Game#22 10-8-3 38 Points

ONE MAN DOWN.

Remember the above phrase as I tell the story of the Black Terrors victory over the Nhlangano Sun, the #2 ranked team. We moved up to #5 after last weeks win.

So this is game one of 4 games in 7 days and 6 over 15 days. In that 15 days we play the #1 , #2, #3 ranked teams. So far in round 2 we had a draw with the #4 and beat #5. We finished Round 1 ranked 6th.

So on thursday they released a slightly revised schedule that switch our game from sat @ 3pm to Sun at 9 AM (9:00 AM). They never play games that early over here. And they gave us and a 6 other teams a game on Tuesday, then during Easter weekend traditionally 2 games are played so we have one on Sat and then Mon. (By the way, Easter weekend is Fri & Mon as official Holidays).

My team is terrible about early games. Many of the players (& remember they are all between 18 & 35) are drinkers, so early is never good. Anyway, 1 showed at 7:30 the rest trinkled in between 8 & 8:30. But what really pissed me off is the uniforms, which is a serious on going problem. I specifically asked the team President to handle the cleaning of the uniforms. It is terribly important when a team has 3 sets of uniforms and has to play 4 games in 7 days that at least 2 be cleaned before each game. (In case it is necessaary to change in connection with the other team). On Wed, i told him over the phone, on Fri we meet in person to talk about it. He assured me that they would be clean. Well, when the uniforms arrived this morning at 8:30 AM. The tops were the clean but the bottoms where dirty from the last game. Sometimes it just sucks to be right. I knew they would not be on top of cleaning the uniforms. How hard it is to clean them? (Ok, first nobody has washing machine, so someone has to do it by hand, and no offense to women but over here there are hundreds in my neighborhood at home taking care of the laundry, kids, etc). I pay my neighbor to do mine.

So we arrived right at the start of game time with the players wearing dirty shorts, unbelivable, and lucky the other team was running later then we were. They arrived and changed at the field.

So my team go get a great warm up and where preparing to play as the other team was changing.

So the Sun, which were the team we had a our first win with and a very dramatic one at that back in October. (see this post for that dramatic story http://swazilandreflections.blogspot.com/2010/10/game-4-1-3-0-6-points.html)
It might be nice to skip over and read this before continuing. (By the way, the goalie of this game, Sabelo, we work together on daily basis in the office. And he has choosen to sit out the game, cause in his words I was a Black Terror last season, I live in the neighborhood, and if the Sun win I lose and the Terrors win I lose, so he didin't play)

The Sun are #2 in the log and beat a team last week 16 to zero. We arrrived at the field with 11 players, 1 meet us there and 2 joined just after game time. Giving us 14. (11 on the field & 3 subs).

The game starts and in the first half the referee is blowing his whistle against us like his life depends on it. We get 3 yellow cards mostly for Bullshit in one half the other team none. And there team is doing weird things with their players. My assistant coach & I put our brains together and figure out they are running a field form of 451 and the 1 guy at the top is causing havoc with the defense. But we scream at the defense what they are doing and small changes are made. That make a big difference. And just before have we get a great goal. It is dribbled down the sideline, the player beats the defense draws the keeper out and passes to the forward who puts it in the goal. Just a great play. We go to Half time.

Now for that 4 weeks I have made middle mid field subs at half time, the idea is fresh guys at half and it has worked pretty well. Well, 2 of the 3 yellows where to midfielders, so I sub the outside guy, who got the assist out per his request (by the way he was the one who sat out last week cause we were unsure if he had 3 yellows, well now he does and has to sit out next week. Currently my main striker is on the bench in street clothing watching cause of his red the previous game).

And sometimes luck really does play a huge roll in games. The player I subbed in is mostly a defensive player and we put him in as middle mid fielder, moved my regular middle mid fielder to the outside. The 2nd half starts like a rocket both teams getting shoots, we get lucky and one bounces off the post. No goal for the Sun. The defense starts beating up there offensive man. Another yellow to us. And then the captian of the team, who is standing in front of ball that is a free kick for the Sun, (this is normal and generally a delaying tactic to allow the defense to set up, referees allow it) the play is kicked quick and he jumps up in front of it an blocks it. But he isn't 10 yards away. Normally, the referees make the kicker take it again. But the referee blows the whistle and gives him a yellow for the act. Now technically this is yellow card offense but rarely is ever given for a this. Well, it is his 2nd which turns into a red which means we play with 10 men. And maybe 10 mintues of the 45 are gone from the 2nd half. And here is wear the luck of the halftime sub. Now the team has to go into a very defensive mode cause of playing short. The midfield has a defender in it. Then several more yellows are given this time to both sides.

And I see the midfielders getting tired. So I sub out the one forward and in comes a forward who last week when we played short played midfield. And now we are basically playing 4-5-0 and the midfield is packed with players of both teams.

The other team presses hard and off of a corner kick they get a penalty kick. OH NO. Not again. Read the link.

So they set it up the keeper comes up to the ball and moves it around before the player kicks it (his normal rountine) and then the Sun player kicks it and it hits the top cross bar and bounces out of bounds. With like 10 minutes left in the game the Terrors fans & me go crazy. So then on field crazyness starts as both teams struggle. I ask the 4th referee who manages the off field stuff like subs, extra time, etc. If the game has reached the 45 minute mark, he said it has so I start telling the main referee the game is over call it. I scream it like 5 times then he calls it. (Last week they played 6 extra minutes).

WE WIN. A MAN DOWN TO THE #2 RANKED TEAM.

We all rush the field and hug, smile, scream and yell with excitement. This win is HUGE!!!!!!!!!!

So I use the moment to get on the case of the execs to show some team spirit and get their act together cause the players are playing great dispite the execs BULLSHIT.

They surprisingly do and post the game they by drinks for the players. And since it is only like Noon. Most of the team hangs around talking,drinking and celebrating which even when we win is not normal. So some good team building that just hasn't been possible cause of hte nature of this team happens. Post game.

Now we got one day of rest and then a team we tied in 1st Round.

HOLY SHIT.