8rs Gonna 8: Team WoW Rescue Miraculous Draw with Stunning Display

Team WoW 8
Cote D'Ivoire 8
(Thompson 3, Foster 2, Gale 2, Schaap)

Against all the odds, Team WoW have maintained their unbeaten record this season, executing a stunning comeback to steal an 8 all draw against Cote D'Ivoire. Much anticipation shrouded the fixture, which captain Andy Thompson had designated as "perhaps the hardest fixture Team WoW will ever play in." A packed Aurora Stadium watched the game, and the fans - especially the neutrals - were not disappointed. On display was some quality passing, expert finishes, and a serious of clattering tackles which produced no fewer than three yellow cards. Wil Darling was again absent for the fixture, arousing suggestions the defender could be on the outs with management. Rob Schaap made his full return to the squad, having shaken the mystery illness that kept him out of first team action in Team WoW's record breaking victory over Purple Rain last week.


Futsal analyst Katherine Thompson described tonight's Team WoW performance as "Wave Futsal" due to the series of peaks and troughs in skill, class, and goals. She also noted that the 'peaks' coincided with Bryan and Scott being off the field, and the troughs with the pair being partnered in the attack. Coincidence? Yes. It is.

Team WoW got off to the worst possible start in the game, conceding four goals without reply - demoralising as. The psychological state of the team only worsened as it dawned on them that their opponents were fielding only four players - one man down. You would think matters could only be made worse by the withdrawal of prolific strike pair Jordan Scott and Jonathan Bryan, but oddly, in their absence, Team WoW miraculously managed not only to not concede any more goals, but also to score two of their own. The first was courtesy of captain Andy Thompson. He intercepted the defender's pass and sent it back in the direction of the goal with interest. The second earned camerawoman Elizabeth Thompson her first assist of the campaign. Her neat ball to Phil Gale was promptly picked up, and placed on the edge of the box for a free kick. The strike bamboozled the keeper and squirmed its way over the line - a particularly sweet goal for Gale seeing as he had almost come to blows with the keeper only moments before. As Bryan and Scott warmed up in anticipation of their reintroduction (in place of Foster and Thompson), Team WoW got back to within one goal of Cote D'Ivoire via a Foster goal, provided by Thompson. Needless to say, Scott and Bryan promptly returned to their places on the bench. Two minutes later, however, the coast was clear for the pair to re-enter the field of play. Team WoW conceded again only thirty seconds later.

At half time Team WoW found themselves 5 - 3 down. Two things were clearly to blame for the side's dire position. You guessed it; passing and defence. Rofl, but seriously, Scott and Bryan were very bad, though Thompson was kind enough to use general terms in his critique of the team in his team talk. "I think two of us really need to be getting back in defence more," the Canadian noted. "Perhaps two of us should just sit the second half out?"

Team WoW came out in the second half with renewed fire, but within minutes they found themselves almost out of reach at 7 - 3 down. Scott and Bryan congratulated themselves on the bench, breathing a huge sigh of relief as Team WoW finally conceded without their help. Only moments later, however, the deficit was reduced. Thompson sent an irresistible ball in the direction of the striker, who finished for 7 - 4. Foster then turned provider, sliding the ball across the face of goal for an easy tap in for Gale. Then controversy was sparked. Riding the wave of some very promising Team WoW futsal (yes, yes, Bryan and Scott were still off the field, what of it?) Thompson found himself one on one with the keeper. His shot was parried high into the air, setting up a sublime header. He was sure he had scored from the follow up, but his celebrations were cut short after the referee judged that the ball had not crossed the line. The striker's remonstrations were met only by a smirk and a call of "not a chance" from the official. Amidst the chaos, Scott and Bryan somehow managed to sneak onto the field yet again. They again failed to score, but defended okay - though they did concede one goal for good measure. Rob Schaap then recovered another goal, with perhaps the strike of the season. He met Thompson's driven ball into the box with a cheeky flick that left the keeper looking and no doubt feeling like a complete idiot. Matters were only made worse for the ageing shot-stopper as Thompson made it 8-7 with a brutal, off-curling nutmeg. With one minute on the clock and one goal left to score, the game was poised for a dramatic finish. And it came in the form of a sweet, curling strike - again from Thompson. The striker cemented his man-of-the-match status with the equaliser, which was also his hattick. With ten seconds left Cote D'Ivoire earned themselves a corner and a chance to restore their lead. This opportunity was taken from them, however, as goalkeeper Michael Riske subtly threw the ball about twenty metres past the corner taker. The German-Filipino might have received a yellow card and a substantial hit to his integrity as a result of his cheek, but he also secured the point for Team WoW. Final score 8 - 8.

"It was a great draw for the lads tonight," Andy Thompson commented in post-match interviews. "We dug deep and rescued the points. And almost all of us played really, really well." The result suggests Team WoW might in fact be able to hold their own in the top division, but may have to make some adjustments to their substitution scheme and/or personnel. Next week the boys face rivals Awesome Futsal Team, with whom they drew 6 - 6 last season. Come at us.