Five reasons for three points
By Mike Stabenow
It has become fashionable for Vet 2 players not to write any match reports unless there is anything positive to be said about the team performance. Supporters – if there are any left at all besides Vince Fuller and Terry Schildknecht – were therefore facing the prospect of only looking into blank spaces this season. Things have dramatically changed this Saturday. We finally have something to report: a stunning 2-1 away victory against Cornac United (Yes, Vince and Terry, they are still around – and you?). Why did it – finally – happen? There were five reasons for three points.
1. Team spirit: Players agreed after the game and before the first glass of Jupiler, Hoegaarden or a soft drink (in the case of le docteur) that the perception that there had been less shouting on the pitch than usually was a decisive factor. Furthermore, instead of systematically playing the ball into the feet of the opposition we counted – in the second half – a record of five successful passes on our left flank.
2. Fighting spirit: Having given away victory in the previous two games players were determined that this should NOT occur this time. (Für die treuen, des Deutschen mächtigen Fans: "Wo ein Wille ist, da ist auch ein Weg!") We preserved our lead in spite of a difficult spell towards the end of the game with countless corners and free-kicks given against us. Witnesses may recall that in the closing minutes a BUFC player with glasses headed the ball more often (twice) than in the entire season 2006/2007.
3. The return of the giant Mike: Yes, he obviously was fed up of California and longing for a visit of Sint-Martens Lennik. And he must have lost about 20 kilos and passed them on to Massimo. At least that was the way our piccolo Italiano looked in his unusual goalie's outfit. This equally successful game of passing (on weight) resulted somehow in a very solid defensive game. Although Mike's sweeping interventions and Massimo's saves were really spectacular at times, Tom, Doron and Armin looked absolutely solid too. This in turn was the basis for some decent playing in midfield and up front.
4. Luck favours the brave: Team spirit, fighting spirit, the slimmed down giant Mike were the ingredients needed to finally allow luck to favour the brave. This is certainly true, although the equaliser by Cornac just before half time seemed to prove the opposite. A defender (no names given here) did not bother to hit the ball decisively out of our twenty yard box which allowed the opposition to hit the target. First Massimo managed some sort of a save, but unfortunately the ball bounced back from the bar allowing Cornac to score (1-1). This would have been a typical BUFC situation towards the end of the game with the prospect of another draw or even defeat. But this time it wasn't going to turn out this way. On the contrary, in the first half a cross from the right was first averted and then, following an immediate second try, the ball passed a couple of Cornac defenders, landed into Pierre's feet who controlled the ball calmly and hit into the right corner of the goal (0-1). With a little bit of extra luck another cross missed narrowly by Paul Wise's head would certainly have gone in. Paul again (with a shot before half time) and Adriano with a spectacular plunging header after a corner also – nearly – scored. The decisive goal (1-2) came after Paul had slalomed through the Cornac defence in the box and passed the ball to the player with number eight shirt who somehow, perhaps "mit dem Glück des Untüchtigen" managed to get it past defenders and goalie.
5. Since we often have the impression that referees don't favour the brave, let's finish by specially mentioning an excellent performance by a multilingual arbitre/scheidsrechter/referee/Schiedsrichter who is just three years older than our youngster Ray.
Team: Bortolini, Kemp (c), Brown, Cohen, Schawe, Stabenow, Woollin, Blackman, Zilhão, Reilly, Wise
Playing Subs: Brewerton, M.Thomas, Wallentin
Scorers: Blackman, Stabenow
Man and Goalie of the Match: Bortolini
