Qualification!

Updated: The Khaleej Times article on the match…

3rd Group Match:

Modern: 1
Anish – 35′

SIS, Sharjah: 2
No. 6 Red Boots – 44′
Random Dude – 47′

Today, we lost, again. We were leading 1-0, again, and the SIS came back to win 2-1 by scoring a couple of goals late in the second half, again. Unlucky? Well luck was hypocritical today, like it always is. Due to a bizarre state of circumstances, we still made it into the quarterfinals as the second team from our group, even when we lost 2 of our 3 matches. Brilliantly lucky!

Today’s match wasn’t as entertaining as the one against Al Warqaa. Both teams started slow, and we did not really get to dominate SIS, even though their defense was really week. Half way into the second half, I shot us into the lead. Big Neil (i.e. of Grade 12) gave me a pass on the edge of the area, and the ball found its way in the back of the net. We had a good lead, partly deserved and should have kept it. But then things did not go our way. In the last 5 minutes SIS scored 2 quick goals. The first goal was quite brilliant. Their best player, known to us as ‘No. 6 Red Boots’, dribbled his way past the defense from the corner area, and slotted in a neat left foot shot past our goalkeeper. Their next goal was a little haphazard, and it somehow found its way in the back of the net. The linesman flagged for an offside, but as soon as the referee looked at him, he put his flag down, very cheekily. Anyway, those things happen, but sometimes it’s so annoying. What was more annoying was that in the last minute of injury time, I was through on goal, only to slip and miskick the ball. The rebound fell to Romit, but his shot was blocked, and then before Aaron could slot home a last-minute-Drogba-vs-Barcelona-type equalizer, the defense cleared. Immediately after that, the final whistle resonated in our ears.

Our coach was understandably annoyed, and we were all disappointed in ourselves. Twice in two days – that’s not good. We lacked aggression, and that ‘no-fear’ attitude. Skill-wise, we are good, but fitness and aggression wise, we are pretty poor. Our coach drilled that into us today in a long and intense after-match talk. I felt we were too defensive, and the after-match talk saw us all voicing our opinion and get everything cleared. It will only serve us good. There is nothing like talking everything out.

Anyway, Fate seemed to be teasing us. For us to qualify, Our Own Warqaa had to beat NIMS, Dubai, and they did, and we were through. We are through. Now the Warqaa team are like our brothers, but the fraternal love we share will all change if we end up facing them in the knock-out stages. Our principal spoke to us today and said that he wanted us to lose in the finals. Basically the goal is set – finals. Expectations are a little too high, and that’s never good, but we will give it our all. Let’s hope luck loses the hypocrisy and takes our side.

P.S. Hypocritical ‘luck’ or hypocritical ‘fate’ is an obvious example of how ‘luck’ and ‘fate’ don’t really affect people, they just affect our mindset.