KR Kowardice?

Official statement: Our friendly match with the KR team was postponed due to a certain Chingay celebration.

Heard from a little bird: Some sources indicate that the KR team unanimously voted to postpone the match after hearing the news of RH's first clean sheet. Overcomed with fear and trepidation, the KR team worked extremely hard during the holidays, endured both sleep deprivation and harsh inclement weather to ensure that their float was top-notch...just so that they could qualify for Chingay in an attempt to avoid the match-up with RH.

However, to their consternation, they are due for a showdown with us next Tuesday. Such is their sad, unavoidable fate...

In the meantime, training continues with Eusoff Hall having the honour of being our first victims of the IHG of Monday night.

RH 1 - 3 MEDICINE FAC

SRC - Alas! A shocking defeat by the Men in Med has left the Green team in a temporal state of shambles. The match started off with a 10-men RH team which conceded a goal within minutes from the kick-off due to confusion in the box. Undeterred, the team pressed on wearing their hearts on their sleeves. However, yet another manic scramble in the box coupled with the mayhem caused by the sudden onslaught of attacks led to an own goal! Truth be told, the own goal scored was a beauty --- unstoppable in its power and sublime with its clinical execution. It truly is worthy to deserve a place alongside Loo's whopper last IHG.

2-0 down...with minutes left on the clock before halftime. How will the Rafflesians respond?? Like a bolt of lightning, Medicine's very own Jermaine Pennant --- a certain Jegathesan --- broke loose with the ball down the right flank. With a deft drop of the shoulder and swivel of his hips, he left 2 defenders in his wake and calmly slotted the ball into the net for a 3rd goal.

It's about a minute left to the half as Ram and his attacking sidekick, Baike, walked to the halfway line to take the kickoff. Unbeknownst to the Medicine team, Kan was already at the flank, ready for a desperate run down the flank. *Beep* The whistle blows...there is a sense of complacency in the air amongst the Medicine Team... Suddenly, a flash of green darts down the flank and Ram releases a perfectly-timed ball to Kan. Unmarked, unchallenged and unafraid, Kan drifts in from the left, beats a defender and unleashes a left-legged pass to a menacing Ram who calmly shields off a Medicine defender and places the ball at the back of the net!!! GOAL!!

Such was the placement and finesse that even with a touch by the keeper, he was powerless to stop the ball from licking the net. Oh! The jubilee! The feeling of apogee at that moment of glory!

The rest of the match...was...unimportant. Kan is the best. Period.

Btw, we managed to maintain a clean sheet for the 2nd half. Good job guys.

Training with SHI JIA YI

SRC - Today's session was a memorable one, although I have to apologise to Mario for the delusion that there wasn't any training today. I tried calling him but realised all I had was his lovely matric number.

We had a short training stint today...with a very convivial atmosphere about it. Laid back --- very much a precursor to an anticipated hard game tomorrow with the medicine magics.

Also to commemorate the occasion, we had Singapore's very own Shi Jiayi from the national team training with us. Still shagged out from his afternoon training, he seemed rather placid in defence but as with all professional players, his confidence is something we should all try to emulate.

Attached is a picture of the midfield maestro mumbling the Singapore pledge.

Training with KR

SRC Field - In a prelude to the match on Thursday with the doctors, we had a short training stint today with KR. To be fair, the boys in blue were extremely competent in the fact that they managed to keep up with the razzle dazzle pace of RH. Truth be told, there were even times when they managed to get the ball past our solid defence --- although these were few and far between.

With slick skills and deft flicks, RH managed to confound the opposition not once, and not even twice....but three times. Even with the sizzling speed of their star player, Chengwei, they were left biting the dust.

Again, this superb showing of skill can be attributed to Kan --- RH's player par excellence. However, to suppress dressing room jealousy, it is obligatory for me to say that it is in part also due to the team spirit and bonding that RH soccer possesses.

RH 2 - 6 KE7

SRC Field - In what was a spectacular showdown between 2 giants of Hall Soccer, Raffles Hall emerged triumphant in their demolition of the next most run-down hall in NUS. Factoring in the the lack of a proper keeper and referee, the score would have been Raffles - 3, KE7 - 2, thus giving us a winning margin of a single goal...and oh, what a game that might have been!

Anyway, led by an inspirational captain, RH managed to achieve its first game without a foul throw in a long time. --- another momentous occasion in the glorious history of RH soccer.

RH 0 - 0 Thaddeus' Friends

HOUGANG- An excellent performance from a steady back four earned the Raffles Raveonettes their first clean sheet in 3 yrs. RH came close in the opening minutes, with star player Goh crossing over the keeper but unfortunately, Wuyao and Ram were unable to direct the ball into the open net.

It's Monday and I cant recall the rest of the game. Someone else write a better article.