The pre-match team talk focused on the opposition being an unknown quantity and that nothing should be taken for granted, “You simply don’t take teams apart 6-0 at this level” said Coach Colin. Alas, today would be the day that you do take teams apart at this level. An 8-1 drubbing at the hands of the treble winners.

The line up was an England World Cup Semi-Finalist inspired 3-2-3-2 with David in nets, a back 3 of Hung (making his debut for the Raiders), Tam, Danny Vo; Pat and Arno as the midfield fulcrums; Sven, Pierre, and Kim as the dynamic midfield outlets; and Victor and Wouter leading the line up top. Nino and Jonas began the demolition on the sidelines with subs being made at regular 10/15 minute intervals.

The first half started slowly, Raiders quickly dominated possession, finding all sorts of space all of the park, playing probing passes through at will against a side intent on playing an exceptionally aggressive offside line. The floodgates opened in the 10th minute with Victor bagging the opener, the 2nd followed from Pat as he was given acres of room to waltz in through on goals as the opposition defence parted like the Red Sea. The game was all but sealed by the 14th minute as Wouter grabbed the first of his brace, a neat turn and strike from the edge of the box. Wouter grabbed his second after 32 minutes before Hung thumped in the pick of the goals 7 minutes before half-time. He picked up the ball midway through the opposition half after a clearance from a corner, battled his way through two defenders before
letting rip from 25 yards, the ball flew into the bottom corner. 5-0 at the break.

After speaking of the limp, flaccid nature of the opposition, the half-time team talk was based on the archetypal stereotype when outplaying a team “the second half starts at 0-0 boys”. However, despite Colin’s best efforts to tell us otherwise the scoreboard still read 5-0 and with the game done and dusted the second half turned into procession.

The Raiders grip on the game was made even stronger through a pearler of free-kick from Sven. 25+ yards out, to the right handside of the goal he whipped it around the wall into the bottom corner, the keeper motionless and the impossible had been achieved, 6-0. The 7th came in the 81st minute from the unlikely boot of Danny Vo. In nosebleed territory he found himself in a one-on-one situation, the calmness of the lad was exemplary as he rounded the keeper and tucked it home. The fateful 8th came just a minute later as Jonas found himself in ample room on the right with time to cut in and place one into the bottom corner.

The last 10 or so minutes was played out with the sole focus of keeping a clean sheet and as David had more time on his hands than a security guard chain smoking his way to heaven it seemed like nothing was going to stop him. Unfortunately, I had other ideas and with it the turkey shall be dedicated. With confidence oozing through the side we had the balls to play across the back four inside our own six yard box, criminal you might say. Attempting to burst past the opposition centre forward i had the misfortune of stepping on the ball, the centre forward duly picked it up and despite a sliding tackle of Bobby Mooreian standards the referee correctly awarded the penalty. Heads dropped, the dream was over, the clean sheet was gone.
For but a brief moment it felt like we were losing. Luckily it was still 8-1.

Special mention goes to Kim who somehow missed 3 open goals throughout the game, at one point reigniting memories of that Maradona hand of god, i hope he has repented his sins at Church this Sunday morning.

Well played lads let’s get the numbers down for training this week and start the season as the