Sports Editor Joel Lim reports on the Varsity futsal game at Somers Town Community Sport Centre.
Going into the game, KCL Futsal has been on an upward trajectory. Following three consecutive league promotions, the team arrived at the stadium high on confidence. They had just recruited a new coach, who brought structure to the team and overcame a shaky start to their season in the league with a dominant run after January. While UCL’s team seemed formidable, KCL entered the second edition of Varsity futsal with no fear on their shoulders, as they firmly backed themselves to take home the cup once again.
This year’s team featured a diverse group of talent, from pacy wingers like Matt (No. 10), who recently scored 4 against league leaders, to imposing defenders like Emilio (No. 5) and an experienced keeper in team captain Ossie. Going into the game, Ossie expressed his excitement to Roar, stating that the game ‘was going to be special’, with a ‘new squad, bigger rivalry and a lot of emotions’.
The game started off cagey, as KCL seemed nervous all around. While credit had to be given to UCL’s front duo, KCL’s backline seemed shaky, while their attackers also struggled to string passes together. In a span of 5 minutes, they found themselves 3 goals down, owing to a bottom right corner finish by UCL’s star player (No. 49), a tidy left corner finish (by UCL’s No. 29) and a beautiful top right corner finish after a technical cut-in from the left (by UCL’s No. 10). King’s low-block did not seem to be working and their strategy to move the ball forward from the back seemed questionable.
However, in a game like futsal, momentum can shift in the blink of an eye. Following substitutions by the coach, the Reds injected energy, intent and momentum into the game, as they started to find spaces on the wings of UCL’s defence that was in large parts under the purview of a singular defender. This gave Muhammed Rahman the chance to cut in from the right and strike the ball into the bottom left corner of UCL’s goal, his clinical trademark finish. Having clawed a goal back, the Reds looked far more hopeful as they hunted for a comeback. UCL’s strategy was to sit back and soak in pressure, as the Reds accumulated more and more shots on target in an attempt to close down on the 2 goal difference.
Yet, just before halftime, UCL’s No. 49 hammered in a rocket into the top left corner of King’s goal that stubbed any momentum the Reds were trying to build up. At halftime, Coach Kader was visibly animated as he called for his team to up the tempo.
With the scoreline at 4-1, KCL opted to field players who were slightly fresher and could inject pace into the game at the start of the second half in a bid to increase their intensity and output. This proved effective, as their ceaseless assaults on UCL’s goal, in large parts coming from action on the wings, brought a goal via a headed tap-in by lively winger Mehdi. 4-2 and game on! As a result of this, the fans were treated to a game that was far more lively and transitional, as both sides bombed down the court from end-to-end.
Crucially, the turning point of the game came not through a goal, but a foul committed on UCL’s No. 32. King’s fans were visibly disappointed with the referee’s decision to award the foul against the Reds’ favour and accused the UCL player of exaggerating the impact of the tackle. Immediately after, King’s supporter bench came to life, as they showed vocal support for their team in unison.
This brought even more hope and energy to the Reds, as midfielder Anish cleanly cut in from the wing to put the ball into the top bins to cut the score down to 4-3. Just a minute later, he then carried the call all the way to the baseline and attempted a shot from an incredibly difficult angle to even the score at 4-4.
With the game all tied up, both sides looked hungry to take the lead. Yet, momentum was on King’s side, having scored the previous three goals. In what could only be described as a well-worked sequence, Anish once again collects the ball in the centre of the court from a corner kick and planted it into the bottom left corner to take the lead. This brought the crowd to their feet as King’s clawed their way back from a 4-1 deficit to make it 5-4!
In the dying minutes of the game, however, UCL’s No. 49 brought the scoreline back to an even split as he hammered in a beautiful free kick from range. That meant that at full-time, the contest remained up for grabs at 5-5.
With tensions high and the rivalry at its apogee, both teams lined up for the ultimate penalty shootout. King’s called on Anish (6), Emilio (5), Dylan (9), Mehdi (7) and Matt (10) to take the first five penalties, with Anish, Dylan and Matt managing to convert their penalties into goals. Yet, the contest still remained a tie, as UCL similarly managed to put three into the net. This brought the game to a must-score situation, as winger Abdul stepped up as the sixth taker to plant the ball down the middle. UCL’s No. 49, however, also calmly converted his penalty to level the scoreline. Excitement was now officially through the roof, as Kieran (4) stepped up and converted his penalty. Pressure was now on UCL’s No. 11 to score the goal, as King’s supporters hollered for him to miss it. Their prayers were answered, as King’s goalkeeper and captain mustered up an incredible save to snatch the game away from UCL.
It took no time for the stadium to erupt into excited and celebratory cheers, as supporters stormed the court to celebrate with the team. In a post-game interview, Coach Kader told Roar how proud he was of the team’s ‘resilience to come back from 4-1′. He characterised this win as a ‘brilliant’ one and a ‘testament to the fact that they have worked very hard’. Similarly, team captain Ossie Gregory also expressed his pride in the team, describing their performance as a ‘beautiful’ win. This year’s Varsity win was particularly poetic, as it mirrored KCL Futsal’s astronomical rise as a club. As Muhammed Rahmad, incoming President, told Roar, ‘keep an eye out for the society next year’ as there are going to be even more exciting ‘things in the making’. Congratulations on the win, KCL Futsal, and we cannot wait to see what awaits the club next year!
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