Aziz.

PSS Jerome did not suffer from H1N1

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It's Raining Goals! Hallelujah

JAFC 6-1 Admiralty

It was a historic day at the Serangoon stadium as JAFC recorded their biggest victory in 3 seasons in the NFL. Rising to this historic occasion was JAFC's striker Winston. Often the butt of insults from some sections of disgruntled fans, who claim that the striker is more interested in the unique challenge of hitting the post rather than the back of the net, Winston silenced his critics with JAFC's first ever hat-trick in the competition.

Once again, JAFC was faced with a severe manpower shortage and kicked off the match without a sub. The first half was rather scrappy, with JAFC edging the stakes in terms of possession. Ever dangerous from set-pieces, JAFC should have gone ahead on a couple of occasions via Aaron's throws and Sudi's corners, but their attempts were scrambled off the line. Half time, 0-0.

During half-time, Coach Arasu once again worked his magic with the boys, urging them to provide faster support and to make better use of the ball in the final third. These simple instructions seem to work wonders, as within seconds from the kick-off, 4 JAFC passes resulted in Winston firing home the opening goal via Weiming's cross. [1-0]

However, Admiralty got back in the game as their striker glanced in a header off a free-kick from the middle of the pitch. The free-kick was well placed into no-man's land - the area between Tim and the defensive line, but in truth, the defenders could have done more to put off the striker. [1-1]

JAFC then went ahead from one of Aaron's many missiles hurled into the box. In a mess of desperately swinging legs and attempted headers from both teams, the ball somehow evaded everyone and landed at the feet of Winston at the far post. He made no mistake from 6 yards out. [2-1]

Soon after the restart, Admiralty won another free-kick. Having experienced earlier the deftness of their no. 8's left foot, Tim lined up a 3 men wall. The free-kick was well struck and on target, forcing Tim into action. However, instead of palming the ball away, Tim palmed it upwards in the 6 yard box and prompted the Admiralty players to jump in for a challenge. In a mess of tangled bodies, Tim escaped the winner as he punched the ball to safety, earning a manly cut to his lower lip for his heroic efforts in denying Admiralty the equiliser. (He later received 5 stitches for the busted lip)

That save proved to be the catalyst for JAFC to seal the game, as Feroz unleashed a stinging shot from outside the box that swerved beyond the keeper's reach. [3-1]

Having been moved to right mid in a tactical shuffle to reunite the 'Forces of Darkness' on the right wing, Anand joined in the goalscoring action with a dipping volley from outside the box. From the stands, the fans could hear a relieved Anand murmuring, "lucky Chris not here". [4-1]

The tackles were getting wild as the Admiralty players lost the plot. With a commanding 4-1 lead, Coach Arasu reminded the players to take care of themselves and not do anything 'silly'. Clearly Anand was not listening, as he evaded 2 wild Admiralty tackles in a 50m run that brought him 1-on-1 with the keeper. Anand cocked his trusty right foot as he shaped to chip the ball over the advancing keeper, but somehow managed to curl the ball backwards for Winston to slot the ball into the empty net. As the Admiralty players protested for an offside call, Anand was quick to defend his assist, insisting that he "curled the ball backwards" into the path of Winston. [5-1]

Late on, JAFC won a penalty as Fuhang was brought down by the keeper. With collars popped, and chest puffed out, Aaron strode forward to place the ball into the side netting, past the despairing dive of the keeper. [6-1]

This sets up a mouth-watering clash with AMK Utd, who are bidding to gain promotion and the $4000 that comes with finishing 2nd.

Lineup: Tim, Anand, Jerry, Aaron, Kennard (Fabian), Weiming, Fuhang, Feroz, Zul (Manfed), Sudi, Winston

Match Photos:

The hat-trick hero celebrating with his fans

The Forces of Darkness

'Latest' NFL Results

Training and Rescheduled Game

Pls take note.

Training will be held tomorrow at NUS. Rescheduled game against Admiralty on Thurs.

Pls update attendance early under 'comments'.

Thanks

Feroz Turns Singapore Power's Lights Off

JAFC 1-0 Singapore Power

Stricken by the flu bug, JAFC had a host of players pulling out, leaving them with only 13 players for the clash against 2nd placed Singapore Power.

With their flicks, quick feet and confident passing, Singapore Power's football was certainly pleasing on the eye and as Coach Arasu pointed out, "a team that can play football". Boosted by Fabian's return to the team, JAFC had an air of steely confidence, and matched Power punch for punch in the 1st half. However, both keepers remained untested as the half-time whistle blew.

In truth, both teams were tentative and seemed to be holding something in reserve. This was pounced upon by Coach Arasu during half-time as he reminded the JAFC boys to raise their game and to provide better support for each other. On the tactical front, JAFC replaced Manfred with Winston, thus shifting Weiming to his more familiar position at left midfield.

The 2nd half saw Power going for a more direct route via their goalkeeper's loooooong kicks. Aided by the wind, his kicks dropped at least 3/4 up the field, but this was effectively dealt with by the JAFC defence. As the match wore on, Power's players began to tire and some faded out of the game. On the contrary, JAFC's players kept running and should have gone ahead if not for the woodwork's double intervention. The ever-energetic Steven Lam Fuhang unleashed a shot in the box that beat the keeper but not the crossbar. The rebound fell to Winston, but his shot hit the crossbar once again.

With 10 minutes left, JAFC got their goal. From a free kick just inside the Power half, Jerry spotted Fuhang volting across the box and drove the free kick towards the near post area. With that brilliant run, Fuhang caught the entire defence napping and found himself with time and space to control and drill a low cross across goal. On hand was Feroz to tap the ball into the net.

In the closing minutes, Power almost equalised but their striker could only blaze the ball over the net from 10 yards out.

Lineup: Tim, Andrew, Jerry, Daowei, Chris, Feroz, Fabian, Fuhang, Zul, Manfred (Winston), Weiming

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Overheard during the match:

Coach Arasu on commitment: "Although Kennard is sick/injured, he still makes the effort to come down for our games to provide us with some numbers. This is good. This shows that he is responsible towards the team."

"Eh Andrew, i realise this is the first time i never scold you in a game!"

JAFC 3-1 West Utd

The last time JAFC won by more than 2 goals, it was against West Utd. In the hope of history repeating itself, and in their search to fill in the gaps left by the injured striker Winston and Khai, JAFC started with the formidable pairing of Weiming and Jerry up front.

JAFC looked threatening going forward and should have opened the floodgates off a long throw from Aaron. The long throw was aimed towards Feroz, who rode the challenge of 2 men to flick the ball on. Alas, Jerry only managed to hook a left leg shot onto the post.

West looked dangerous on the break, with their left winger and deep-lying striker combining well on a couple of occasions. From a corner, the cross swerved and dipped towards the near post and in a unfortunate moment of miscommunication between goalkeeper and defender, Junrong sliced the ball into his own net.

Midway through the 1st half, Kennard suffered an injury to his achilles and was substituted by Steven Lam Fuhang, thus breaking up the formidable front pair as Jerry was drafted back into regular defensive duty. This move almost paid immediate dividends as Fuhang's energetic runs cut the West defence to shreds. However, JAFC weren't able to capitalise as Feroz and Weiming fired over from close range while Junrong was judged to be offside when he scored at the far post.

The 2nd half went the same way as the first. However, the tide turned as Fuhang lashed home from close range after another booming throw from Aaron. This deflated the spirit of a fast tiring West Utd side. 1-1!!

With Rafi and Feroz marshaling the midfield like gladiators and Weiming proving a real handful upfront, JAFC surged forward in search of an equilizer. But it was the inspirational Fuhang (no doubt well rested after AWOLing from last week's game against Admiralty) who showed a touch of class, threading the ball through for Manfred to slot past the keeper.

Shoulders slouched and spirits dashed, West Utd looked dead and buried. Late in injury time, JAFC had time to conjure a brilliant team move to add some gloss to the scoreline. From a free kick, Jerry passed the ball to Manfred down the left flank. Holding off the defender, Manfred passed the ball on to the overlapping Andrew who whipped in a delightful far-post cross with his weaker left foot to the lurking Sudi to place the ball past the keeper. 4 touches, 1 goal. Scoring sometimes seems so easy.

Lineup: Aziz, Aaron, Kennard (Fuhang), Anand, Andrew, Rafi, Feroz, Manfred, Junrong (Sudi), Jerry, Weiming

PS. Big game next week against Singapore Power. Hope all can turn up.

NFL Results & Table (FAS slow with updates)

Fri 10 July

Today training cancelled

Sorry for late post

Training Friday 3 July

7pm at NUS
Wear Red/ Blue
Please be punctual

*Sorry for late post!

JAF 0-1 Keppel Monaco

Having lost 3-0 in the earlier fixture, the JAFC boys were keen to stamp their authority on their Keppel mates. Things looked bleak for Keppel prior to kick-off as they were forced to play an outfielder as their keeper, and had a 2 men bench consisting of their coach and a physio/keeper. Advantage JAFC.

The first half was a rather even affair. Keppel defended solidly and relied on the hard running and persistence of the NTU triumvirate Harold-Gary-KT. JAFC carved out a couple of significant goal-scoring opportunities but failed to test the keeper. From a high hanging cross from Harold, the predatory KT pounced to head in at the far post.

In the 2nd half, JAFC brought on another striker to heap more pressure on Keppel. The game quickly settled into a familiar pattern, with JAFC controlling possession and Keppel playing on the break.

In a game of countless dodgy calls from the linesman, one such call denied JAFC what looked like a legitimate equaliser. Jerry took a shot from outside the box which was fumbled by the keeper. Manfred followed up the shot to place it into the net but was denied by the linesman's flag.

JAFC continued to pile on the pressure by playing 3 men at the back. However, Keppel held on to snatch a 1-0 win.

After the match, JAFC Team Manager had a few words to say:

" It was a good game, but like last week, we just couldn't put the ball into the back of the net. When we changed into a 3 men backline, the balls needed to be moved faster up the pitch instead of being played sideways in our own half. We needed to be more direct to put pressure on the opposition defence."

Lineup: Tianci, Manfred, Aaron, Daowei, Andrew, Anand, Fuhang, Zul (Junrong), Feroz, Weiming (Jerry), Winston (Kok)

JAFC v Keppel Monaco

Please state your availability here.

Training Friday 26 June

Training
7pm @ NUS (or NTU if field unavailable)
Wear Red/ Blue

Bring shoes and boots

In case the field is unavailable, training will be moved to NTU. We will know by 5pm whether any changes are made. Contact your own Uni Rep after 5pm on Friday if you are unsure of training venue.

Friendly Match - Wed 24 June

24 June Wed
Friendly with NUS
7pm @ NUS
Wear DARK BLUE

JAFC v Sunrise

Hey boys, pls update your attendance in the comments section.

thanks

NFL Results

Friday 19 June

Training at NUS
7pm SRC
Wear Blue/ Red

Bring shoes in case of inclement weather.

Wed 17 June Friendly Match

NUS v Combined Uni
7pm at NUS

Please be down by 615 for warm up unless you have valid reasons.

Combined Uni to wear BLUE
(Dark blue preferably)
NUS to wear RED

The Auntie of All Headers

Jollilads Arsenal 1-0 Summerville FC

Yet another header, one half as vicious as the previous week's but resulting in exactly the same effect, gave Jollilads their second successive 1-0 victory in two weeks.

Under the scorching Sunday heat, both sides looked cautious in the opening phase of the match. Most of the possession took place in the centre of the pitch, with neither side able to penetrate the opposing defences.

As the game progressed, debutant Manfred began imposing himself down the left of midfield, tormenting the Summerville backline with swift dashes and deep crosses. Unfortunately the opposing goalkeeper was often at hand to contain the high balls in the box.

Jollilads came close to going one up midway through the first half when a poorly cleared corner in the Summerville box landed in front of Zul. While the execution of the volley was sweet, the goalkeeper was once again well positioned to smother the shot.

Sudhi also had a direct freekick from 30 yards palmed away by the alert man in goal.

In the second half, Jollilads continued to press for the win. As energy levels in the Summerville squad looked to deplete at a steady pace, Kok Siong was brought on around the 60th minute to aid the search for the elusive goal.

From a Jollilads corner, Summerville was again caught failing to clear their lines. As Sudhi swept a sharp ball back into the box, an unmarked Kok Siong did well to nod the ball in from outside the 6 yard box.

Summerville went in search for an equaliser, pushing men forward in an effort to break down the defence, but they met with firm resistance.

As the match concluded at 1-0, the frustration of the Summerville side was clearly shown from their team manager badgering and abusing the referee long after the final whistle was blown.

Players: Tianci, Anand, Daowei, Aaron, Chris, Sudhi (Andrew), Feroz (Kennard), Steven Lam, Zul, Manfred (Kok Siong), Winston

NFL Results

Mother of All Headers

JAFC 1-0 Gambas Ave

Putting a trio of defeats behind them, JAFC finally recored a hard fought win over Gambas Ave with a goal worthy of winning any match.

The first half was a scrappy affair, with JAFC having the better chances. From 2 set piece situations, the Gambas keeper put his huge frame to good use, saving headers from Feroz and Jerry.

The 2nd half saw an injection of urgency from JAFC as they improved on their possession and definitely had more purpose about them. This frustrated Gambas, and for the 2nd match running, an opposition striker got sent off. This gave JAFC the impetus they were looking for, and Gambas a kick in the teeth, as the match settled into a largely 1 sided affair.

The deadlock was spectacularly broken as Steven Lam Fuhang leapt majestically into the air above the Gambas defender to meet Sudi's far post cross, and thumped a header beyond the keeper. Having saved from 2 1st half headers in the 6-yard box, the keeper was left clutching the air despite Fuhang's header coming from just inside the edge of the box.

With only 10 men, Gambas looked to the long ball and the odd set piece but rarely troubled Tianci. In the closing stages of the game, Winston could have sealed the game when he was faced with an open goal, but could only drag his shot wide of the post. Definitely a contender for Miss of The Season.

Lineup: Tianci, Junrong (Chris), Aaron, Jerry, Anand, Feroz, Fuhang, Chengwei (Kok), Sudi, Weiming (Khai), Winston 

Derby Day Setback

JAFC 1-2 AMK Utd

NTU - Following a string of 2 defeats to the top 2 teams in the league, JAFC were hoping for a change of fortunes against 3rd placed AMK Utd. Despite going down to 10 men after less than 50mins, JAFC were hit by a smash-and-grab performance from AMK Utd as ex-NUS captain Nasir grabbed the winner, rising highest during a corner to crash in a header midway through the 2nd half.

AMK kicked-off the match at a high tempo, with their 5 men midfield pressing hard. The ball was like a piece of hot coal as neither team managed to keep meaningful possession. Play was mostly restricted to long balls by the full backs behind the opposing defensive line, with both teams' lone strikers working hard.

Midway through the 1st half, a lapse in concentration in the JAFC defence allowed the deep lying AMK striker to put their on-rushing midfielder 1-on-1 with the keeper. The ball was prodded past the keeper and was poked into goal by Sudi's desperate attempt to clear the ball off the line.

Early in the 2nd half, JAFC alumni Aik Leong received his marching orders for a moment of indiscretion, and gave JAFC renewed hope. Hope translated into momentum, as JAFC began to gain more control of possession in dangerous parts of the field. From a free-kick, Zul curled the ball perfectly into the path of man-mountain Feroz to head in the equiliser at the far post.

This was reminiscent of JAFC's comeback in the 2nd half against Prisons, as JAFC's renewed vigour proved too much for a couple of AMK Utd players, who were seen stretching their fast cramping muscles. Coach Arasu threw caution to the wind and brought on the fresh legs of Cheng Wei, Andrew and Jerome in search of a winner.

However, AMK Utd's players proved resilient in mind and body as they snatched a winner and weathered the JAFC storm, albeit with a tad of good fortune as Andrew's goal-bound effort was touched onto the inside of the post and back into the grateful hands of the keeper.

Lineup: Aziz, Junrong (Jerome), Jerry, Aaron, Chris, Fuhang, Feroz, Zul (Chengwei), Sudi, Anand, Winston (Andrew)

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Quotable quotes and honorable mention from Coach Arasu:

"Andrew, were you ready to play? Were you thinking about your BBQ later on? Whether you're in charge of the chicken?"

"Winston, good game ah..."

"Good game ah guys...very exciting. We must keep up this kind performance for future games."

JAFC vs AMK Utd

Hey boys,

pls leave your comment regarding availability this sunday for the game.

Friendly match 27/05/09 (Updated)

There will be a friendly match at Ngee Ann Poly at 7pm this Wednesday.

Attire : WHITE
Kickoff : 7.15pm

Please note down in the comments section if you are coming.

Training 25/05/09 Cancelled

Guys,

Training today is cancelled. Please do your own workout. Cya on wednesday.

The Top Corner Slut

Prisons 5- 2 JAFC

The top corners of the net were raped by some clinical finishing from both sides as JAFC left themselves with a mountain to climb in the 1st half after going 4-0 down. Off to a slow start, JAFC were duly punished as Prisons knocked in 2 goals in quick succession early in the game via 2 near post crosses. Subsequently, ex-national Rudy Khairon swept in a weak headed clearance while their winger found the top corner from 25m out despite the close attentions of the JAFC defenders.

With nothing to lose, JAFC displayed tremendous spirit and desire from the get go in the 2nd half. Challenges were decisive and strong, and everyone worked hard in a high tempo pressing game. The pressure pegged Prisons in their half as they struggled to regain their first half dominance. Within 5 mins of the 2nd half, a cross from Feroz was dummied by Fuhang, throwing the entire Prion's backline off guard. The ball rolled invitingly to Khai, who took a powerful shot that the keeper only managed to palm into the top corner.

Soon after the restart, JAFC got another goal back from Jerome. The fact that a left back was found in the box at the end of a cross is telling of the pressure that JAFC had cranked up. Following a scramble in the box, Jerome placed the ball past a sea of bodies into the top corner (yet again).

As JAFC pressed on, Prison's once again found the top corner via a counter attack. Their right footed striker somehow managed to conjure up a left footed shot into the top corner of the near-post despite pressure from 2 defenders.

We're halfway through the season and haven't been as consistent as we should be. In most games, we have always scored early on, but have always allowed our opponents to gradually regain control of the game. Lets take the positives from this game, build on them, and look to improve our performances for the rest of the season.

Lineup: Aziz, Jerry, Feroz, Chris, Jerome, Fuhang, Khai, Rafi (Zul), Andrew (Aaron), Sudi, Chengwei

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If there's anything else you guys wanna add, feel free to comment. 

Quote of the day: I'm gonna **** this Anand up.

Ronaldo Interview

NFL Week 9 Results

JAFC 2-4 Singapore Power

With a full bench to call upon for the first time this season, JAFC looked to surprise joint leaders Singapore Power (who in contrast, only had 11 players present for the game) on a hot day at NTU. 

4 mins into the game and JAFC went 2 up via 2 set-pieces. Anand scrambled in a debut goal from a corner on the 2nd attempt, while birthday boy Fuhang was presented with a gift by the keeper who dropped the ball from a Khai free kick. The team worked hard to regain possession and at the same time, remained strong during 1v1 situations. However, as the Malaysian sun sapped the energies of the players, S'pore Power began to take control of the game. A shot from outside the box drew a fine save from Tianci, who preserved the 2-0 lead going into half-time. 

Coming out of half-time, JAFC were told to make smarter decisions regarding their possession and distribution. Despite keeping better possession and having the courage to keep to a passing game, JAFC began to feel the heat and lost their defensive shape and solidity. Singapore Power began finding space in the area between JAFC's defence and midfield and their forays were rewarded with 3 goals that changed the course of the game. 

Pushing for an equalizer, JAFC sent on Weiming, Chengwei and Sudi, and should have levelled the scores on a couple of occasions. However, they were to be denied by a combination of last gasp defending and the lack of composure when faced with a goal scoring opportunity. Deep in injury time, a counter-attack by Spore Power netted them their 4th goal to add some gloss to the score-line. 

Lineup: Tianci, Jerome, Jerry, Daowei, Andrew, Anand (Sudi), Khai (Weiming), Fuhang, Pramod, Feroz, Winston (Chengwei)

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PS. Thanks all for coming down today. It is understandable that it might get a tad disappointing if you do not get to start, but i hope we can all entrust the team selection to the management. At the same time, we will probably be engaging in a practice that was started last season. Since we have almost a full squad to choose from, coach will inform us prior to the weekend the players that will be required to be present during the game. Hence it's important for you to update your attendance on time.

Next, we have set aside the 'comments' section to be an official area for players to post their attendance. Till a better method is found, we will be sticking to it. As such, pls do not vandalize that section. If you are bored and wanna fool around, do it on the chatbox or call up Chengwei and talk to him about life.

Attendance

Pls fill in your status for the game in the comments section by Friday 1800 hours. Also, if u cant make it, do leave a reason.

thanks!

A Common Sight In The NFL

NFL Week 8 Results

36	3/5/09	Serangoon	Gambas Avenue Sports Club Vs Admiralty FC	3-2
27	3/5/09	Serangoon	West United Football Club Vs Jollilads Arsenal FC	0-3
28	3/5/09	Farrer Park	Summerville Football Club Vs Ang Mo Kio United FC	1-2
29	3/5/09	Meriden J.C.	Singapore Power Club Vs Keppel Monaco FC	3-1
40	2/5/09	BRTC	Sunrise Place FC Vs Prison Sports & Rec Club	0-1