Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Discipline Matters

Guys, this is a housekeeping notice from the KKZ management.

First things first. All annoying, rude and crude comments in the comment box have to CEASE WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT. It is funny at first, but as it goes on, it becomes tasteless, rude and downright disgusting. So whoever is doing it, the management wants you to stop it with immediate effect. Take your jokes/fun/hijacking to our Friendster page, and not here. We will be tracking the blog for the next 2 weeks. Failure to comply with this notice, will result in the management taking out the comment box. Then, no one will be able to send comments. So if you think you are funny, and are enjoying yourself, by all means go ahead. But you are just causing inconvenience, to the the rest of the loyal, dedicated KKZ faithful. And if you are found out, you WILL face the consequences, which could include suspension from games. The management has taken a very serious view about this issue. Take this as a last chance, if not a last warning. If you have done it before, stop! If you haven't don't start. For those who have no idea, what this is about, continue your ignorance. What you do not know, will not kill you.

Secondly, match attendance. Ok guys, we know several players have very tight commitments like camp and work. We also have a unfortunate injury rate. But, in any case, given our depth, and our loaning system, we should not be faced with a situation where only 9 players are available to start. Cmon guys, it might seem dramatic to be written in a blog, but in actual case it is a shame. The only excuse that can be accepted with 2 closed eyes is that you were not informed. But even that is not going to be valid from now on. The onus is on the individual to call and check whether games have been scheduled for the weekend. If you can't make it for that week, with a valid reason, Call ahead and tell. Players who are absent without informing or without valid reasons, such as getting drunk the night before, will face severe consequences. As said before, this can include suspension and in repeated cases can include expulsion also. So to avoid all these unnecessary mess, just call on the Thursday or Friday to check whether there is a game, and inform if you are unable to make it.

I'm sorry guys, if you feel the pinch in this post. But this is part of the scenario under the
Revival era too. Everyone hates being thrown the book at, but the management hates throwing the discipline book at you too. We aim to become a well established club that is amateur in status but professional in its dealings. And all this small issues makes a huge difference. Guys Kamikaze is a team made up of spirited individuals. You have to understand that it is the spirit that makes Kamikaze different from the other teams out there. Each one of you matters a huge lot, but always remember one thing: NO ONE IS BIGGER THAN THE TEAM! There is no superstar in this team so far, WE ALL ARE STARS. And the management hopes that the correct attitude towards soccer prevails. But the management is flexible. They do not interfere in what you do outside the pitch; in return you guys just take care of ALL these small issues.

Ok, on a much lighter note, Deepavali is coming. And Kamikaze management, would like to propose a night tour to the "Indian hometown of Singapore: Tekka". All those interested please notify Naaye or Jayaseelan. Lets enjoy the festive spirit boys.. Possibly with some 'festive spirits'.. Manjo, are you reading?

KAMIKAZE!!!

Update for 27th Oct - Kamikaze vs Vietnam FC

It was reported that Kamikaze faced a crisis before the match on 20th Oct. That crisis would have been considered a minor blip when compared to what Kamikaze FC faced before kickoff on 27 Oct. Besides player-manager Haresh being still unavailable due to long-term ankle injury, Kamikaze faced the absence of atleast 5 other first team players including Co-captain Achu (study-leave), influential winger Barathi,(hamstring pull), midfield anchorman Jayaseelan, keeper Manoj, and midfield maestro Faizal (both work). Kamikaze also missed rising star Vicky, and tricky midfielder Ghaz. The unforseen absence coupled with Prem's delayed arrival meant that Kamikaze only had 9 players to start with. As if that was not enough, the opponents were none other than the much-feared Vietnam FC. Fast, aggressive and cunning, they were sure to make their numerical superiority count and punish Kamikaze ruthlessly.

The first 10 mins played according to the script, as Vietnam FC attacked incessantly and found their reward when a speculative shot beat stand-in keeper Jayaraj too easily. Score was 1-0 to Kamikaze's disadvantage and led to one of the Vietnam FC players to comment that they could win the game by 10-0. Was Nayee's pre-match warning to preserve the winning streak gonna backfire? Were Kamikaze gonna be humiliated. Well, for once Nayee wasn't doing any favours, as he found himself continuously outmarked and failed to get to the end of a few good half-chances.. But like i always say... The Soccer Gods Had Other Ideas.

Prem made his arrival, and together with Vicky of Kawabunga fame they made sure that the numerical weakness was corrected. It was once again 11 on 11. And Kamikaze were out to play the game they had on their hands. Wave after wave of Kamikaze attacks soared, and before long a defensive clearance found its way to Nayee, who made his only meaningful contribution by playing a diagonal ball to Aussieboy Hari. Hari who had what could arguably be his best game in Kamikaze colours, wowed the crowd by beating 2 opponents, before chipping a delightfully weighted through-ball.. Vinnie raced to the ball, beating the offside trap, latched onto it and chipped the oncoming keeper to score Kamikaze's equaliser and his second of the D&D list. Game level, and floodgates opened.

Kamikaze played with the panache and swashbuckling style that they have often been associated with. Nayee swapped with Jayaraj as keeper and Jayaraj's pace upfront was soon to play a part. With the Vietnamese focusing on Jayaraj's pace threat, Anand Spaceship found himself some space on the left wing. And he was to make full use of it, by brilliantly cutting 3 defenders and slotting the ball calmly past the keeper. Even a late intervention by the Vietnamese defender, could not stop Anand from gleefully running to celebrate with Haresh, on what was his FIRST EVER GOAL FOR KKZ IN 2 YEARS!! Vietnam Fc had a few chances of their own, but some smart keeping from Nayee prevented them from scoring. Even when he made a silly error by passing straight to an opponent player, the danger was averted by slick defending from Nash, and KKZ headed into the dressing room with the lead.

The half-time talk revolved around the 10-0 proclamation and KKZ vowed to leave a lasting impression on their not-so-modest opponents.

But, once again fate was working against them. First Vinnie suffered cramps, but managed to come back into play, as there were no substitutes. Then, the most controversial event of the afternoon transpired. Nayee, who was already having a lacklustre afternoon just had a more miserable day, as the referee whistled for play to stop and ran towards him, signalling an off-the ball incident. The opponents, who had been taunting KKZ the whole day with their weird dog-like noises and shoves, had one more trick up their sleeve. Their defender had been tugging Nayee's jersey and in an attempt to get free, Nayee retaliated with an elbow to the face of the defender. The referee who spotted it, had no hesitation in showing a straight red-card to Nayee. A distraught Nayee left the field, as Vinnie fell to the ground simultaneously, unable to continue due to his cramps. Kamikaze were leading 2-1, but were once again having a 2-man disadvantage.

Vietnam, seized the opportunity, launched attack after attack and were gaining control of the game. But Kamikaze's attitude could not be faulted. The defence stood firm and everyone played their part in preserving the lead. The never-say-die attitude paid off, as Kamikaze got a free kick at the edge of the box on the left side of the field. Hari who was sterling in midfield stepped up to curl in a magical freekick past the hapless Vietnam keeper who could only watch the ball sail past him and into the net. 9-man Kamikaze were leading 3-1.

The Vietnamese managed a late consolation goal. However the Kamikaze spirit never wavered. In a attempt to preserve the lead, the valiant Jayaseelan summoned King Kong-like bravery and kitted out into the field. Though he was limping all the way, he managed to put in a few tackles and would have also managed a goal, if his chip hadn't strayed a few centimetres wide.

All in all, this was a game that was not for the faint-hearted. Any lesser team might have crumbled in the face of such adversity. The pressure mounting from the start of the game to preserve their 5-match winning streak might have been too tough for any other team. But not for Kamikaze, who stretched their lead to 6 matches, and gave a performance to remember for a very long time. Hari was rightly chosen as the man-of-the-match for a display that earned him plaudits from several quarters, including the match referee. Kamikaze, unbeaten in 6 and still moving on. With the blessings, of the Soccer Gods.

Match Stats:

Final Score: KKZ 3 Vietnam FC 2 (2-1)
Goals: Vinnie(1) Anand Spaceship (1) Hari (1)
Assists: Hari (1)
MOM: Hari

Overall Standings:

Goals:
(4): Haresh
(3): Nayee
(2): Barathi, Vinnie, Vicky, Dinesh Manjan, Ghaz
(1): Gerard, Satheesh, Jayraj, Ismail, Faizal(East), Anand Spaceship, Hari

Assists
(3): Anand Spaceship, Barathi
(2): Gerard
(1): Haresh, Seelan, Vicky, Vinnie, Ghaz, Habib, Hari

MOM
(3): Nash
(1): Gerard, Manjo, Anand Spaceship, Francis Pow, Hari

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Kamikaze VS Manjan FC

Kamikaze entered their dressing room with crisis lingering in the air as they prepared to face a rejuvenated Manjan FC whom they trashed 4-2 on 8th Sep. The morale was certainly not the finest in this game and KKZ had the odds stacked against them as they were missing influential key players such as Haresh, Gerard, Manoj, Nayee, Francis and Captain Achu. Nevertheless, these are the times where each n every player has to dig down deep into his soul and rekindle the Kamikaze spirit and thatz exactly what they did on a cloudy Saturday afternoon. The return of Hari & Ghazali in DM, motivation instilled by Seelan & Barathi, all-out attitude by forward Vicky, sheer determination of Dinesh, second to none display from Suresh & Ismail capped of with a wonderful and excellent performance by the co-capt Nash who had his 1st game in charge today propelled KKZ to a 7-2 win on home turf.

KKZ got the ball rolling and Nash decided to go with a 3-6-1 due to the lack of defenders as Jayaraj stood in goal for the absent Manjo. The 1st goal of the game came through a swift n lethal KKZ attack ritual. Seelan, picking out a pass from Ismail, played Dinesh on with a splitter through pass and he put KKZ in the lead by placing the ball into the bottom-right corner. After a long term injury, Dinesh performed more than expected of him and the goal clearly showed his hard work. KKZ were'nt about to sit back on a 1-goal lead and pushed on. This time a corner, floated in resulted in a goal-mouth scramble, and Ismail popped up in the right place to fire home a volley in off the upright from 8 yrds out. 2-0 up and looking comfortable as KKZ played possession football before hitting the 3rd nail in the coffin through a woderfully taken solo goal. Ghazali, on the left wing, took the ball past 4 defenders on the left byline and without even cutting in, hit the ball on his outer foot to leave the opponent goalkeeper flat-footed and wishing he stayed at home. Great goal and well worth the wait as KKZ moved into the 3-0 lead and looking hungry for more. The opponents really got restless and silly fouls were commited to distrupt our play. But we stuck to our gameplan and the next wave of attack showed clearly the missing strike partner that Nayee needed through this goal from Vicky. KKZ played one touch football and kept possession trying to pry open the opponent defence who had 6 men in their penalty box. Barathi with his twinkle toe dribbling, dribbled the ball all the way from the right to the centre before eventually playing Vinnie onside with a through pass whom in turn, played a diagonal ball into the penalty area which was packed with opponent defenders. Vicky, ghosted in behind the last man, and tapped in for the fourth leaving the skipper surprised as he was already in the process of clearing the ball. With 2 goals in 3 games, Vicky looks the perfect candidate to play alongside naayee and KKZ faithfuls are already relishing the prospect. Just when we thought that the half was over, Aussie-boy Hari had to do something magical, like he always does, by aiding in another goal. Hari, dispossesed the opponent attack and ran out from his DM position before hitting a venomous shot on goal. The goalkeeper had no choice but to get down to parry it, and it fell into the path of the oncoming Faizal, who tapped home the 5th goal before wheeling away into the fans as the half-time whistle went. With real-fire in the boots of every player, KKZ had a feeling of mission accomplished as they entered the half-time team talk. Prem, who initially was our sub, changed his mind and slipped on a white opponent jersey to help them out from their woeful performance.

In the 2nd half, KKZ forgot the golden words said by Achu, "Do not slack after half -time because thatz where everything goes wrong" and did exactly that. Everybody just switched off and the opponents, havin prem as their last man decided to bring the game to us and atacked relentlessly. KKZ fell short as 2 unnecessary goals were conceded and robbed Suresh and Jayraj of their clean sheet. Suresh subbed Jayraj as goalkeeper and Faizal moved into defence for the whole of the 2nd half. A furious Nash, blasted the whole team on the field to buck up and he was not going to handle this kind of lacklusture attitude. Once again, kamikaze got of the backfoot and slowly started to dominate again. The 6th goal that killed off all possible motivation and idea of a comeback came through Dinesh who got on the scoresheet again. KKZ won a corner and Ismail floated in a corner and the height was the only thing that stopped vinnie from heading it into the back of the net, skided of the back of his head only to be met with a bullet of a header from Dinesh. He would be looking back at that moment and smiling at his effort. The game took a monotonous tone after that and it was all touches and passes to keep possession until Jayraj subbed Hari. Seelan, hit a low pass to ghazali and he dribbled on the right again but this time no wonder goal but instead floated in a cross into the box. A defender's feeble to head clear the ball resulted in an unmarked Jayraj moving on from the far post to score from his first touch as a sub. Long time coming, he finally got on the scoresheet and that with the look on the opponent's faces summed up the game with KKZ extending their winning streak to 5. A proud manager, Haresh congratulated all the players for putting up such a performance even in the absence of key players and this reflected on kamikaze as being a versatile team.

Match Stats:

Final Score: Kamikaze 7 - Manjan FC 2 (5-0)
Goals: Dinesh(2) Ghazali (1) Ismail (1) Vicky(1) Faizal(1) Jayraj(1)
Assists: Seelan(1) Ghazali(1) Vinnie(1)

Overall Standings:

Goals:
(4): Haresh
(3): Nayee
(2): Barathi, Vicky, Dinesh Manjan, Ghaz
(1): Gerard, Vinnie, Satheesh, Jayraj, Ismail, Faizal(East)

Assists
(3): Anand Spaceship, Barathi
(2): Gerard
(1): Haresh, Seelan, Vicky, Vinnie, Ghaz, Habib

MOM
(3):Nash
(1):Gerard, Manjo, Anand Spaceship, Francis Pow

Friday, October 12, 2007

Flash Update

Hi guys, as the Editor, it is my responsibility to disseminate info to the KKZ faithful and also give you guys a platform to air your views. Events over the past couple of days, have required me to write the 3rd post in this week. Such is the hype surrounding Kamikaze's latest move.

Now it was previously reported, that Kamikaze had a change in captaincy, with Neshta Nash taking over from Achu Anand. The backlash that the news created was significant enough to cause a reverse from the decision. Firstly, several players felt that Achu had done the captaincy proud and that he should stay on as captain. But the second was of more significance and also one to warm the heart. Incoming captain Neshta, made a shock announcement on 9 Oct, that he would decline the captaincy. He felt, that Achu was Kamikaze's fort leader and it was simply not right, to accept the captaincy from him, when he was still at the peak of his career.

This news, sent the management team to rethink their moves, and after hearing all inputs, they made a new decision. Achu will remain as Captain. Neshta will still be promoted to Captain. Yes guys, you read it right. Kamikaze, will possibly be the first team, to have this novel arrangement, that we would like to refer as Co-Captaincy. Two captains, serving Two different aspects, all fighting for the success of One Great Team.

Achu with his tactical nous will serve the Manager with his inputs on team issues and strategies. He will help in deciding team formations and player positions. Neshta, a naturally determined player, will be the motivator for the team. He will be the guy, that the younger ones and anyone for that matter will approach to, for advice, guidance and motivation. He will have a heavy responsibility in providing the voice in the pitch, the motivation during games. This delegation in duties, is not a be-all-end-all situation. It is merely a guideline. The captains will work amongst themselves to continue the success of this Era, that we have termed The Revival. The team will offer both captains, all the support that is needed.

Enough said, May we wish all the Best to Kamikaze.

On a sidenote guys, the comment box here, is for you to give an honest feedback about how you feel about Kamikaze. It is the Management's wish that you comment earnestly, but please be dignified, and maintain the professionalism as a Kamikaze player. Please refrain from using this blog as a platform for pranks. This is a friendly warning.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

The beginning of a New Era...

Kamikaze's short history can be divided into three main groups. The first of it will begin in the days where we waited in the pitches of Gan Eng Seng Sec, and Commonwealth to share the field with several other opponents. We played without referees, we played without having to pay money every weekend and we also played amateurishly, but still excitingly, like we always do. We were then led by our former Captain, Bouncer Siva. The thought of Sivabalan, explaining tactics using dried twigs, still brings a nostalgic chuckle to many of our minds. That was our Amateur Era, under the stewardship of Captain Balan.

Then came our foray into the McNair Rovers league. A revamped team, a league to play for and we needed a change in leadership. And one man stepped forward. Our current Captain, Achu Anand. A no-nonsense tackler, he still has many admirers of his elegant defensive play. Whatever nuances he lacked off the pitch, he made up for it more than enough on the pitch with his 101% perfomances. His captaincy coincided with a very tough time for Kamikaze. Results were not going our way in the league, player turnover was high and morale was low. However through it all, he managed to keep his performance level high, and gained the players' admiration for his all-round playing ability. That was our Professional Era, under the stewardship of Captain Achu Anand.

Every organization needs a change, and that was what Kamikaze needed as well. That led to the beginning of our current Era. The Era that i would refer to as the Revival. This Revival, refers to all aspects of KKZ. Our playing style, the players we have, (only the die-hards) and our overall management style. This Era will last, atleast till the D&D day. Whether, we will see a new Era then, can only be answered then. But as far as the Revival is concerned, it is here, and Kamikaze will be all out to right all the wrongs, and better the positives. As such, a rotation in leadership is needed as well. Achu has taken the team as far as he could as captain, and he will now concentrate in not only giving his 101% in the playing field, but also motivating the younger ones to improve on their defending techniques.

And now i take great pleasure, and honour in announcing our new captain, who is none other than Neshta Nash. Nash has consistently proven to be the backbone of Kamikaze. He is a defender in the mould of the greats like Terry, Vidic, and yes his idol Nesta. His die-hard attitude and passion for soccer, makes him a worthy man to become only the 3rd Captain, in KKZ history. The KKZ faithful, have huge expectations, and they want to be shown proof that Nash is the correct man to lead them into this new Era. But rest assured, for the man will walk his talk wearing his soccer boots, on the football pitch. But that doesn't mean he has do it alone. Every player in KKZ is a leader, and every single one of you is as important as any other. It is the players who determine our Glory at the end of the day. But Nash will be there guiding us, all the way. And here we have it people, Our Revival Era, under the stewardship of Captain Neshta Nash.

On a more lighter note, the Editor would also like to remind the KKZ faithful, that the 10th of October, will be a day of double celebration, as our keeper Manjo and our midfield maestro Faizal will be celebrating their 22nd and 21st Birthdays, respectively. Do extend your best wishes to two of our very own.

Update for 7 Oct (Kamikaze vs Stallionz)

The 2-1 win on 29 Sep, meant that Kamikaze had overcome their early season jitters to embark on a 3-game consecutive winning spree. But will it last or will it come to an end? To get the answer, they hosted the Stallionz at the Northview Sec pitch on a cool Sunday morning on 7 Oct.

For the second week in a row, the opponents were kitted up and ready to go, even before half the Kamikaze team had set foot onto the pitch. (Guys, take the hint) But the moment, Kamikaze got ready, there was an air of confidence that the team had felt. They were facing an all-Indian team after pretty long, and KKZ was focused on getting a good result against their equally illustrious opponents, who had also been recently been featured in The New Paper. The absence of Captain Achu through illness, and Player-Manager Haresh Diego through injury had been softened by the return of the combative hatchman, JayrajBullah. Kamikaze were all set and ready to go.

The early part of the game saw Kamikaze swarming the opponents' half, but lack of killer passes and killer touches, meant that they had no goals to show for their dominance. But that was to change in a swift moment of counter-attacking football. Nayee, found the ball somewhere near Kamikaze's half and ran straight at the Stallionz defence, beating a player before squaring to teenage sensation Haravin. Haravin made no mistake in finding the energetic Vicky, who showed a moment of brilliance by beating two defenders at the edge of the penalty box, and a moment of unselfishness when he squared the ball to an unmarked Nayee. Nayee made no mistake from the 6-yard box as he crashed a shot into the goal off the crossbar. Kamikaze were up 1-0.

The half ended pretty evenly, and the theme of the half-time talk was yet again the same. Go out there and kill the game.

For a moment, it was a bad case of deja vu, as the opponents began the second half purposefully. The addition of one of their star players, Nantha added a zest into their play. They attacked and crossed with will and it looked as if Kamikaze's defence would be breached. But like i always say, the soccer gods had other ideas.

The Kamikaze defence, and Keeper Manjo stood firm against wave after wave of attacks, and against the run of play, Barathi played the ball directly to the legs of Faizal, who was running on the left flank. Faizal, showed his class by cutting past two defenders before he was felled unfairly, inside the penalty box. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Nayee stepped up confidently to tuck the penalty firmly into the bottom right hand corner, to earn his brace and set Kamikaze firmly for a win.

The lead gave Kamikaze the sort of aura, that typifies their spirit. They played with such vigour and energy that had their injured player-manager enjoying himself by the touchlines. Kamikaze launched onto their attacking mode, and produced yet another moment of magic.

Barathi who so far, had a forgettable game, showed incredible skill to beat 3 defenders on the right flank, before graciously squaring the ball to youngster Satheesh, who made no mistake to earn his first goal for KKZ. The Stallionz earned a late consolation goal, to spoil Manoj's clean sheet, but KKZ were the happier lot. A good game, that was heartwarming for the KKZ faithful. Nash was chosen as Man-Of-the-Match for producing yet another sterling display in the defence. The team had responded well to the challenge thrown down to them, and now the next question is. Can they maintain it? Watch this space.

Match Stats:

Final Score: 3-1 (1-0)
MOM: Nash
Goals: Nayee (2), Sateesh (1)
Assists: Barathi (1), Vicky (1)

Overall Standings:

Goals:
(4): Haresh
(3): Nayee
(2): Barathi
(1): Gerard, Ghaz, Vinnie, Vicky, Sateesh

Assists:
(3): Anand Spaceship, Barathi
(2): Gerard
(1): Haresh, Habib, Vicky

MOM:
(2) Nash
(1): Manjo, Gerard, Anand Spaceship, Francis POW