January Friendlies

Well apparently soccer is far from over, although the official season has ended and the temperature has dropped to below freezing. Sun started texting a select squad this past week in order to get enough players for some 'friendly' matches that he had worked on setting up. . .sounds great in my book as I wasn't quite ready to quit playing just yet!

Last weekend, with my family in tow, an slightly altered Spitfire team took on the D1 Wolfhound Club. In what ending up being an absolute shootout, we Spitfires eked out a victory by a couple point margin, to which I was luckily able to contribute two to in front of the fam!

This Sunday I again headed south towards Apgujeong for a day of football. Arriving at the pitch I was confused as to why their were so many people mulling around. Sun informed us that he had invited two teams to come play and both had accepted. Thus I assumed that we would play a sort of round robin style where everybody would play everybody. This did not happen.

Instead, our scaled down skeleton of a Spitfire team, 11 players only no subs, took on both the visiting teams in a series of four, 30 minutes games. We opened the day against Seoul United Football Club, the top ranking Division 1 team who only just recently claimed the league title. Even so, with an exhibition of brilliant team play, the Spitfires were able to keep the first game to a nil-nil draw.

After a brief two minute break Sun hustled us back out on the field to take on the last place DA-ROK, or Democrats of America in the Republic of Korea. While the first time we met DA-ROK they could hardly field a full team, this time around they managed to put together quite a showing. With an almost unrecognizable line up they took the field with a ferocity that SUFC couldn't quite muster. Even so, they're efforts fell flat and left DA-ROK scoreless while we Spitfires were able to knock in two against 'em, one coming from my buzzer beater breakaway!

Again after only a quick rest we were back on the pitch squaring off against SUFC for the second time. While I was jealous of the rest they got, I can only imagine how cold it must have been sitting and watching two other teams play for half 'n hour. Showing obvious signs of fatigue, the Spitfires grew steadily sloppier but managed to ward off the ferocious Seoul United attacks, again holding the 'champions' to a draw!

Finally DA-ROK returned to field in what turned out to be a very even sided match. DA-ROK opened up the scoring quickly by feeding a ball over the top of our defense to their newly acquired striker. Only minutes later, I won a throw in deep in DA-ROK territory that I managed to glance off the head of a teammate sending it towards the net and past the keeper. With a bit more back and forth play, Sun called the match as the real sun set, leaving us to settle for a 3-3 tie.

Not a bad day all 'n all as we squeaked out one mini-victory and managed to pull off three draws, two of which came against a team that had likely expected to run us over without problem! Not sure how we're doing it but when the Spitfires play together we really click well! Perhaps its just an off season thing? Anyways, more friendlies throughout the month of January then I guess we lose the field so Sun has offered to try and organize some away matches. Hey, I'm always down for a good road trip!