Monday, March 29, 2010

Editor's Note

Lets keep this post very simple.. This is not planned, neither scripted but just a straight up post from the bottom of my heart.

1) Eastboys..
Others might hate them, but we at Kamikaze simply love them. Their contributions to the building of Kamikaze will never be forgotten and will always be etched in the hearts of the Kamikaze management. They have their own brand of soccer, and while i personally wish i could take such an attitude to soccer and enjoy soccer rather than focusing on the extras, deep down i know many can't. And that is why they forever have my respect and love.

2) Youngsters..
I wouldn't be too far off the mark if i were to say Kamikaze has the best crop of youngsters around. Thina, Navin, Lavanesh and Barathi are more than a match for any player around. The fact that they are all under 22 with Barathi being the eldest at 21 only augurs well for the future of KKZ. Breeding young, committed exciting soccer players has always been a Kamikazian aim and will continue to be so. These four youngsters have my respect for putting in the hard work to be where they are.

3) Pioneers..
Yasin, Seelan, Jayraj, USPO and Spaceship. They have all been around for a very long time now. The common thing about all 5 is that they have all gone missing over the years for various reasons. But they have all managed to get back their bearings and return to the home. There might be many different reasons for their inaction, but there are only two for their return. Love for Soccer, and Love for Kamikaze. Oh wait, that might be one reason after all.. We love you guys too...

4) Key Players..
Every other team might have one or 2 important key players. But Kamikaze is fortunate enough to have 4 of those. Safar, Hariboy, Havey and Fazail. This 4 can win any match on their own, and any team would be lucky to have them. But having said that, they are very lucky to have played for THIS team. They all know that individually that they are good players, but the opportunities and chances given to them by Kamikaze can never be gotten anywhere else. Kamikaze is lucky, but you guys are luckier!

5)Utility Players..
Over the years, we have had many numerous players who have came in and helped us out for matches. Rest assured that you guys have never been forgotten. We are not just a soccer team, we are a way of life, and we are honoured that you guys have been a part of our lives.

6) Haresh and Me
Everyone knows that Haresh is the manager of this team, assisted by Seelan and Fazail with me serving the blog Editor's role. But at no point of time, have we ever acted as an individual. We have always thought, behaved, played and breathed as a team. Personally we might have had differences, and that is human nature. But professionally, when it comes to this team we have thought of ourselves not as individuals but as KAMIKAZE. Whatever we do, we do it for our team. And that's why our teammates understand our actions because whatever they do, they do it for the team too..

Kamikaze. It has never been a soccer team only. It has never been about any one man. It has never been about purely results. Its about achieving a complete balance of talent, hardwork, determination and strategy, to produce a vibrant display of attacking football while securing the result and picking up ourselves after dark times to shine during our bright times..

Kamikaze We Were... Kamikaze We Are... and Kamikaze we will forever be!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

CFL 2 - Round 11

Kamikaze Football Club travelled down to the East side for arguably the most important match of their history. The fact that they were playing against their brothers from different mothers under the name of Eastboyz just made this story that much more dramatic. Clash of the brothers, Clash of the table-toppers, Clash for the title, El Classico were just many monikers given to this match. However, in reality, this was one of the most mellowed down Eastboyz vs Kamikaze matches every to have been played, atleast in terms of the pre-match hype.

The match however lived up to its complete billing as an exciting clash between two of the best teams in the CFL Season 2. It took mere minutes for Eastboyz to draw the first blood as a floated corner, saw Hariboy clash with keeper Akbar with the ball ending up in the back of the net as a result. While conceding a goal like that might have dented the spirits of any other team, this was Kamikaze and they were not about to let such a setback affect them.

Within minutes, Hariboy redeemed himself, as he played in a wonderful throughball in the right channel for Cristiano Barathi, who had a redemption of his own, by keeping his composure and stroking the ball into the net.

The joy was to be short-lived though, as another corner proved to bite Kamikaze as Augustine, the Eastboyz star, scored with his first ever headed goal. The Wayne Rooney-like talisman for Eastboyz have now scored both times against Kamikaze.

But KKZ are not one to let statistics and sentiments affect them as they continued doing what they do best, which was to attack. Safar Torres, who with his second season in Kamikaze has won over all the doubters across the island, showed exactly what he was capable of, as he latched on to a loose ball, beat two defenders with his silky dribbling and then shimmied past the keeper before walking into the goalpost. And with that, KKZ headed down into the halftime with the score at 2-2. Both sides emerged out for the second half with equal optimism. But what happened next was to be too hard to for anyone to comprehend.

A routine tackle by Eastboyz stalwart Francis 25 yards out was penalised by the ref and a freekick was awarded. El Fazail, midfield maestro of Kamikaze stepped up to take it and he unleashed a curler that anybody will be proud of as it looped into the top left hand corner to give KKZ the lead. Yet another match-turning goal by this man who is fast becoming a legend.

Before, the blink of an eye, Hariboy who had been having a fantastic game made an excellent defence splitting pass to Safar who cheekily dummied and let the ball run to Barathi who once again kept his cool and made no mistake in doubling the lead. Excellent comeback by this wonderkid after his recent dip in form.

Within another few minutes, Safar Torres showed why Kamikaze paid the hefty transfer funds and wages to sign this superstar, as he latched on to a longfield punt from keeper Akbar, shrugged off the marking of the Eastboyz defender and unleashed a shot that the keeper had no chance of saving. 5-2 to Kamikaze.

As the match winded down to the closing minutes, Kamikaze found time to score another as a brilliant team effort saw Nayee producing the final pass to Yasin who grabbed yet another goal in what has been a fairytale season for him. 6-2 Kamikaze and that was how the match ended.

This was a match that Kamikaze dedicated to all that they stand for. Eastboyz are a very good team, had been one during the entire season so far and will continue to be so. But Kamikaze's ideals are far different. It is very hard to build a solid team of brothers, nurture new young talents, manage superstars, play attractive football and yet produce results. But that is exactly what Kamikaze has stood for and achieved this season. They have beaten every team in the league atleast once this season, scored the highest number of goals thus far, conceded the fewest and lead the league by 6 points with 5 games to play. Yet this is a team, that's still a product in the making. They still have lotsa mistakes to correct, and will only get better.

PS: In terms of footballing genius, he is a complete superstar. Yet, he can only get better with slight improvements to his finishing and killer instinct. But what he has brought to Kamikaze is more than his goals or assists. He has brought a winning a mentality. So hence, despite all his off-the-field controversies regarding his money saving schemes, on the field he still produces a fear amongst opponents. Bayam. Safarna Bayam. KAMIKAZE Safarna Bayam! Man of the match goes to Safar, though special credit has to be given to Thina, Suresh USPO, Hariboy Aerocratz, Lavanesh Valencia and Cristiano Barathi. Kamikaze has never been about any one man. We are a Team and will always be so!

KAMIKAZE!!!

Squad: Akbar Kuszczak, Suresh USPO, Thina Da Silva, Navin Da Silva, Anand Spaceship, El Fazail, Victor King, Lavanesh Valencia, Seelan Kong, Hariboy Aerocratz, Diego Haresh, Safar Torres, Cristiano Barathi, Yasin Scholes

Final score: Eastboyz 2 - Kamikaze FC 6
Goals: Cristiano Barathi (2), Safar Torres (2), El Fazail, Yasin Scholes
MOM: Safar Torres

CFL 2 - Round 10

21 Mar @ First Toa Payoh Secondary School

Kamikaze headed down to the central side of Singapore for a Sunday date with League newcomers El Calcio. Whilst the results have not been favourable for this young El Calcio side, their fiesty potential had been underscored in several closely fought results. Hence, Kamikaze looked to leave no stone unturned in their preparation for this game. Even the absence of Havey and Yasin didn't look too serious, as the team looked to gear up for their first match in 3 weeks.

As the match went underway, it was El Calcio which looked more threatening of the two. Kamikaze's lack of match practice showed as they looked very nervy in the opening exchanges. If not for the solid centreback pairing of Suresh and Jraj, things could have gotten complicated for the league leaders. However, they managed to get their bearings right and in one swift counter-attacking move Victor received a short pass from Hariboy and threaded a throughball right to the feet of Diego Haresh who made no mistake in giving Kamikaze the lead. It was the perfect moment of redemption for both Victor who was made Captain for the first ever time and Diego who broke his goal drought.

Things were better for Kamikaze after that, but a lack of composure meant that the chances created were not finished. Coupled with a determined El Calcio side, the match remained nervy as the teams headed into the halftime with only a goal separating them.

The second half was no better, as numerous chances were missed and lack of concentration saw El Calcio coming close to getting the equaliser. However, one moment of pure genius by Safar Torres that saw him win the ball, and curl pass the keeper into the backpost changed the entire game. With a 2-0 lead, Kamikaze knew that the game was all but over.

That was the problem though, as the complacency, Kamikaze's biggest and most dangerous opponent, helped El Calcio pull a goal back with their never say die spirit. But that goal was more than enough to wake up the warriors of KKZ and they managed to see the match off till the final whistle.

In all honestly, this was not a good match for Kamikaze as their title ambitions could have been badly dented by the newcomers. However, Champions dont always need to win playing at their best. The true mark of a champion team is one that has the ability to grind out a result even when they are playing badly.

PS: Finally the phrase 'single-handedly saved the match' applies to a man of the match. World class saves from a world class keeper kept the 3 points for Kamikaze. And Akbar is Man of the Match for the first ever time for Kamikaze.

Squad: Akbar Kuszczak, Jayraj Carragher, Suresh USPO, Thina Da Silva, Navin Da Silva, Anand Spaceship, El Fazail, VS Dinesh, Victor King, Lavanesh Valencia, Seelan Kong, Hariboy Aerocratz, Diego Haresh, Safar Torres, Mohawk Vicky

Final score: Kamikaze FC 2 - El Calcio FC 1
Goals: Diego Haresh, Safar Torres
MOM: Akbar Kuszczak

Thursday, March 18, 2010

KAMIKAZE FC - Not Arrogant. Just Better.

As the league turns into the final stretch, the warriors of Kamikaze Football Club find themselves perched at the top of the table having scored more goals than anyone and conceded less than anyone. However, the lead is only by a slender 3 points, and that's all that matters.

Any slip-up at this point will only cause the agony of not winning the league to be multiplied by having been so close. Boys, we already have the league in our sights. Now its just a matter of claiming it. However, of all our title rivals, we have by far the hardest run-in, as we have yet to play our second games against D-boyz and Eastboyz, two of our biggest rivals and challengers. According to calculations from pundits, 37 points should be enough to claim the league, and we currently have 22 from 9. This means, we have to atleast win 5 out of our remaining 7 games, without losing to both D-boyz and Eastboyz.

This only leaves us with the option of not making any mistakes against El Calcio, Prisoners, Saaeka and Eagle FC. While their positions in the league table are not desirable, we must never underestimate the bite of an underdog, with we ourselves having been the underdog for the much part of our history. Now that we are the favourites, its time to not let it go up to our head, and instead replicate the football that brought us to this level. Be clinical, Be professional and Play with the Never-say-die attitude till the last second of the match.

Having said all of these, winning the league by playing boring football is never in our list as well. If we were to win the league, and play lousy and unsportmanly soccer while doing so, we'd rather lose the league. Kamikaze- We Win With Style, Respect and Humility.

KAMIKAZE!!!

PS: League Table: http://www.cflsport.com/2009/11/cfl-futbol-liga-09-g-w-d-l-p-galaticos.html

Friday, March 12, 2010

Warning from management

To all staff , players , boardroom and management of FC Kamikaze :

This is a formal warning from the management. With effect of 12/3/2010 , any player who does not reply to matchday confirmation messages WILL BE DROPPED. The player has 48 hrs to reply his status from the time the message was sent. This move is taken to curb late/no reply so that the management can do its squad selection and formation without hassle. If a player needs extra time or is awaiting confirmation for match , please reply to the message and tell so. A slot will be reserved for you. Any player who does not reply at all and suddenly turn up will also be benched. Any player who dosen turn up for match after confirmation will be assessed thru case by case basis. Also please reply your status only to Seelan , Haresh or Faizal. Listed below is the complete breakdown.

A player will be dropped/benched if :

- He does not reply to the message
- He dosen't turn up after confirmation without a valid reason
- He dosent confirm until last minute and turns up for the match

A player will be reserved a spot if :

-He replies to the sms and asks for more time
-He replies to the sms and confirms

As adults , we should have this basic discipline. If even this is not present , we cannot expect discipline on the pitch as well. So i hope you guys will instill this basic discipline in you as squad discipline goes a long way if we are going to mount a challenge for that coveted championship. Thank you and hail kamikaze

* Special mention/thanks to those who have been replying on time and without fail.

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Monday, March 01, 2010

CFL 2 - Round 9


28 Feb @ Woodlands Ring Secondary School

League leaders Kamikaze returned to the Woodland Ring Secondary School pitch for the second consecutive week to take on league newcomers Eagle FC. As these two teams have never played before, KKZ were taking nothing for granted as they looked to grab all 3 points. While they were missing several key players due to injury and work commitments, they still fielded a strong enough squad, with Yasin Scholes set to start in his most preferred position of playing just behind the striker.

The inspired change by the management paid instant dividends as within 2 mins of the kickoff Yasin got onto the scoresheet with a delightful volley after having flicked up the ball at the edge of the box turning past two defenders in the process. 1-0, KKZ.

Within 5 mins Yasin confirmed the management's trust in him as he found the scoresheet again, making no mistake in putting the ball through the keeper's legs after having beaten the opponents' offside trap. At this point Kamikaze looked to be steam-rolling through the opponents, only to have complacency set in.

Eagles FC looked to cash in from the complacency as they threw caution to the wind and attacked in numbers. A routine clearance from a corner was botched and the Eagles FC striker
made no mistake in taking the chance and pulling one back. An injury to keeper Akbar seemed to have worsened the situation for KKZ, however his commitment to the team showcased by continuing to play despite the pain, brought back confidence to the team, and 2-1 was how it ended as the teams headed into the half-time team talk.

Inspired by a half-time team talk that told the players to believe in themselves to cut out their errors and capitalise on their positives, Kamikaze took to the field looking to kill off the tie.

Kill off, they did, as Yasin completed his hat-trick in delightful fashion, having again been in the right place at the right time to make a finish that any striker would be proud off. Before the Eagles had time to recover, they found that Safar Torres was more difficult than any striker they had played against as he jinked past three defenders before dummying the keeper and stroking the ball into an empty net. 4-1, KKZ.

From that point onwards, it was all Kamikaze as they dominated all over the pitch and Safar added one more, a delightful chip, before creating another for Havey Adebayor who scored a goal to complete his good day at the KKZ office.

6-1 was how it ended, with Kamikaze players once again performing with their hearts out. Despite making a few errors here and there, everyone played an inspiring game giving their 100% for the team that they believe in.

The beauty of Kamikaze in this season, is that they are no longer a one-man team, depending on a certain individual's magic to turn a game around. They have showed that they possess match winners all over the pitch and the many different goal scorers of the last 4 games prove testimony to the team work of this incredible team. With that they consolidate their position at the summit of the CFL league leading by 4 points, with a game in hand over their closest rivals. Will this finally be the season where all the good efforts of Kamikaze FC over the years come to fruition? Watch this space!


KAMIKAZE!!!

PS: For the sheer audacity of his hat-trick, his first ever for Kamikaze, Yasin wins the man of the match award. Special mentions go out to Thina, Victor and Lavanesh for an excellent day in the office..


Squad: Akbar Kuszczak, Jayraj Carragher, Thina Da Silva, Navin Da Silva, Victor King, Lavanesh Valencia, Seelan Kong, Hariboy Aerocratz, Diego Haresh, Yasin Scholes, Havey Adebayor, Cristiano Barathi, Safar Torres, Deen Biasa

Final score: Kamikaze FC 6 - Eagle FC 1
Goals: Yasin Scholes (3), Safar Torres (2), Havey Adebayor
MOM: Yasin Scholes

Link to CFL Website: http://www.cflsport.com/