Friday, May 21, 2010

Champions

CFL 09/10 LEAGUE CHAMPIONS - KAMIKAZE

A BIG BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL PLAYERS , STAFF AND FANS FOR WINNING THE FIRST MAJOR TITLE IN 5 YEARS. DEDICATION , PERSEVERENCE AND "KAMIKAZE ATTITUDE" BROUGHT US THIS TITLE AND ITS ONE TO CHERISH. EVERY KAMIKAZE PLAYER RECEIVES THE DUE RESPECT FOR THE COMMITMENT AND LOVE HE HAS FOR THIS CLUB TO BRING IT IT'S TITLE. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE AS A TEAM WILL DEFINITELY MOVE FORWARD AND GET US MORE SILVERWARE.

NOT ONLY GIVING US THE SILVERWARE , THIS SEASON HAS ALSO BROUGHT US CLOSER AS A TEAM , LOOKING OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER , NEW PLAYERS CLICKING IN WELL AND ALL PLAYERS GELLING IN WELL. WITH TEAM SPIRIT LIKE THIS , WE WILL DEFINITELY GO FAR. KKZ MANAGEMENT ASKS HUMBLY TO ALL PLAYERS PUT ANY CONFLICTS , HARSH TREATMENT AND ANY ANIMOSITY BEHIND AND ENJOY THIS MOMENT AS A TEAM. AS CHAMPIONS. AS A PLAYER OF KKZ DREAM TEAM '04 , I'LL LIKE TO PERSONALLY CONVEY THAT I AM HONOURED TO BE PART OF THIS TEAM . ONCE AGAIN , CONGRATULATIONS AND HATS OFF TO KAMIKAZE FC FOR BECOMING CHAMPIONS OF CFL SPORTS 09/10 LEAGUE.

THERE WERE TIMES WHERE WE APPLAUD SAFFAR'S SKILLS , APPRECIATE HARI'S THRU BALLS AND AWE AT USPO'S COMMANDING PLAY. BUT THERE IS ALSO A FEW PLAYERS, THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON HAS BEEN UNSUNG HEROES.

NAVIN - FOR THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO BREAK INTO FIRST 11 AND ACTIVELY DOES HIS ROLE WHEN CALLED UPON.

THINA - FOR BRAVELY PLAYING HIS FOOTBALL , HIS STYLE IN THE POSITION THAT MANY PEOPLE DREAD.

DEEN - FOR ADAPTING THE "DOGFIGHTER" ROLE IN MIDFIELD , WITHOUT ANY COMPLAINTS.

VICTOR "DOG" KING - MORE THAN HAPPY TO FILL IN ANY ROLE THAT THE TEAM NEEDS HIM IN AND IN MORE THAN ONE OCCASION , TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM.

ANAND "SPACESHIP" - FOR MAKING KAMIKAZE HIS PRIORITY AND GIVING HIS HEARTS OUT EVEN THOUGH HE TURNS UP FOR KKZ MATCHES AFTER BACK TO BACK MATCHES.

AKBAR DER SAR - FOR THE PURE COMMITMENT TO PLAY WEEK IN WEEK OUT , SHOWING PROFESSIONALISM IN HIS ATTITUDE FOR A TEAM HE HAS BARELY KNOWN FOR 1/2 A YEAR , BUT HAS MADE HIS OWN.

EDITOR'S TOP 5 PICKS :

1) KAMIKAZE VS KAWABUNGA : A THRILLINGLY CLOSE GAME WITH VICTOR'S PENALTY RIGHT AT THE DEATH SEALING THE WIN. BEST KNOWN FOR NAVIN'S OUTRAGEOUS CELEBRATIONS.

2) EAST BOYS VS KAMKAZE : KNOWN AS THE WAKE-UP GAME , GERARD'S LAST DITCH GOAL SILENCING THE ENTIRE KKZ COHORT , LOSING 3 POINTS ON A CRUCIAL TIME OF THE SEASON AND VICTOR'S RESIGNATION FROM MANAGEMENT.

3) KAMIKAZE VS D-BOYS : KAMIKAZE'S FIRST LEAGUE GAME AGAINST THEIR ARCHRIVALS. A GAME WHERE KKZ CAME FIRED UP , CONQUERED THE ENTIRE GAME , LEFT A MARK AND A STERN WARNING AND FOSTERED YET ANOTHER UNDYING RIVALRY.

4) KAMIKAZE VS GALACTICOS : THE GAME WHICH WE STARTED TO BELIEVE IN OURSELVES. THE GAME THAT SHOWED TRUE TEAM SPIRIT. THE GAME WHICH PROPELLED KAMIKAZE TO TITLE-WINNING MENTALITY.

5) KAMIKAZE VS PRISONERS : THE GAME WHICH ALMOST PROMISED TO DESTROY KAMIKAZE'S SEASON. A THRILING 4-4 DRAW.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Champions Cup - Grp Stage 1st Match

2 May @ Sembawang Secondary School 5pm

While they didnt get a chance to immediately atone for their league misdemeanors of the previous week, the KKZ warriors embarked on a new journey 2 weeks later in what was to be the first group match of the Champions Cup.

The Champions Cup is a 8-team football tournament organised by Football Republic. The tournament will be played in the following format: 4-team round-robin group stage, Top 2 proceeding to semi-finals. So in their first group match, Kamikaze travelled to Sembawang Secondary School, (which according to some pundits is the best grass pitch in Singapore) to take on Pending United.

KKZ were determined to put the disastrous result against Prisonerz to rest by putting in a good performance against their unknown opponents Pending United. The game started brightly for Kamikaze, as their flowing passing and good off the ball movements showed why they were the current league leaders. Their efforts were duly rewarded, when once again opponents found it hard to mark the mesmerising Cristiano Barathi and conceded a foul to him in the penalty box. Victor King, the designated spot-kick taker stepped up and scored his 6th penalty for this year.

From that point on, KKZ were all over their opponents, and played really eye-catching football complete with exquisite passing, running and switching of play. It was a matter of time before the second goal came, and it was a beauty with a 20 yard curler from Lavanesh Valencia beating keeper before dipping into the far post. Most teams are lucky to have one fantastic winger, but KKZ is really proud to boast of two exciting wingers in the form of Lavanesh and Barathi, and watching the two of them play is really a treat for the eye. Barathi soon got into the act, as he finished off good work from Hari and Havey by slamming the ball past the hapless keeper to put KKZ in the driving seat into the halftime break. 3-0

The teamtalk at half time was clear, there were to be no repeat of the meltdown that afflicted them a couple of weeks ago. The motive was to keep possession and not give a yard to their opponents. True to expectations, Pending came hard on KKZ pouring forward attackers in numbers and making robust tackles. However, KKZ stuck to their planned tactics and repelled their opponents' attacks with class and skill. They even had time to go on counter attacks of their own and two such attacks won free kicks that were to be executed with style. The first saw Hari fake a kick, with Seelan floating the ball into the far post where Lavanesh cut the ball back for Sateesh Balloon Nistelrooy to grab his first goal for KKZ in 2 yrs. The second saw Yasin float the ball towards an offside Victor King, who moved away from the play of the ball to let Cristiano Barathi cut the ball back to Sateesh who doubled his tally immediately. The last goal of the match was off a set-piece too. Faizal played a short corner to Haresh who chipped the ball towards Victor King, who finally scored his first goal of the year from open-play by powering a header past the helpless keeper.

While KKZ did concede a late consolation goal, there was to be no denying that this was a class act by the team in terms of defending, attacking and passing. What needed to be done was done with beauty, and without a recognised keeper too. The omens are there that the league will be sewed up real soon. For that is all that the team is thinking of right now. The very first league title. Here we come.

Squad: Vijay Foster, Lavanesh Valencia, Rio Jana, Jayraj Carragher, Victor King, El Fazail, Hariboy Aerocratz, Yasin Scholes, Cristiano Barathi, Diego Haresh, Havey Adebayor, Neshta, Premnathan Kawabanga, Seelan Kong, Sateesh Balloon Nistelrooy,

Final score: Pending Utd 1 - Kamikaze FC 6
Goals: Victor King (2), Lavanesh Valencia, Cristiano Barathi, Sateesh Balloon Nistelrooy (2)
MOM: Cristiano Barathi

CFL 2 - Round 13 & 14

With the round 13 match against Eagle FC abandoned due to the team's disqualification and 3 points abandoned to Kamikaze, all eyes were set on the Round 14 clash with Prisonerz FC where a win will virtually assure them of their first title.

18 Apr @ Springfield Secondary School 3pm

The team arrived at the Springfield sec pitch, with a quiet confidence that they will get the maximum points needed to sew up the title and kick off their celebration parties. However, within minutes of the kickoff, their moods were dampened as a long range shot from the Prisonerz midfielder managed to escape all the bodies and end up in the back of the net to give Prisonerz a surprise 1-0 lead. However, credit must be given to the way KKZ recovered from that setback. Champions are made not just by the positives, but how they recover from the negatives. Before the half was over, Kamikaze found itself up by a 3-1 scoreline, thanks to two penalties from Victor King, converted after fouls on Cristiano Barathi and Havey Adebayor sandwiching a surprise goal from Neshta who once again scored against Prisonerz after netting the centurion goal against them in a pre-season friendly.

Kamikaze started the second half even stronger, as Jraj made it 4-1 just before the hour mark to put the leaders in the driving seat and virtually kick off the celebrations. However, that would be to be the reason for the meltdown that was to occur. KKZ started celebrating mentally, and without the midfield presence of Hari and Yasin to stabilise the midfield, the game soon saw KKZ concede 3 hilarious goals straight out from a blooper fest. The play was so bad and comical, that KKZ almost conceded 2 more and lose the game. However, they managed to hold on to a point and avoid a completely disastrous outing against Prisonerz Fc.

The fact that KKZ actually fought to salvage a point against Prisonerz can only be attributed to one factor. Complacency. Arrogance is cool. Complacency is not. But putting this one bad result out of a completely glorious season, KKZ still remain confident. The league WILL BE SEWED UP IN THEIR NEXT LEAGUE MATCH. As much as El Calcio is a friendly team, they have to face a backlash from the team that is looking forward to winning its FIRST EVER league title. A response will be given.

KAMIKAZE!!!

Squad: Ganesh Vivace, Neshta, Rio Jana, Jayraj Carragher, Victor King, El Fazail, Seelan Kong, Diego Haresh, Cristiano Barathi, Vinnie Obertan, Havey Adebayor, Lavanesh Valencia, Safar Torres, Gopi Maiko, Premnathan Kawabanga, Akbar Kuszczak

Final score: Kamikaze FC 4- Prisonerz FC 4
Goals: Victor King (2), Neshta, Jayraj Carragher
MOM: Neshta