A Close One in Apgujeong

I stayed in bed this morning just long enough for my last extra strength Tylenol to kick in before daring to step out. Yesterday's match against the International (previously Persian) Storm proved be quite the rough and tumble. In the end, we Spitfires managed to squeak out a 2-1 victory just as the sun was setting over Chungmu Elementary School!

I was punctual Sunday afternoon, arriving at the field at exactly 3:30pm, our scheduled meeting time. Even so, Sun rushed over to me and ushered that I suit up quickly as we planned to start the game precisely at 4:00pm, no later, as we usually do. I geared up and took a couple warm up laps trying to get my blood flowing and body prepared for a beating! Warming up is something that I've begun to take very seriously as I often do not get a whole lot of physical activity in during the week. Furthermore, my Sunday mornings usually consist of waking up, checking the computer, walking down to a bus sitting on a subway for an hour then walking five minutes to the pitch, not a whole lot of time to really get your body prepared for 90 minutes of physical action!

As the Apgujeong All-Stars (the supposedly high status team that plays pick up games before us on our home pitch) managed to drag their match out to exactly 4 o'clock, we took the field ready to go the second they called their game. I was relieved to start at right back as I have been putting in a good amount of time at center midfield recently which, while enjoyable, really sucks the energy out of me quickly! Our defense held solid and managed to keep the Storm from not only scoring but from challenging our keeper at all.

At the request of Sun Uk (our team 'manager') I was essentially permanently marked up on a tall African player, number 4. While the kid never did get a decent shot off and wouldn't pass the ball if you held a gun to his head, he has a blistering top speed and lightning quickness that makes marking him quite the task. Either way, I stuck to him like glue the first half which was a good and bad thing. Not able to produce, as he is clearly used to, he quickly grew frustrated and resorted to less than ideal tactics.

Within 10 minutes he was running down the sideline swatting the ball from going out with his hand, which, as intentional as he did it, should certainly have drawn a card. . . .but didn't! Furthermore, I realized that my best defense was to simply not allow him the ball as he did not fight very hard for 50/50's meaning that if I could get to the ball before him, he wouldn't challenge me too hard for it. This worked well until again he grew frustrated and began lashing out, reaching over my back to pull me down, chopping at my ankles and eventually throwing out elbows as I dodged in front of him. I caught a couple good ones to the face and have a gash on my shin to show for it . . .but it kept them scoreless!

In the second half everyone resorted to a sort of 'this game's going nowhere' type of play and really sat back on their haunches. Even so this worked out for our benefit as we managed to lock the ball up in Storms defensive third. Finally, off a brilliantly placed corner kick from his twin, Jun Suk, Jun Ho was able to put the Spitfires on top by one! The 'blues brothers' strike again! Although ethnically Korean, Jun Suk/Ho are twins who were raised in Germany and have recently moved back to Korea. . .for reasons I'm not quite sure of. Anyways, they are alike as Seoul and East Lansing but play together on the field with unmatched fluidity! Furthermore, they yell at each other in German (which yes, sounds hilarious coming from two Koreans), they talk to Sun in Korean and finally turn to me, Craig, David and Todd with perfect English! What a talented set of heterozygotes!

We managed to hold back the Storm for another 15 minutes or so until a ball let loose by our goalkeeper, Hands (whose name is actually Han Don Shin but reads Han D S on his jersey), found it's way into the back of the net. All tied up at one a piece. With all the furry of a team on a five game win streak, the Spitfires struck back, pounding the ball down the throats of Storms defense. With an outed ball deep in Storms back third, Joseph let rip a scorching throw in that graced off Nikki's head and into the back of the net! The go ahead goal with only two minutes to spare!

In a desperate attempt to tie, Storm pulled their goalkeeper up field and attempted to use him as a target for some throw ins and long balls, all of which game up short. Just as the sun set over the tree line, and before Joseph and my African 'friend' broke out in to an all out brawl, the ref blew the whistle for full time! We had managed to blow our 1-0 clean sheet but hold on for the 2-1 victory, retaining our spot as third in the league (tied for second in points but behind in the goal differential).

So for now I will nurse my aching hand, back, leg, jaw and big toe! Next week it is off to Daejeon, a supposedly two hour bus ride away! Other than having to wake up early to catch a bus to catch the subway into the bus terminal to catch a bus to Daejeon, I'm not complaining. . .I love road trips! Any day not spent in Seoul is, well, a day not spent in Seoul! More match reports from the SSFL to come! Hope you're enjoying the fall!