Semi-Finals: VJC

It's the playoffs, crunch time. Time to see what we were made of. Were we contenders, or just pretenders? Don't you just love knock-out? While it's true that a league format more accurately reflects championship form, and what makes a champion is not the performance of one day but over a period of time, the knockout format nonetheless has a certain appeal to it. The English FA Cup is known for giant-killing, where on any given day, a minnow can defeat an established giant, everything is up for grabs.

There were no undos, no do-overs, no makeups. It was all... or nothing. We were only going to get one shot at this, and had to make it count.

Along with the news that we had made it into the semi-finals, we found out that we would be playing VJC. This came as somewhat of a surprise, as we had expected SAJC to finish top of their group, having been tied with VJC throughout the tournament but having a substantially superior goal difference. However, SAJC lost to CJC on the final matchday, although they had already secured qualification. This meant that they would face MJC, while we had a date with history. Why? Because for the past 7 years, VJC had made it to the finals every single time, a considerable streak, but nevertheless, we had no intention of letting it be extended.

However, despite VJC's impressive record in the A Division semi-finals, there was some upside to our fixture. We had played SAJC twice during the preseason, drawing 2-2 at SAJC and losing 3-2 at home. VJC on the other hand, we beat 3-0 at home. While preseason matches are hardly anything to go by, and VJC's squad was certain to be strengthened since the last time we played them, SAJC were extremely potent up front. SAJC presented a very small and quick strikeforce, and while we had managed to standup to taller and bigger strikers, we had not been able to keep the SAJC strikers quiet during the friendlies. The SAJC strikers had been in top form in the tournament, scoring goals for fun and racking up the goal tally. Personally, I thought that there was little to separate the two semi-finalists from Group A, but perhaps it was a pure stroke of luck that we were drawn against VJC. Every cloud has a silver lining, after all, if we knocked the defending champions out to progress onto the finals, no one would think us underserving of the finals berth.

However, going into the semi-finals, we were undoubtedly second-favourite. Many thought of us as the underdogs of the tournament. I wouldn't even go so far as to call ourselves the dark horses because I think frankly everyone thought that we were in the semis to make up the numbers, and no one honestly believed that we would pose much of a challenge to the defending champions VJC. After all, we had barely scraped into the semis, and of the four semi-finalists, we had fared the poorest in the group stage. It was, for all intents and purposes, a three-horse race.

The atmosphere during the trainings leading up to the titanic clash with VJC was subdued at first. Perhaps the realisation that we were no longer in the Little League anymore sank in rather hard; We were batting with the big boys now, there weren't going to be any more gifts or freebies, we were going to have to fight tooth and nail for every inch of that field. But credit to the team, I think we rose to the occasion and the tension only hardened our spirits. Credit to our coach as well, who opted for more relaxed training sessions, where we more stretching than we did running. Even though he told us he was merely trying to guard against any last-minute injuries, I think he wanted to avoid adding any pressure on us with last-minute preparations and late-night drills. He believed that we had it in us to beat VJC, and as long as we 'showed' up for the semi-finals, it was ours to win.

The pre-match briefing was similar to that of our first encounter with MJC. Aside from our usual defensive assignments, we were not given instructions on how to attack VJC. Perhaps it was simply that at the highest level there were no weak-links to exploit, but I'd like to think that we played our best football when it was allowed to flow freely.

One anomaly about the VJC pre-match briefing was that we were given scouting information on the entire VJC squad, or at least those that had featured in the matches that we had scouted and were likely to play in the semi-finals. Of course the information we were given was nothing like scouting reports in FM, but basically the key threats in VJC's team were identified and had to be neutralised. Junliang was given the task of keeping VJC's RW Redzuan quiet, while Hashir was to track the surging runs of their star midfielder Pakin and I was to shadow Justin, one of the few members in the team who had tasted victory in the finals the year before.

We were to play VJC at 3pm at CCAB, the venue for the semi-finals every year. On one hand, our coach had told us that he would try to request to play the earlier match, because as absurd as it sounds, he believed that playing in the heat of the 3pm sun would be to our advantage. On the other hand, the CCAB pitch was notoriously poor, and this would definitely be a major disadvantage to our passing game. True enough, when we arrived at CCAB and stepped onto the field, we found patches of water and mud that stopped the ball dead in its tracks, and there was hardly any grass for the pitch to be called a field. Compared to the synthetic turf at JJC, or even the scrappy pitch at MJC, this was by far the worst pitch of the lot. It was going to be a scrappy affair.

The clash between VJC and us would see two somewhat similar teams, both defensively stout and both prided themselves on being among the fittest in the competition. Furthermore, our coaches knew each other quite well and as uncanny as it might sound, were rather similar themselves. Once, we saw the two of them wearing similar blue T-shirts and black shorts, standing side by side as they watched a match. If this had been a boxing match and the coaches had gone head-to-head, the headlines would undoubtedly have read, "Brother against Brother".

I guess that really sums up how tight the match was, the two teams trading blows for the majority of the first half, waiting to see who would flinch first. VJC had championship experience on their side, yet we had that thirst, that hunger, that only contenders can comprehend, which winners gradually lose as they enjoy continued success.

Lastly, if there was one thing that was sure to add some fuel to the fire, we would be playing against Wu Chean again, our old teammate who left RJC after the first three months. While there was certainly no bad blood at all, and he had left on the best terms and was sorely missed by us, the pre-match comraderie quickly spilled into rivalry once we stepped onto the pitch together like we did in the past, but only this time on opposing sides. It's always special playing with one of your ex-teammates, it adds a certain rivalry to the air.

The lineup: Timon, Junliang, Cunzhi, Eugene, Zenzel, Yijing, Martin, Hashir, Woohan, Sean, Bong.

For once, we actually started off the match quite well. There was sustained pressure on the VJC goal for the opening 10 minutes, in which we earned a couple of corners on the right flank. Woohan probably had his best game of the season, fully exploiting the space on the right flank despite the truly horrid condition the pitch was in. Football Weekly called him tireless in leading the line, and I have to admit he was amazing with his endless sprints up and down the right flank. He was explosive on the burst and really exposed the left back for his lack of pace. I suspect that to some extent, VJC played Wu Chean on the left wing in order to add a little more defensive presence in order to counteract Woohan, whom they might have likewise scouted during the season. While Yijing brought sublety and skill onto the left wing, and penetrated into the centre more often than his counterpart on the opposite wing, Woohan had the ability to move down the line at will.

After the initial onslaught by us, the tables quickly turned. Soon, it was us who who came under a period of sustained pressure from VJC, for about the middle 20 minutes of the opening half. While there were not any clear-cut chances from VJC, it was quite evident that they had increased the tempo and we had yet to match it. The game was being played in our own half, and their physical prowess was starting to gain an edge. Pakin and the captain, Gavin, had switched roles, with Pakin dropping to centre-back and Gavin pushing up to midfield, meaning that any high balls that we attempted to send upfield were mostly cut out by Pakin's tall frame.

While attempting to clear the ball, I swung my left foot straight into Justin and even though I gave away a foul in our defensive third, I came off worse of the two. My knee got caught between Justin's legs as I swivelled and fell, and although I didn't know it then, I sprained my lateral collateral ligament, an injury which would see me through the remainder of the first half. However, after the half-time talk, I discovered that I had lost all power in my left leg and had to be substituted. Thankfully, I did not prove a defensive liability before Bowen could be brought on to replace me.

During the half-time talk, our coach emphasised that we were doing well, and that we should draw inspiration from the scoreline. We, underdogs in the tournament, were holding the defending champions to a goaless draw, and just a single goal from us could potentially see us through to the finals. Some tactical information was passed, most notably in response to the switch between Pakin and Gavin that had caught us offguard, and back we went onto the pitch hoping to break VJC's rhythm.

Unfortunately, we soon went a goal behind in the second half. VJC substituted their top scorer for Joel, who had been identified as a key threat during the pre-match briefing. In fact, we were actually a bit surprised that he had not started, and we only later learnt that the striker who had started in place of him had actually been in excellent form. True to our reports, Joel punished us with a remarkable goal. A throw in on the right flank was met by a flick on by one of the VJC players, and Joel stole in between 2 defenders to flick the ball into the far corner over Timon. A well-taken goal, deserving of the lead.

Up till that point, we had to carve a genuine opportunity against VJC. But again testimony to the spirit of the team, we fought back to equalise. Shortly after VJC took the lead, we equalised via Sean, who managed to force a corner from Yijing into the back of the net for his 5th goal of the tournament, far from his best but perhaps the most important of all. Just as against MJC, we responded to going a goal down in the best possible manner: by equalising.

From there on out, it was anybody's game. Both side had chances, although I have to admit VJC came agonisingly close to regaining the lead, with their right winger volleying over the bar from close range. As the clock waned, it seemed more and more likely that the match would go into extra-time, which was somewhat redundant as only 5 minutes were played in each half, barely any time at all.

During the training sessions during the week, our coach had told us that for the past few years, no semi-final had been decided on penalties. But nevertheless, we practiced dilligently. I suppose he foresaw the possibility that the game against VJC might boil down to penalties, and wisely decided to test our penalty taking abilities. Eugene, Darrell and Junliang had been the most impressive during penalty kicks, scoring every single penalty.

However, before the match could be decided by penalties, where we felt that we held the edge because of Timon, who was an excellent penalty saver, we had to survive extra-time. Yes, survive is an apt word here, because extra-time was all VJC. It took every ounce of Cunzhi's man-of-the-match performance and Timon's heroics to keep us in the game, as VJC pounded our goal relentlessly. There was one breakaway where Cunzhi had to sprint half the breadth of the field to toe-poke the ball into the stands away from the onrushing winger. VJC came close to winning it in regulation time on a number of occasions, but failed to convert, and perhaps this was a sign that fate had already decided who would progress onto the finals.

At this juncture, I must really applaud the RJC student community. On the day of our semi-finals, there were quite a number of other matches RJC was involved in, and the Student's Council had been taxed greatly over the course of the week with Council Investiture and other match supports. Yet, when the announcement came that the soccer boys were playing their semi-finals against VJC, the student body answered the call and came down in full voice. While our numbers weren't close to those of VJC, or even SAJC and MJC, I was greatly touched by the fact that although the two buses chartered for our match support were quickly filled, many people still came down on their own to support us, such as Mr. Hodge and the VP. While the players had requested their friends come down to support them, a considerable number of supporters came down of their own volition, and everyone lined up on the track alongside the players on the bench as we watched the penalty shootout with bated breath.

Order of penalty takers for RJC: Bowen, Cunzhi, Eugene, Weiyu, Junliang, Darrell, Chaolun, Sean, Guankoon-Yijing-Timon. Weiyu had substituted on for Zenzel, while Guankoon had come on for Woohan, and Chaolun had come on for Bong.

RJC 0- VJC 0:Strangely enough, we found out later that Cunzhi had won the coin tossed and actually opted to kick 2nd, a move which we would later reproach him for. The logic is that you generally want to take the penalty first, so all the pressure is on the second penalty taker to score assuming sudden death. But I guess it all worked out for the best.

0-1: I don't remember the order of penalty takers for VJC, but safe to say that all 5 were excellently placed and had power to boot. Timon guessed correctly on occasion but couldn't quite get a palm to the ball. Maybe I'll ask Timon if he recalls how they went. The first penalty however, wrong-footed him and was cooly placed in a bottom corner.

1-1: Bowen stepped up to take the 1st penalty for RJC. If there's one thing about Bowen, he has nerves of steel, possibly accounting for his icy cool finishes. He later explained to us that he had atttempted to con the VJC keeper by pointing left and right before taking a run-up to the ball. As audacious or ridiculous as this might sound, the latter being especially so considering the gravity of the situation, it worked and Bowen sent the ball straight down the middle as the VJC keeper dived wrongly.

1-2: I don't think Timon came close to saving this one, another corner placement.

2-2: Cunzhi's turn to take the penalty. While I would like to say I firmly believed that he was going to score, the memory of his recent miss at JJC was still fresh in my mind, and I could only hope that it wasn't in his. Maybe it was the captain's armband, or the fact that he had played too well during the course of the tournament to be cruelly denied a captain's penalty, but somehow he managed to squeeze the ball into the back of the net. Not the best of penalties, but it was a goal nevertheless.

2-3: I think Timon actually guess this one correctly, and was within a whisker of touching the ball. But again, the pace of the spotkick ensured that it was pass Timon before he could get down in time to palm it aside.

3-3: Perhaps the most emphatic penalty came from Eugene, who I cannot recall having ever missed a penalty. Stories of his secondary school basketball flops and fiascos aside, Eugene was completely professional. His face devoid of any emotion, he all-too-cooly stepped up and placed the shot into the bottom right hand corner leaving the keeper rooted on the spot, swift and painless like a professional hit. He took the spotkick with such confidence that it hit the back of the goal frame and actually rebounded out, leaving quite a number of us on the sidelines wondering whether he had just missed. But as Clifton quickly pointed out, looking at his nonchalant expression, he had definitely scored.

3-4: Timon guessed right again I think, but this time that was all he managed as the ball was impeccably placed into one of the top corners.

4-4: Time for Weiyu to step up. Frankly, I was a little afraid that he might just go a little beserk and just smash the ball so hard that it would fly straight at the keeper and out. But credit to him, he kept his wits about him and instead of smashing the ball, rolled it into the the bottom corner, allowing the spectators to breathe once again.

4-5: No chance, Timon was beaten ends up by the 5th penalty, by Pakin I think. Can't be sure though, but any hopes of the pressure getting to the 5th VJC penalty taker were quickly dashed.

5-5: Junliang was perhaps the surest bet among the 5, possibly why he was selected to take the 5th penalty. Nothing appears to ever faze him, except his own mistakes or those of the boy who plays in front of him, though Yijing too seldom put a toe wrong. With trademark sass and a cocky run-up which only he can manage, Junliang placed it and beat the keeper easily.

Each team had scored all 5 penalties, VJC in emphatic fashion and RJC in rather less so. However, penalties were now sudden death, which is a completely new ballgame because you don't have the luxury of having your teammate bail you out. It was now mano a mano, man to man.

5-6: Timon guess correctly again, but couldn't save it.

6-6: The man in the cleanup position for us was Darrell. Yes, this might sound rather strange but Darrell had proven one of the best penalty takers in the team, performing far better than regular takers like Hashir or Bowen. Up till now what exactly it is in his disposition that allows him to excel continues to baffel me, but whatever it is, he has it in abundance. Darrell was in fact brought on with 30 seconds left in extra-time, with the sole intention of scoring a penalty kick. While some might dismiss this, the pressure knowing the you were sent on to score a penalty kick must be enormous, and even Jamie Carragher failed to convert. Darrell however, did not disappoint, as he cooly dribbled the ball into the bottom-left corner, kick the ball so slowly that it seemd as if time had slowed down and the keeper would simply pick himself up and walk over to the opposite corner to save the shot.

Later, we learnt that Darrell was unaware that he was embroiled in sudden death, and thought that there was still someone after him to fallback on in case he missed. Bless his forgetful mind because in the end it worked out for him.

6-6: A miss! The VJC player, as cruel fate would have it, hit the ball crashing against the woodwork. Centimetres never meant so much to us as it did then. We had it now, the finals berth was ours to lose. There was utter silence among the VJC fans, and the RJC supporters were almost rejoicing. Some of the players on the bench almost ran onto the pitch in delirium. But as we've learnt by now, it ain't over till the fat lady sings.

6-6: Chaolun stepped up, and even though he had done well in training, I could not ignore the foreboding sense in my stomach. Sadly, Chaolun did a Beckham, slipping right before he kicked the ball, and even though the keeper dived in the opposite direction, the ball slowly bobbled just wide of the right-hand upright. Ah... so close yet so far. It was now the VJC fans who started celebrating.

6-6: YES! Finally, Timon broke the deadlock by saving the first penalty in his duel with the VJC keeper. It was not the best penalty in the world, the type that haunts a player for the remainder of his career. This time, not only silence fell on the VJC supporters, but an air of defeat. In the other camp however, the RJC supporters were full of belief, knowing that it was highly unlikely that we would mess up twice in a row.

7-6: And of all people, the man to seal the contest for us was the goalscorer, Sean. At first, I thought that Timon might pull a Ricardo and go for the double-glory, but the reins were passed to Sean who duly stepped up. Sean hadn't been performing well during penalty practice, often blasting the ball wide of the goal and walking away sheepishly. However, this time there was to be no walking away with eyes downcast, only with raised arms as Sean rather nervously sent the ball into the back of the net, casting pandemonium and delirium among the RJC supporters. The players ran onto the pitch in ecstasy, completely ignoring the cries of the organiser to exit the field for the next match to proceed.

Some of us cried on the pitch, the sheer magnitude of our feat finally dawning upon us. I remember running onto the field, my injured knee be damned and hugging celebrating with Chaolun. Even our coach and teacher in charge lost all semblance of decorum, jumping and celebrating as though that single moment had shed decades off their lives. Timon was in tears and being comforted by Mr. Hodge of all people. I think none of us will ever forget that moment, and the friends and family we shared it with.

To the VJC team of 2007, our uttermost respect and admiration. In some ways, they were a superior side, and only lost out on penalties which has to be the worst way to exit a tournament. The penalty shootout has to be the most attractive feature of soccer, yet at the same time its most unfair and cruel one. In my opinion, if VJC had gone onto the finals they would almost have certainly gone on to win the championship. They put up what was arguably the toughest fight we had in our entire season, and until the very last minute of the game, never once stopped playing like champions.

We had done it... Heroes each and every one of us. We had gone further than any other team under our coach ever had, and we were one match and one victory away from immortality. While Timon will forever be remembered for his save and Sean for his 2 goals, each and every player played a part. We had worked for over a year to reach this position, the finals at Kallang National Stadium. We didn't need to aim to win the championship, all we needed to do was to aim to reach the finals, because we knew once we got there, there was no way we weren't coming home with the championship.

Onwards to Kallang. To the National Stadium. To immortality.