Looking at the table, the Chinese opposition looked like the perfect team to play this week as Fever looked to bounce back from 2 bitterly disappointing results. They would have to do so without last season tops performers, Simon Williamson and Alex Rowe, which depleted both Fever's attack and rearguard. This game, sadly, marked the end of Richard Pina's brief but memorable stay at the club, as the wing wizard is due to return back to the states.
Andrew 'el Lemono' Ritchie was welcomed back between the sticks with a back four of Tyler, Pegg, Hossam and captain Dan Lappin. Jeremiah was hoping to continue his good form (but didn't) on the left with Auger and Fannin resuming an old partnership in the middle with Pina on the right. Younes was given license to roam behind Garthwaite, who was occupying a slightly unfamiliar role as the main target man up front. An extremely strong bench with a mix of old heads and new signings were eagerly awaiting the nod from Dennis Byrne should things not go to plan.
After a couple of goalkeeping howlers allowed the Russians to take all 3 points a fortnight ago, Fever were left to stew over Chuseok and started the game at a high tempo. A little too high perhaps, as possession quickly flitted between the two sides. After a while the midfield were able to stamp their authority on the game, with Fannin, Auger and Younes forming a great understanding and manipulating the play as they saw fit, and it wasn't long until Fever's new Moroccan magician broke the deadlock with an assured finish. The battle was intensifying, as the opposition were tenacious in the tackle and closed down Fever attacks affectively, but were unable to string together any composed, meaningful attacks of their own. They also began to resort to dirty tactics, with a shameful amount of simulation, as they repeatedly went down quicker than Bangok hookers. Although individually decent, they looked like a team of strangers – which, ironically, had been the description of Seoul Fever in the past by certain areas of the press (haha) – and they surrendered possession too frequently. Fever's midfield were working in tandem beautifully, playing in Bae and Pina on the wing, and building patiently from the back, and their patience and perseverance soon paid off as Younes scored again.
The first 2 periods followed a similar pattern, as the Chinese battled hard and pulled a goal back with a great individual effort, but the quality and control showed by the central threesome of Auger, Fannin and Younes, spread confidence throughout the whole team and allowed the likes of Pina, Bae and Garthwaite to produce chances for each other to extend their lead, which they did with a well taken finish from Pina – a goal the whole team had hoped he would score. Little did we know he wasn't finished there. This goal in particular had manager Byrne cooing, as an attack down the left fizzled out, but instead of trying to force his way down a dead end, Bae looked back to central midfield and found Fannin, who played the ball to Auger, who played it all the way back to Pegg at left back. He then played it across the defence who played it into Auger again, who spread it out to Tyler at right back. Then the attack picked up pace as a neat interchange between Tyler, Younes, Garthwaite and Auger, resulted in the latter supplying a sumptuous disguised flick into the path of Younes who then had the time and space to pick out Pina who made no mistake. It will be hoped that the messages of 'patience is a virtue' and 'sometimes going back is the best way forward', which were epitomized in this move, will be drummed in to all those on and off the field as an example of how Fever want to evolve and progress in the future. Andrew 'fragile vagina Daren Anderton sick-note Keiron Dyer' Muir made his maiden appearance of the season which was short lived as he had to come off with yet another injury. After the end of the 2nd period, Fever were in the assuming position of being 3-1 up and were able to replace tired legs with new ones, a luxury their Chinese counterparts couldn't afford.
A plethora of changes resulted in a more disjointed performance, but the added energy and eagerness to impress from the substitutes assured that Fever ended up comfortably winning the game, with Younes completing his hat trick, Pallos Levente getting his obligatory goal on this lucky ground for him, and man of the match Richard Pina blowing away the opposition with 4 goals, with only another goal, from a bloke who looked like a bloated lady boy, in reply from the Chinese.
The game signalled the beginning of the post-Fil Pusnik era, and although emphatic in victory, it had a sad undertone as it marked Richard Pina's last appearance, and on behalf of Seoul Fever, we'd like to thank you for your contribution, enthusiasm and positive footballing ethos, as well as your friendship. Best of luck mate. But remember, once you have the Fever, you'll always have the Fever.
Andrew 'el Lemono' Ritchie was welcomed back between the sticks with a back four of Tyler, Pegg, Hossam and captain Dan Lappin. Jeremiah was hoping to continue his good form (but didn't) on the left with Auger and Fannin resuming an old partnership in the middle with Pina on the right. Younes was given license to roam behind Garthwaite, who was occupying a slightly unfamiliar role as the main target man up front. An extremely strong bench with a mix of old heads and new signings were eagerly awaiting the nod from Dennis Byrne should things not go to plan.
After a couple of goalkeeping howlers allowed the Russians to take all 3 points a fortnight ago, Fever were left to stew over Chuseok and started the game at a high tempo. A little too high perhaps, as possession quickly flitted between the two sides. After a while the midfield were able to stamp their authority on the game, with Fannin, Auger and Younes forming a great understanding and manipulating the play as they saw fit, and it wasn't long until Fever's new Moroccan magician broke the deadlock with an assured finish. The battle was intensifying, as the opposition were tenacious in the tackle and closed down Fever attacks affectively, but were unable to string together any composed, meaningful attacks of their own. They also began to resort to dirty tactics, with a shameful amount of simulation, as they repeatedly went down quicker than Bangok hookers. Although individually decent, they looked like a team of strangers – which, ironically, had been the description of Seoul Fever in the past by certain areas of the press (haha) – and they surrendered possession too frequently. Fever's midfield were working in tandem beautifully, playing in Bae and Pina on the wing, and building patiently from the back, and their patience and perseverance soon paid off as Younes scored again.
The first 2 periods followed a similar pattern, as the Chinese battled hard and pulled a goal back with a great individual effort, but the quality and control showed by the central threesome of Auger, Fannin and Younes, spread confidence throughout the whole team and allowed the likes of Pina, Bae and Garthwaite to produce chances for each other to extend their lead, which they did with a well taken finish from Pina – a goal the whole team had hoped he would score. Little did we know he wasn't finished there. This goal in particular had manager Byrne cooing, as an attack down the left fizzled out, but instead of trying to force his way down a dead end, Bae looked back to central midfield and found Fannin, who played the ball to Auger, who played it all the way back to Pegg at left back. He then played it across the defence who played it into Auger again, who spread it out to Tyler at right back. Then the attack picked up pace as a neat interchange between Tyler, Younes, Garthwaite and Auger, resulted in the latter supplying a sumptuous disguised flick into the path of Younes who then had the time and space to pick out Pina who made no mistake. It will be hoped that the messages of 'patience is a virtue' and 'sometimes going back is the best way forward', which were epitomized in this move, will be drummed in to all those on and off the field as an example of how Fever want to evolve and progress in the future. Andrew 'fragile vagina Daren Anderton sick-note Keiron Dyer' Muir made his maiden appearance of the season which was short lived as he had to come off with yet another injury. After the end of the 2nd period, Fever were in the assuming position of being 3-1 up and were able to replace tired legs with new ones, a luxury their Chinese counterparts couldn't afford.
A plethora of changes resulted in a more disjointed performance, but the added energy and eagerness to impress from the substitutes assured that Fever ended up comfortably winning the game, with Younes completing his hat trick, Pallos Levente getting his obligatory goal on this lucky ground for him, and man of the match Richard Pina blowing away the opposition with 4 goals, with only another goal, from a bloke who looked like a bloated lady boy, in reply from the Chinese.
The game signalled the beginning of the post-Fil Pusnik era, and although emphatic in victory, it had a sad undertone as it marked Richard Pina's last appearance, and on behalf of Seoul Fever, we'd like to thank you for your contribution, enthusiasm and positive footballing ethos, as well as your friendship. Best of luck mate. But remember, once you have the Fever, you'll always have the Fever.