Team WoW Strikers More Potent Than Vipers

Team WoW 9
Vipers 3

(Gale 4, Thompson 3, Bryan, Kidd)

Team WoW recorded a strong victory in their first match for 2013 on Sunday night, as Phil Gale made a stellar return to the squad after being absent since the middle of last season.

It was a dominant display from the versatile defender, scoring the first three goals of the match in short order. Andy Thompson would get on the score sheet soon after with his first, but it was his second that got the crowd on their feet, a trademark free kick from mid range which hit the back of the net before the keeper could move a muscle. A true rocket.

Team WoW were in the ascendancy- indeed, the result seemed clear after the first few goals- but at some point in the game the Vipers did manage to deliver a little bit of ownage. A nutmeg, and the resulting cry of "nuts" on one of the Boyz in the middle of the court. A couple of passes later, and the ball was in the back of the net, causing Rob Schaap (sidelined due to his injured toe, which "may never get better, ever") to cheer loudly for the opposition.

At the end of the first half, the score was probably 5-1, and the side looked very impressive especially given the fact that they had many fewer players than usual. Iain Koolhof was standing in for an injured Michael Riske, and was keeping well, using his sheer length to great effect. With no subs, the attackers would have been excused for not keeping the pressure up 100% of the time, yet they seemed to do it, and do it well. Alex Kidd and Gale have always made a formidable back line, and they held out particularly well.

The other talking point of the first half was the infamous heading quality of Jonathon Bryan. Few men can match the quality and precision which Bryan displays in the air. Tipped to be the next Tim Cahill, his grace and fluidity when he jumps at the ball... ok who am I kidding. It was a talking point however; his first free header from Koolhof he completely missed, the second ball skimmed the top of his head, but the third was directed quite well, just going over the bar.

Thompson had a few words with his team at the break, telling them to "just have some fun out there", and then Schaap had some words to Thompson. "You can't pass at all this half", he demanded. This made for some interesting and entertaining futsal, as Thompson set out to take it around as many of their players as he could, and then shoot as much as he could. It didn't last all half, and it didn't matter in any case; the game was in the bag. Midway through the half, Bryan added his name to the score sheet, a low shot that dipped under the keeper's right arm, after spurning several great opportunities by hitting it straight at the keeper. Earlier, Alex Kidd had smashed one home, which meant that all players scored goals. A satisfying night.

After the match, futsal commentator Tom BJ was impressed with the Team WoW performance, insisting that they would go deep into the business end of the season, and may even win the competition. "If there was a stat for interceptions Jono, you would be leading", he said to reporters at the stadium.