SSFL Spring Season Closer

Today wrapped up the last week of match play in the SSFL Spring Season. While I at first questioned whether or not I would be able to make it due to a work retreat this weekend, it wasn't hard for me to make a case for having to return to Seoul early. I have been a member of the Spitfires now for almost as long as I have been at DYB. In fact, the differential is only one week as it was my second week here that I went out for my first game.

I'm glad that I did make it back in time as team manager Sun Uk bestowed a rather humbling honor to me today asking if I would allow the referee to take my picture to be used as a nomination for the defensive player of the season! I of course agreed and thanked him profusely for such recognition when all I try and do each week is show up and play!

A Spitfire Veteran!

Anyways, facing the yet undefeated Jokers we didn't go into the game with any intention other than having fun. And that we did!

To everyone's surprise, The Spitfires took the early lead and managed to hold on for quite some time. Even so, the Joker's possessed a team skill that we simply could not match and they eventually pulled even. A bit later, a fluke popup and an unlucky handball in the box gave the Joker's two more, seemingly putting the game out of reach.

With a crack from 20 yards out, Russian exchange student Ivan managed to whip a ball past a diving goalie to keep us in the game. Unfortunately, we weren't able to produce anything else beyond that and had to settle for a game well played. As a defeat was rather eminent from the onset, it was enjoyable simply going out and playing our hardest for the season's last game. To be honest, this had to have been one of our best played matches of the season as we gave this undefeated team a true run for their money. Playing against anyone else in the league we would have had a sound victory! Even so, it wasn't a total personal defeat as somehow I managed to secure the 'Man of the Match' honors for my improvised role at sweeper, a relatively new position for me!

Afterward, Sun treated the team to chicken and beer using the remainder of our 'team fees.' Not entirely sure how we have any left over but he insisted that it was not him paying but rather our collective funds. Either way, it was a great way to end the season!

Though I'm looking forward to the number of friendly matches Sun has promised to organize this summer, I'm saddened that today was likely my last day of league play with the Spitfires. As my contract coincided with the first week of fall play, I will likely have left, or at least be leaving Korea by the time the next season picks up again.

As I mentioned before, of all the things that make up my Korean experience, this team has been at the top of the list. Having something to do that simply does not involve work, teaching, DYB or even Nowon in anyway has been life saving for me. From the time I get on the bus Sunday afternoon to the time I get back off the subway I feel a freedom that I long for all week. To be able to run, play, compete and simply have fun without a care in the world is, well, all I really ask for. On Sunday afternoons at least!

While everyone that I have met through our team has been amazing, here are just a few of those who have helped to make my experience just a little bit more, well, enjoyable! Thanks guys. . .

Our knowledgeable and generous team manager, Sun Uk, who, at the age of 50 still holds his own on the field against a group of rowdy post-adolescent expats.

Hwi Soo, a young soldier who I learned, only the day before he left, not only worked on the US base but in turn spoke almost perfect English.

Tom Anderson, the diplomat and family man. As American as corn on the cob and oversized chili dogs.

Canadian Craig who, after almost a half a dozen years in Korea shows no sign of leaving anytime soon. His recent engagement to a young Korean woman probably sealed the deal but it's great for me as I know where to go to with 'life in Seoul' questions.

Ammar, perhaps our team's biggest asset who we unfortunately lost early on this season due to a serious leg injury. Playing stopper I have nothing more comforting than knowing that he is there to take out anyone who might get by me or to give the ball a good ole' toe kick sending it down to the opposing team's goal line. As an Iraqi immigrant who has been waiting for years now to move to the USA with his American wife, he was recently blessed with both confirmation on his long awaited visa and the arrival of his first child, a beautiful daughter.

Joseph who is, well, a teenager at heart. He loves girls, cars, soccer, and did I say girls? A great 'kid' who is always eager to make plans though we've yet to ever follow through on any.

My fellow American and closest teammate with regards to not only age, education and position but geographical origin as well is David Hartley who hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Returning 'home' in the fall to begin law school, David has been a great role model if you will for me, assuring me that there are others who come here for a year and do in fact plan on returning Stateside, unscathed. (On a side note, I found it ironic that recent import Steve is now Dave's coworker. Small world, smaller Seoul.)

I can't not mention our goalie Han Dong Shin whose name is aptly abbreviated on his jersey as HanDS! He's there to cover my numerous faults and is always friendly on and off the field, despite the touch situations we love to put him in.

Though it is evident that he is often frustrated with our team's management or lack of, relative newbie Jake always shows a load of patience that easily escapes our other teammates.

Twins Jun Ho and Jun Suk who are of Korean decent but hail from Germany are simply a riot! They'll scream to each other in German, switch to Korean without hesitation and then break out a grammatically perfect but otherwise hilarious English that has a tinge of both Korean and German in it! Oh yeah, and did I mention they are killer scorers?!

James, or, as Nate refers to him, Banana Boy, has saved a number of lives on the pitch due to the fact that, well, he'll sometimes show up to games armed with giant bunch of bananas. These little yellow packages do wonders for extra energy and to flush out the rest of an all nighter in the 'Twon. A great guy and a solid player he's even invited us all over for a BBQ next Sunday. . .while the girlfriend is out of town!

Hailing form Japan, Nikki, though often absent due to work, is also a pleasure to play with and know. His flawless English is the product of many years in the States and elsewhere as he travels the world for, well, no one really knows why!


There are plenty of others who come and go as our team must be one of the most dynamic in the league. While often billed as a foreigner's league, I've never seen anything to indicate that this is the case and I'm certainly glad it's not. I am lucky to have played (be playing) on a team that is so diverse in age, language, and nationality. According to the league's website, we Spitfires hail from nine unique countries, all of which have produced some mighty fine amateur footballers if I do say so myself! I've heard other teams pride themselves on being homogeneous which, to me, simply seems like a waste of an experience.

To be honest, I wouldn't trade my Sunday afternoons for anything!

Spitfires vs. Cheongju Match Report (Spring Season)

Ironically I accepted Match Report duty for Cheongju, the same team that I (think I) incorrectly labeled Chungju last time. . . here's the report as posted on the Han River forum.

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Cheongju vs. Spitfires -- Match Report

On a fine second day of spring, the Han River Spitfires hosted Cheongju at their home pitch in Apgujeong.

In the two previous match ups between these Division 2 powerhouses, each team took home a win, and, a loss. Wanting to recapture the honor of the first victory, the Spitfires started the game blazing hot. From the get-go Han River pushed Cheongju back into their defensive third where they remained until the nil-nil score was broken. This did not take long.

After a few botched attacks, the Spitfires forced a quick turnover deep in Cheongju territory. Spying an opportunity, Joseph went with the quick restart, dropping a beautiful ball right at forward Jun Ho's feet. On the subsequent touch Jun Ho delivered a squeaky clean ball into the side netting, just out of the opposing goalkeeper's reach.

Spitfires 1 Cheongju 0

Though Cheongju was given the ball at the restart, they were barley able to maintain possession long enough to string together a respectable attack. With a solid line in back, and midfielders marking up on extra men, Cheongju was lucky to simply get the ball in Spitfire territory.

Not long after the opening goal, Sun made a few adjustments to the lineup, notably, bringing the All-American Doug on to the field at a crucial time. With his first touch of the day Doug won a huge header sent well across the field by Cheongju's goalkeeper. On the following play, our Big Man, found himself buried deep in the opposing box as Joseph wound up for yet another deadly laser. With an obvious height advantage, Doug was able to field the ball and drop it delicately at the feet of Hwi Soo, who, without hesitation, blasted a rocket in between a terrified goalkeeper and a helpless near post.

Spitfires 2 Cheongju 0

Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, the Spitfires decided that two goals was a cushy enough pillow to sleep on. They couldn't have been more wrong. It didn't take long for a heated Cheongju to exploit the Spitfires obvious lethargy. Thankfully, goalkeeper Don Shin had other plans as he thwarted more than one Cheongju attack with incredible saves of what could have easily been a pair of equalizing goals. Unfortunately, in typical Spitfire fashion, what should have been an easily defended throw-in turned in to a deal breaker for the clean sheet as a loose ball ricocheted around the box and passed "HanDS's" out stretched limbs.

HALFTIME Spitfires 2 Cheongju 1. . . 'the most dangerous score in soccer'

Kicking off in the second half, the Spitfires were challenged by having both the sun and wind directly in their faces. Yet, despite the unfavorable conditions, Han River managed to come out with a ferocity needed to fend off the second ranked Cheongju. For what seemed like an eternity, both sides battled back and forth with nothing to show.

Then, out of nowhere, on what should have been a routine corner kick, an unmarked Cheongju played managed to rise from the scrum uncontested. When an opposing player goes up without a defending body with him, well, we all know how that turns out. A fine header found its way in to the back of the net, not at the fault of our dear keeper in the slightest.

Spitfires 2 Cheongju 2

Not long after Cheongju tied the match, they decided that a change of pace would be in order. While intentions are yet to be determined, a brutal collision in Spitfire territory took out star sweeper Ammar, leaving him incapacitated for the remainder of the game. Nervous but excited to fill the role, Adam dropped back from stopper to play in the land of 'the last man.'

As the clock ticked down, all efforts seemed to be on 'not losing,' rather than actually winning. Then, just when it seemed like a draw would be inevitable, Jun Ho turned on the jets that he had until that point been harboring all season. Blowing by the opposing defensive line, Cheongju was left with only one option: take him out. Half a yard earlier and it would have been a free kick but, with such speed, Jun Ho managed to get himself into the box before going down from a vicious attack.

As the sarcastic chorus of "Hey Adam, get up there and take it" died down, Joseph calmly stepped up to the plate, ready to finish off the late Cheongju. It was evident from his poised demeanor that he had put his last penalty kick, an easy save, far behind him. Even a lucky guess by the keeper to dive left couldn't stop a low corner shot that sealed the deal in Apgujeong. With the go ahead goal on the plate there was no letting up for the Spitfire defense who held off a weary Cheongju in the game's final minutes.

FINAL SCORE Spitfires 3 Cheongju 2

While the Spitfires will have to put their winning streak on hold for next week's bye, it will certainly be a well earned rest after a grueling, but exciting, Week 4!!

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P.S. We were predicted to lose, by a lot.

Do you know what it means. . .

Just got back from soccer, nothing really to report other than I'm sure glad it warmed up from earlier this week! We battled it out against local Korean team for three, 30 minute periods. While I simply did not see any real skill on the other team they managed to not only stay even but pull ahead to win in the end. Oh well, still just winter friendlies, no big deal.

Next week will be my first week off in while as we plan to go skiing over our Lunar Near Year holiday. Not entirely sure what the deal is but we'll be meeting a group of about a dozen people at Phoenix Park where we supposedly have a dorm/hostel room rented for a couple nights. Still not sure how we're getting there and back but we've got all week to figure that out.

Now for the oops. I just made a huge 'mistake.' You know the whole, 'curiosity killed the cat' thing? Well, I think I just got a taste of it.

What could I have possibly been so curious about that could effect me so negatively? Well, how about a round trip flight from Seoul to New Orleans to get in a week of Carnival. . .which I just found out I could do for less than 800 bucks.

Why is that a bad thing? 'Cause I'm probably not going to be able to do it. . .though I would gladly, gladly fork over the money for the ticket.

A bit of background. After my first Carnival season I vowed to myself that I would make it Mardi Gras morning every single year to see Zulu turn the corner in front of Igors. Now, for those of you who have never put in a full parade schedule and then tried to make it out Tuesday morning, especially after the Galactic show at Tip's the night before, well, I'm sure you underestimate the ease with which this seemingly simple task is accomplished.

Nevertheless, for the past four years in a row I have managed to get myself down past Napoleon on Mardi Gras Day. Sure, it wasn't always easy. The past two years I had to walk from Tips deciding to leave the car at home. That of course was after my second Gras during which I nearly missed the big day. How?

Well, headed down to parades early Tuesday morning, a doctor, in a hurry to get home, decided to blow through a stop sign crossing Freret directly in front of me. I managed to just barely swerve enough not to kill the driver by t-boning him right on the driver's side. Luckily I only swiped his back end and no one was hurt. This was a good enough sign for him to take off as he examined the damage, decided he could afford to pay for his own repairs, and took off towards home. I then waited with Laura for a few hours on the curb until a State Trooper showed up to take the report (as of course all NOPD's finest are busy doing what they should be doing, watching parades!). Anyways, it was a good thing we set out early because even with this delay I managed to get down to 'the spot' in time for Zulu, even though my driver side door was jammed shut. Good thing the parades always run late!

So, back to the 'oops.' I have, ever since arriving in Seoul, been fretting about possibly, and now seemingly likely, missing my first Gras. . .Sure I'd love to just see some old friends. Of course I'd kill to have a single meal prepared by Chef Mike. It'd do wonders for my sanity to hear some 'live, local music.' A swing by Mae's could only boost morale. King Cake tastes great no matter what. I hear Frog's might be hoping through town (and settling on a lilly pad for a bit). But most of all, I just don't wanna break my streak!

I know it sounds ridiculous but then again so does the idea of a major metropolitan city shutting down for a week so it's residents, young and old, can go watch parades for days on end screaming for someone to throw them a bunch of plastic crap made in China! It's New Orleans, no one ever said it had to make sense.

So, why don't I just buy a ticket and get it over with!? Trust me, I want to. There's only one small problem, which I wish I would have checked out before. . .I agreed to go to Shanghai with my Dad and Jay during the week of February 16th. . . . the final full week of Carnival. Now, Mardi Gras is great in and of itself, trying to out coconut 6' 6" Marcus is the sort of challenge many people will never experience (if you don't know, figure it out, it's probably not what you're thinking), but the real fun is in the build up.

I remember Freshmen year sitting around doing nothing in the dorms a couple weeks before the Gras when Sean comes in and asks if anyone wants to go to a parade. I was stunned. I knew Mardi Gras was coming up but why would there be parades so early? Well, I sure had a lot to learn. Though I don't recall much from my 'first' parade, I do know that it set something in motion that was hard to stop. Since that first parade that first year, I have tried to make it to as many as possible. . .well, within reason. No, I don't bother with pushing my way through the Quarter during the weekend, that's for tourists (right?). I definitely don't give two poos about whatever's rolling down Veteran's in Metairie. But if something's rolling up town then by all means, I'm there!

It only took me four years to figure out that I didn't need every bead but rather should only gun for 'cool' beads. In turn, during my last Gras I saved my voice for the majority of Carnival and actually walked away with quite a great stash, that the Larzipan graciously held on to me for while I went ambling for more! Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, the build up!

So, to really do Mardi Gras what I'd like to do is take a Wednesday to Wednesday so that I not only get in the Gras but some parades before hand too. Heck, I could even fly back on Tuesday, Mardi Gras Day, a few years ago Ari and I headed out of town that afternoon to go skiing. . .and lemme tell you, going directly to altitude from parades is quite an interesting experience!

Oh yeah, so, unfortunately I'll be in Shanghai for the preceding week. Well, I get back Friday, why not head back out on Saturday? That's exactly what I just checked on, and exactly what is so frustrating. It's entirely possible and not outrageously priced. As far as I know, a flight down to NOLA from within the States would cost almost as much, being Carnival and all.

So here's the catch. My contract at DYB allows me ten days of vacation time. Five of those I'll be using during my week in Shanghai. The other five, I was originally hoping to use sometime to spend a week in the South Pacific, either in Indonesia or the Philippines. You see how this is now posing a problem. Well, to be honest, if I had to make the call based solely on that information, I know it sounds crazy, but I'd be booking my ticket tonight.

Here's the second catch. DYB has a strict policy of not allowing vacation time during 'Winter Intensive' as it's supposedly much more, well, intense. This however is simply about as far from the truth as possible. Not only is my schedule more relaxed during this period but I actually 'enjoy' the working hours. It feels good to be a normal human being who doesn't get out of work just before midnight.

Anyways. . . Because Intensive will still be going on, I was already denied twice requesting for vacation time for the Shanghai week. It wasn't until I wrote a lengthy e-mail about the 'importance of seeing family' and that 'I have already booked my ticket' did Mr. Lee finally agree to let me go. My assumption is that he won't be granting me a second week of vacation, during intensive, immediately following the one I've already scheduled. . .

Sure it'll be great to see Shanghai. . .but I blew this one, big time. I don't even want to talk about JazzFest yet though I will eventually have to address it sooner or later. . .for the sake of my sanity.

I guess, all I can really do at this point is remember the inspiring words from Dirty Coast. . .


That, and tomorrow at work I'll be asking the possibility of taking two weeks off in a row!

Frozen Failure!

Well there's really no better way to wake ya' up then getting your butt kicked at soccer while at it's way below freezing out!

Headed down to Apgujeong today dressed appropriately for the 20 degree weather. Kept my legs warm with a new pair of tights while my body was cozied up under a new Under Armor top that my mother gave me for Christmas. . . while it's sure to keep me warm I'm not so sure about the mock turtle neck that feels like it's trying to cut off my airflow whenever I'm running. . .anyways, at least I managed to stay warm. . .enough.

Before the match, Sun introduced us to the opposing team, AT United. Looking across the line there was no question that we were in for a match as AT looked young, strong and most of all, fast! All of these attributes proved to be true out on the turf. While we Spitfires hung in there for the first ten minutes, it didn't take long for us to realize that we were simply being outplayed. No AT player took more than two or three touches on the ball, and they didn't have to. Their game resembled a precision well oiled machine that new where it wanted to go and how to get there. By the end of the first quarter (not sure why we played four 30 min quarters. . .but we did) AT had put away at least five on us and showed no signs of slowing down.

With a better understanding of what we were up against, we took back to the field with a game plan. . .kinda. Trying to slow down the pace of the game we were able to posses the ball a bit more on offense but still were being utterly dominated in our own third of the game. As center midfield I could do little to help the defense line that continually had ball after ball driven over their heads and taken down by a skilled touch, followed by a rocket on net. Though their attacks were relentless, we managed to hold AT to only two goals in the second quarter.

Dodging Sun's substitutions I managed to stay on the field for the third quarter, fearful that if I sat on the sideline I would freeze. It wasn't so much the bitter cold that got to you as did the 30 mph gusts of wind that just stabbed like an icicle. Back on the field I was moved outside the wing and managed to pull off a number of almost-productive runs. Though we were unable to capitalize on anything I got in one of our few shots on net and still made it back to help out the left back on defense. Again, AT won the quarter by a three point margin.

Taking the field for the final time with the sun setting, I was determined to help slow AT's onslaught and volunteered for defense. Sun dropped me all the way back as the last man, sweeping behind Sae-won, an amazing older Korean on our team who I have full confidence in whenever he touches the ball. With David and James on the wings we managed to keep AT's talented offense scoreless for a full thirty minutes. On top of that, Jun-ho was able to knock in a goal off a break away, giving us a win on the quarter!

Though AT certainly won the game, their incredible level of skill really helped us in a way that playing DA-ROK cannot. By the end of the game we had started to figure out not only how to defend their quick one two passes but in turn, mix together some short quick movement on our side to capitalize. A great game that, although it didn't turn out in our favor, surely offered our Spitfire team a lesson that we can hopefully put in to use in these coming weeks.

Oh, and a small correction. . . I was informed at the game that my statement about tying Seoul United FC last week was incorrect. We did in fact put away two goals on them, that I had somehow forgotten. Though they were supposedly missing a key player or two, the victory still means that we defeated the top ranked team in Division 1. . . not a bad showing I'd say!

Hopefully it warms up a bit for next week's game. . . or at least the wind stops blowing. . . ondol (heated floors) sure is great but it takes a while to really get going!

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!

Season Finale!

And so it was. . . on a cold Sunday afternoon, the Han River Spitfires took the field against a rejuvenated Democrats of America in Republic of Korea, or DA-ROK, for the final match of the SSFL 2008 Fall Season. Greatly out numbering their opponents in the previous match up, the HRS were able to rack up double digit goals in what could only be described as an all out rout! DA-ROK must have learned from their previous mistakes however and came fully prepared to play. . .well almost, they were still a player short of a full squad which worked out well as we were short a man too!

Despite the number being more even this time around, Han River managed to entirely dominate the game, playing a style of possession ball that had been all too elusive during the rest of the season. It didn't take long for our star center midfielder, highly acclaimed narcissist and unabashed womanizer, Joseph, to slop a beautiful ball over the opposing keeper's head and under the cross bar, opening up a Spitfire lead that would only grow throughout the game.

Before taking the pitch, our ever so subtle Korean teammates reminded the three wayguk, David, James and I, that we three were still yet to score on the season. Yet, of course, James and I were assigned to hold down the back while David, with his more than slightly sub-sonic speed was put out on the wing, left to the mercy of Joseph's uncatchably fast through balls.

With fewer players on what is normally an over crowded pitch, I quickly grew comfortable in my role as stopper/defending center midfielder. Having more space, and, fewer players, allowed me to push up further than I would normally, only needing to keep a distant eye on DA-ROK's less than threatening striker, who, to be honest, should have been playing anything but a sport involving coordination.

To no surprise, my numerous efforts to work my way up inside the opponent's goalie box continued to come up empty handed. Despite finding my self at the business end of a a few successful give 'n gos, a rebound off the crossbar and even a botched ball by the keeper that I ended up turning into an assist, I remained scoreless. . . for the first twenty five minutes.

In a quick transition out of our backfield I passed the ball out wide and took off up field at about half speed. As I passed Joseph at about midfield he yelled at me to go and score, telling me this was my chance. I wasted no time looking back and no energy considering his backhanded jeer. Rather, I keep ploughing down the field, always glad to use my extra energy on unnecessary runs. As the ball was crossed from the outside, DA-ROK's relatively rock solid sweeper managed to shank the ball just enough to pop it up in to my oncoming path. Still in full stride I took the ball down with one touch and laced a brilliant near post laser with my second. . . . finally!

I strode back confidently, making sure to swing by Joseph to thank him for his encouragement to which he offered a friendly, I told you so! While I had managed to finally produce offensively, I was hardly relieved of my defensive duties. Ammar, Joseph, New Guy, and I managed to hold down the back only allowing our keeper, 'Hands' (or, Han D. S. to be more specific) to rack up a single save. We went in to halftime up by a good couple goals, with a clean sheet on the other side to show for it!

Unfortunately, our clean sheet would eventually disappear, as DA-ROK managed to slip a few past a perhaps overconfident and certainly complacent Spitfire team. However, the game was far from over on Han River's side. Ammar managed to pick himself up a goal playing striker on the opposite end of the field from where he normally finds himself. Finding himself at the right place at the right time, David managed to pick up not only one but a pair of sloppy second goals! Back at defense, I had more than enough time to wait patiently and pick my battles.

Finally, an opportunity arose. With the ball buried in DA-ROK's half Joseph managed to win us a corner kick which he stood to take. Coming up from the back field I found my self an unguarded patch of green at the top of the box and indicated to Joseph that I needed that kick. True to form he dropped a dime a foot in front of me and two feet off my head, just enough space for me to launch into the air above the over crowded box and smash the ball off my cranium in to the back of the opposing net. . .all while getting a great birds eye view of the stunned keeper from my stellar heights!

I again thanked Joseph and surprisingly received a congratulatory remark in return, though clearly well deserved ;-)

I retired to play wing back for the final 10 minutes or so of the game, allowing James to get a chance attacking the net, though he was in the end unsuccessful. Hanging in the back however did not stop my lust for offensive productivity. At any open chance I would dart feverishly up the sideline calling for all and any through balls as I had decided long ago I could not only beat any of their defenders to the ball but could get back to cover my man by the time they made a transition. . .sure, a bit cocky, but it was working!

I had a good couple of runs with balls played beautifully from Sun and Joseph though my hatrick proved to be elusive. Finally, on a through ball from Sun I broke free, shook the keeper with some happy feet and 'meged him, through the five hole, for a score. . . which, Sun, playing referee in the absence of an 'official,' called back due to offsides! There goes my 'trick! Oh well. . . I had another couple chances but soon quit after taking a full blast from the opposing goalie in the side of my foot which today is as black as the turf pellets I pull out of my knees after each game.

The game ended with a final score somewhere around 8-3. . .though I'm not entirely sure. We celebrated the win, and season, with our diminutive squad at Two-Two Chicken as darkness fell over Apgujeong. While I don't think I'll be winning any league wide awards at Saturday's SSFL banquet (though someone did suggest most improved player, for my late 'appearance' as an offender), I had an awesome time this season and can hardly wait until Spring league starts up, sometime in late February I believe!

To top it all off, I managed to close out the season as Man of the Match (as I'm currently up in the weekly poll, supported by Sun Uk's endorsement)! Two goals and the game ball. . .not a bad way to end the season. . .now the only question is, what to do with my Sundays!?

Spitfires vs. Chungju Match Report

Well apparently it was my turn this week to prepare the 'match report' for SSFL as Martin, who normally does the write ups, has voluntarily decided to forgo the season's remaining matches. Obviously not everyone can play all the time but lemme tell ya, it's a lot better to be on the bench of a winning team then it is to be at home, watching them play. Anyways, Sun Uk asked me if I would prepare the match report this week to which I begrudgingly agreed. . .at least I can just copy and paste it here so that I don't have to re-write everything to fill you, my supportive reader, in on the details!

Enjoy. . .

Spitfires vs. ChungJu--Match Report

On a brisk Sunday afternoon in late fall, the Spitfires played host to the well-traveled ChungJu, squaring off at home in Apgujeong.

Thanks to Todd's diplomacy and Sun Uk's grace, the Apgujeong All-stars managed to be coaxed off 'their' pitch a bit early, allowing the match to begin a good 15 minutes before the scheduled kickoff time, in order to beat the 5:17pm sunset. Both teams came out strong while ChungJu showed the fire of a team who last faced an embarrassing home defeat against the visiting Spitfires.

While the Spitfires looked slightly understaffed at kickoff, no one paid our numbers much attention as we were aware that a few, key players, would be arriving late. For twenty minutes the ball bounced up and down the small field to neither teams advantage; some might say it was like a game of 'ping-pong.'

Then, without warning, on a scrappy play just outside the Spitfires goal box, two ChungJu players collided, sending the ball whirling toward our goal with uncontrolled and unpredictable spin. Try as he might, even the great 'HanDS' couldn't quite reel in this knuckleball shot. . .1-0 ChungJu.

ChunJu's celebration was cut short however as they noticed the always ferocious Joseph warming up on the sideline. Playing brilliantly while on the field, an unfortunate ball to the face forced our star center midfielder to not only take a seat but head home early due to vision problems. . .we all wish you the best Joseph!

Never a team to get down when falling behind, the Spitfires soon responded with a well placed corner kick. As Todd and Richard crashed the net, Kyung Soo waited just off the back post, showing the patience of a true Korean. Watching the ball soar over the many heads of a crowded box, Kyung Soo drove home the equalizer with not so much as a bat of his eye! Tie game, 1-1.

The two teams continued to fight in the middle with neither producing much on offense. As ChungJu would break free, a solid, foreign led Spitfire defense would shut them down before they could capitalize. On the other side of the field, the International Blues Brothers, Jun Ho and Jun Suk led a relentless, but eventually futile, attack on ChungJu's over sized keeper.

Not long after the second goal, ChunJu managed to tap in another one off of a corner kick that left the Spitfire defense dazed and confused.

Halftime. . .Spitfires 1 - ChungJu 2

With no more than a two minute break, remember, darkness is SSFL's biggest and most consistent enemy as the season wears on, the teams took back the field for the second half. For a while, neither team played much like wining as both sides engaged in what Niki so eloquently described as a 'ping-pong' match. Alas, Chungju's relentless attack by thee Brazilian underwear models caught the Spitfires off guard, allowing for yet another one to slip past the always-sticky 'HanDS.'

Having little to lose at this point but pride, the Spitfires went on the attack that had thus far eluded them all game. Pounding the ball down the throats of ChungJu defenders, the straight shooting' Kyung Soo managed to push another brilliantly played ball (from Richard I believe?) past their keeper. We're right back in it. . .3-2 ChungJu.

As the Spitfires continued to rain down hell on the opposition, they took what some might consider the 'low' road to victory, brutally attacking the hands of our fearsome all mighty 'HanDS,' forcing him out of net and on to the bench. While Ammar stepped into goal, the Spitfires rallied on. Adam tried to return the favor by slide tackling the opposing keeper in attempts to keep alive a dime ball dropped by fellow Jumbo, Niki.

A pair of remarkable free kicks, one by Kyung Soo and the other from Niki, both ricocheted off the post, leaving an empty ringing sound in the heart of the worn Spitfires. Giving it everything they had, the Spitfires continued to challenge ChunJu in the air with a flurry of unproductive corner kicks. Alas, the final whistle blew and the match was called, just minutes before true sundown.

Final Score ChungJu 3 - Spitfires 2

While the Spitfires gave up a winnable one this week, perhaps it is all for the better! Who really wanted to move up to a flashy, showier D-1 when we have all the talent in the world right here? Like someone once said, it's better to big a big fish in a small pond rather than a goldfish in an ocean!

Exhausted!

What a long, long Sunday!

Saturday night Nate and I, along with Joseph, planned on going to see the new James Bond movie. I had 'DYB song' rehearsal in Gunja earlier in the day and returned to Junggye around six in the evening at which point we called Joseph to see if he was ready to go. Apparently he had just laid down for a nap after a long day of cheering on DYB high school students at a big test in Gimp. He agreed to go in two hours and we managed to whittle away the time on Nate's relatively newly aqcuired sofa.

Two and a half hours later, after watching another Bond movie on tv, Die Another Day, we again phoned Joseph to see if he was ready. Apparently I again woke him at this point but he agreed to go in half-n-hour. A little after 10pm we had met up and were on our way to Lotte Cinema, yes, that Lotte, in Nowon.

Up on the tenth floor of the Lotte Department store, Joseph 'took a number' and waited for his turn to purchase tickets. We got three tickets (7,000won a piece) for the 11:15pm showing. Lucky for us as there were only 18 seats left that I'm sure were picked up soon after we grabbed ours. The reason I know this is that seats, for popular movies, are assigned. . .and we got three in the font row. Apparently Bond is incredibly popular in Korea, especially late on a Saturday night.

While watching a movie from the front row in Korea is just as awkward as watching a movie from the front row in America, there was one added bonus. In front our seats were small rocking ottomans to help front row viewers pretend like they are comfortable when they are in fact far from being so!

Opening with a roaring car chase, Quantum Solace was certainly action packed, though rather un-Bondish in the lack of gadgets, gizmos and globe threatening bad guys. While I enjoyed watching, my accompaniments decided that it wasn't nearly as good as the last, and Daniel Craig's first, Bond movie. Oh well, guess I missed that one!

After the movie we swung by a well known Nowon hangout No Block where we unintentionally met up with Bryne who had just returned from a hot date and was trying his luck on a young Korean woman who claimed to be Japanese. . . interesting. Eating my fill of snack mix, as No Block's is the best in all of Korea, I figured it was approaching bed time seeing as how I had a Sunday field trip in front of me with the Spitfires.

This week's match was not only against Daejeon but unfortunately, in Daejeon. This small (population 1.4 million people) city is located even further south than Cheongju making it my most distant travel within the country of Korea to date.

I pulled myself out of bed at 9:30am and whacked my head on the ceiling for the second day in a row. Having recently moved upstairs into my loft following the acquisition of a new couch, (more to come on the 'new' room hopefully by midweek) I'm still not quite used to crouching while getting out of bed! As for the stairs down. . .while, I take those very, very slowly for the meantime!

After loading up my soccer gear and a couple of old magazines I shot across the street to grab a gimbap to go for breakfast. Huddled over myself trying to stay warm while waiting for the bus, I saw a familiar face coming towards me: Julia! Apparently she was 'at work' and just ran out to get breakfast. While I have no idea why a teacher would be at work on a Sunday morning I didn't press the issue, noticing an approaching bus. Still part asleep and impatient to get out of the cold, I said good bye to Julia and hopped on.

The bus was surprisingly empty and I was able for once to actually grab one of the dozen or so seats. I quickly learned why. Pulling up to the first stoplight, which I am accustomed to turning right at, the bus moved over into the left hand turn lane! Doh! I got off at the next stop only to realize that I had boarded the 1142 and not the 1224. I mean. . .the numbers are really similar. . .oops!

On top of that, once off the bus, I realized I had forgotten to swipe my T-Money card on the way out meaning that I wouldn't get free entrance to the subway but would have to pay another 900 won (which at this point is worth about a dozen nickels or less). Oh well! I decided that it was simply to early to be muddling with buses and grabbed myself a 2,000 won taxi to Hagye. As Homer Simpson puts it, "public transportation is for losers" anyways!

I did eventually make it on to Line 7 and down to the Express Bus Terminal, where, armed with detailed directions, I was able to quickly find the gates for Daejeon. . .where no one was waiting! Realizing that one must buy a ticket before actually getting on the bus, I figured the ticket booth would be my next best shot. This turned out to be an intelligent thought.

By 11:25am, the scheduled meeting time, we had manged to round up a decent squad of 12; hey, one sub is better than no subs! Nikki purchased all our tickets for us and we paid him back a dollar over to chip in for the younger guys' tickets, whatever that means, though I think it might be a kind phrase for unemployed as I'm pretty sure I'm one of the youngest on the team!

A good two hour nap later we arrived in Daejeon where I remembered to scarf down the extra gimbap I had bought at the bus terminal. This is something I will certainly not do again as it tasted substantially worse, was much smaller, and cost more than the one I ate earlier from my local Gimbapchongook.

Nikki directed us in to taxis headed towards the pitch at Pai Chai University. David, from Grand Rapids, and I hopped in with the twins. Thus, I was treated to a healthy mix of German, English and Korean on the way to the field, 15 minutes or so away.

The taxi driver didn't exactly know where the field was but figured that the big brown rectangle on his navigation system had to be something. So, despite turning down a dead end, he ushered us out and in the direction that, he believed, the field was in. . .and what a field it was.

Yep, you guess it, dirt again! Not only was it dirt but it was much finer than my first dirt field experience. Consequently, taking a whack at the ball felt like playing beach soccer to a small degree. Furthermore, the field was huge! By far the largest field I've played on since highschool, if I ever played on a field this large in high school! It really gives you a better idea of just how great of shape professional players are in to keep running up and down this vast barren stretch of land!

While warming up we learned that the other team had cancelled the referee, unaware that we would have a full squad to play with. Apparently this was the result of Niki's brilliant scheme to tell the other team that we didn't have enough players to encourage them to go out drinking the night before, only to let them know a few hours before the game that we would be able to compete. Interesting, but talk about your all time backfires! Their team manager ended up playing ref and I'm pretty sure the whistle blew no more than a half dozen times despite quite a number of testy offsides and bloodied bodies!

As Niki barked out the starting line up, Martin seemed disappointed to not be starting, which, to be honest, is no big deal having only one sub your guaranteed to play at least 75 minutes or so anyways! However, as everyone turned around to warm up, someone noticed Martin trodding away from the field with his bag slung over his shoulder. Not sure whether or not he would return we all continued to warm up. He didn't! While this might be looked at as good in the sense of losing a weak link, as I said, one sub is better than no subs! Especially on a regulation sized pitch against the number one team in the league!

Starting at center attacking midfield (don't ask me how I have adopted this role as I'm sure Archer would flip seeing it) I really tried to conserve energy, only making offensive runs when they wielded attacking possibilities and primarily sticking to marking their two center midfielders, both of whom were incredible ball players! With our solid defense, and Niki in goal (our keeper, back up, and double-back up Amar all were out) we managed to keep Daejeon scoreless for the first 35 minutes or so.

Unfortunately, in a contestable battle inside the box, a Daejeon player was able to out muscle Niki in the air to tap home the first goal with his head. While a good number of our players spent a good amount of time complaining about the goal to the referee, who again is a member of the other team (oh, and on a side note, looks like a cross between an Australian explorer, California surf bum and Swedish adult film star) would have nothing to hear of it. Personally, I didn't think it mattered as Daejeon had subs a plenty while we were already struggling to stay upright!

An hour or so later the game was called and we Spitfires retired to the bench, disappointed, but not heart broken after a 3-0 loss. While it was a bummer to let one go after a six game winning streak, losing by three with no goalie, subs or energy is not really a bad loss. . .especially to the league's best team that beat us by two last time, on our own pitch, with a full squad and keeper!

We took off from the field together much less down hearted than after any other loss! At the first corner, six of the guys grabbed cabs towards the highspeed KTX train while I stayed with the twins and 'younger guys' to go back to the bus station. As the five of us couldn't fit into one taxi, I hoped in the first one with Jun Ho as his brother, Jun Suk, stayed behind with Sang Ho and and Hee Myung.

The cab ride gave Jun Ho and I some good bonding time in which I was faced with a number of inevitably unanswerable questions. How are you enjoying Korea? In lieu of "Well, I'm not really but to be honest the food is cheap and I don't mind not paying taxes," I settled with, "I'm getting more used to it, it's not Mexico but, hey, it'll do." This was followed by, a question about what I do, which was easy enough to answer, yet not with out sounding like a cog in some larger Konglish machine (which I certainly am). The tricky one, as it always gets me, is when I'm asked why it is that I came to Korea. While I'd love to answer, "Because I didn't do enough research on teaching abroad," I usually resort to one of the wholly unfulfilling answers that I used to convince myself to come in the first place. . .primarily, "It pays better than most other places." Then I'll follow that with a couple lines about traveling and being on the other side of the world which, is a joke, as I am allotted only ten days of 'vacation' and most likely will not have a great opportunity to 'travel' outside of Seoul's extended subway system.

We did eventually get around to taking about what it is that I want to do later as I did managed to confess that I do not plan on sticking around for any more than a year at the longest. This too is a tricky question, not in that I need to manufacture it but because I simply do not know! I suggested going back to school though I admited I did not know for what. I admitted music therapy sounds interesting but only if I could corner some boutique market in which I could sell my services to undeserving socialites in Manhattan for way more than I desereved.

I then mentioned politics yet asserted that I did not necessarily desire to be a politician. Which brought me to talking about policy research/formation and the possibility of lobbying at which point my rambling was met with a very awkward and confused look. I again repeated the term 'lobby' and its various forms until I got a reaction, which was anything but positive, or so it seemed. I aksed Jun Ho if he knew what I meant and he slowly responded, yes. I still couldn't figure out why he was acting so weird until he seemed to release all the tension in his face and sit back. "You know, I am a lobbyist," he said. Ha! So that was it. . .but wait, why such disdain at first? I asked him how he liked the job and he said he loved it! So, that's not what caused the awkwardness. . .hmmm, keep digging!

I told him that I have a super-cool-kick-butt lobbyist in the family and he asked about what she did. . .so, I informed him that she simply doles out favors to guarantee legislators' votes. . .at least, that what I would have said if I was younger, untactful, and hadn't been bashed by my own mother in the Detroit Free Press (love you mommy!) for saying exactly that. I asked him about what he does and apparently he works for some EU Chamber of Commerce, representing European business interests in Korea. Whoa. . .heavy stuff! We talked about it for a while and he seemed to get more and more excited about telling someone, who was interested, what exactly he does!

He assured me though that the term 'lobbyist' in Korean is not always viewed favorably. I reassured him that he needn't worry as I don't think it's viewed with the same reverence as 'doctor' anywhere in the world, especially not in America. Jun Ho told me that it's a little bit worse in Korea as the actual word for lobbyist, and the profession itself, is very closely associated with corruption. After talking for a bit longer he made me promise not tell anyone else what it is that he does, and especially not to mention the L word. . .this I can handle. . .at least I got my answer to why such a strange initial reaction. He was clearly trying to evaluate whether a) I was trying to get at something that I shouldn't know about and b) whether I was trustworthy enough to know exactly what he does. Looks like I passed!

Anyways, we ended up meeting the full squad back at the bus station as the KTX had sold out of all trains from Daejeon to Seoul. . .much to the dismay of many! We were able to get tickets on the deluxe bus (for a whoping 13,000) however which settled a few people's worries. I again went to sleep immediately as I have developed a passion for sleeping on any moving vehicle that is not an airplane. I was awoken two hours later to a good deal of grumbling as the bus pulled to a stop. Apparently we were only half way to Seoul due to traffic and had pulled over for a pit stop. . .which I readily took advantage of! Back on the bus I was unable to return to my stupor state and instead watched the never ended skyline of large block buildings, hideous high rise apartments and neon lights go flashing by as the bus rolled slowly towards Seoul.

We arrived at around 9:30pm, over three and a half hours after leaving Daejeon! While most of the guys were about ready to kill someone (or be killed by their waiting wives) I still had a half hour subway ride to go. . .which brings me here, back to Junggye, where I ate dinner at the same Gimbapchongook I had breakfast at a good 12 hours before.

That was quite a day, and now, I am going to sleep!

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!

Disappointing Victory!

How exactly do you manage to be disappointed after destroying another team 17-2!? Well, there are a number of reasons why, allow me to explain!

Today's match was hyped up as the best opportunity for our first foreigner goal, as only Koreans had yet to score for the Spitfires. Knowing that I'd be gunning for one, and hoping that others would recognize my efforts and possibly assist, I bet Nate that today would be the day when I put one in the back of the net.

I arrived at our Apgujeong pitch a few minutes before I was supposed to as I have a track record of being a few minutes late; thanks to the subway, transfer and short hike that I have to take to get there from Kansas, oh wait, I mean Junggyedong. I warmed up by kicking a ball around with Joseph and Craig who had also arrived early. We stopped passing around however when the ball rolled out onto the field and we were yelled at by the makeshift ref judging the makeshift game that is played before us every Sunday. These guys do not actually reserve the field and are apparently a group of Korean actors and other celebrities (as our home field is in the Hollywood of Seoul) who will go to great lengths to make themselves seem important. Primarily, they will stay on the field until the clock literally strikes four o'clock, when our games are scheduled to begin. . .how super totally awesome of them!

I'd give you a game summary of our match but it pretty much went like this. . .we scored, they didn't! We played the worst team in the league (though that means they are only three positions behind us, previously ranked 5th) and expected good things to happen from the onset. Of course, everyone was anxious to see just who would be the first wayguk (foreigner, I believe this is the term everyone uses) to score.

No more than five minutes into the game, our star center midfielder, no, not me silly, the other one, Joseph, managed to send a ball scorching to the back of the net. Having gotten one under his belt, Joseph begin sharing the ball a bit more, putting a number of passes right in my path. Again and again, at least four times in the first half, I would receive a ball just outside the 18, look up to find a clear path to their lumbering goalie, and take an absolute rip at the net. Yet, each time, somehow, the bear managed to come away with a fingertip save or something else equally as lucky!

Soon after Joseph put the Spitfires' first goal away, I had a fantastic opportunity to break the foreigner seal! A ball was played over the defense and snatched up by the other team's diving keeper, just as I was chasing it down. As I pulled up to avoid a collision, a member of the opposing team came streaking by me, apparently on my tail the whole time. WHAM! He smashed into his own keeper, sending the ball rolling out of the goalie's hands! I quickly lunged forward and tapped the ball into the back of the net! I had done it! I scored the first wayguk goal!

Alas, I should never have considered this a possibility! The referee, who is notorious for making blind and hypersensitive calls, immediately blew his whistle! I turned around aghast that something should be wrong! As the referee waved off the goal he informed me not to attack the goalie once the ball was in his possession. . .this just killed me! But whatever, that's not the way to score the first goal anyways right? Lets go for something a little classier!

A few minutes later the Spitfires were awarded a corner kick and I was caught in the thick of things. I managed to get up for the header which was blocked and landed back almost right in front of me. All of a sudden Todd comes swinging in to crush the ball into the back of the net! Yaaay, the first foreigner goal! At least I could feel proud about my 'assist.'

Let's just say, from there, everything was down hill. I had an average of probably one opportunity to score every ten minutes. Each time I sent a scorching ball towards the keeper and not once did I miss the target. Unfortunately, I managed to come up just short every time!

Finally, late in the second half, the other team made an illegal passback to their goalie who picked it up, constituting a handball, and landing us a penalty quick! As the first to notice their mistake, I immediately called out to Sun that I would like to take it. He and Nikki (benched for the game from an ankle injury) agreed that it should be my kick!

With a terrible goalie in net I had planned to do no more than blast it at him and pick up the rebound if necessary. Right before I approached the ball Joseph decided to reassure me that all I needed to do was roll it in on the ground. Not wanting to disappoint, I decided to opt for an inside of the foot shot aimed at the bottom left corner. Never, never, change your shot right before shooting. I managed to shank the ball worse than Baggio and sent what should have been an easy, and my first, goal soaring over the net from no more than 10 yards out. I know, I owe Abu a 'red' and now I owe the team a case of beer. . . .I take full responsibility and am extremely embarrassed at the miss!

To make it worse, I spent the entire rest of the game gunning for the goal, only to fail on every attempt to put one in! Only two others besides myself managed to go scoreless in our game against DA-ROK (Democrats of America in the Republic of Korea). To top things off, with only a few minutes left in the game, I came charging up from defense to assist in our team's corner kick. As the ball sailed across the box I made solid contact with it, sending it snarling towards the goal where I felt certain I had beaten the keep. Alas, he manged to just put a finger on it sending the ball skywards where it hit the underside of the cross bar, bounced down, off the endline, and up again into the goalie's waiting hands!

I simply could not have bought a goal this game if I wanted to! And to make things worse, we were scored on twice! Not that it's a huge deal, as we still pulled off a 15 point differential, but until this game, we had played 270minutes of soccer without giving one up. So, of course, it was a little disheartening to give up today's clean sheet.

Anyways, we did pull off a 15-2 victory and I had a great time in the process! It's too bad that I couldn't put a goal in and even worse that I shanked the ugliest ball in the history of the game. . .when I probably could have rolled it in for a score!

Oops, my bad!