SIFL First Division 2013-2014
November 9th 2013 game 3
Shanghai Cosmos 2-3 Shanghai 3 United
For this third league game of the season, 3 United faces the strong and last year runner-up Cosmos team after a disappointing and bitter loss against Shining angry birds in the second game. The pressure is high since this game would reveal how ambitious the team can expect to perform while playing against the best teams of the league and since a loss would definitely put 3 United in a difficult position on the table. Therefore, everybody shown up motivated, nicely shaved and ‘unhangovered’ for an always nice early bus ride through Shanghai industrial suburb that allowed coach Miller to fix some points about the last games.
While the Cosmos shown up with their very good polyglot striker and strong defense, 3 united shown up with an unusual team made of Re United recruits Alvaro Roca Benitez and Vernon and new-comer Cody Ashton, while usual starters Daniel Enock, Pierre Marconnet, Fabian Kraemer and Joren Bredmann as well as Julien Walemme were unable to make it.
The game takes place in ‘under construction’ Tianma Toy Heliport, the SIFL league management proving to be the best of the world by even organizing a summer weather in november just during the game, a performance that no other league could claim being able to reproduce. The match ruling would be held by the first referee ever that could tease the players about the remaining play time, definitely a showman once the kick-off has been whistled.
The game started on usually high football bases with 3 United playing a lovely passing football and trying to build from the back while Cosmos, very well organized tactically was mainly counting on their striker Jordan to handle dangerous counter-attacks in the back of the defense. And after a long and balanced observation period the first big chance came from a long shot from right full-back Etienne Bernhardt, bushy eyebrows, that almost finished in the angle. The firework started when an unfortunate sloppy pass in the entrance of the box from Sergio Parla straight to the adversary allowed Jordan to put himself in a good position after easily eliminating the center-back and score an undeserved goal for Cosmos (26th minute). Jordan celebrated then his goal by shouting insults in at least 8 languages.
Cosmos good defense and offensive efficiency allowed the team to get confident and 3 United seemed then to be really hammered by this unfaired situation, but kept pushing without being able to really outnumber Cosmos defenders. The referee then started is show by refusing a goal from Sergio parla after a flippy corner-kick despite the ball crossed the line by more than one meter, a situation that really put 3 United down and under, especially when he validated a own-goal for Cosmos after a missed chest control from Etienne Bernhardt, while the ball didn’t cross the line (38th minute). It seemed that nothing could happen to Cosmos that day and that they even could beat Real Madrid or OGC Nice easily with such lucky happenings. That’s how both teams reached the half-time break with a Cosmos 2-0 lead that looked to be fatal.
But the way 3 United played and believed in a win mixed with an unjustice feeling made them so motivated that coach Mike’s small oration easily reached its targets by inspirating to his troups an unstoppable revolution spirit that would lead to a game that even Steven Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock together wouldn’t have dreamt to imagine.
The on-fire 3 United started to push since the first minute of the second time in Cosmos half while Cosmos was maybe overconfident about that they couldn’t lose. The rest is a legendary story that would remain for long in the books.
Despite a few strong moments and chances for Cosmos, 3 United never stopped believing in its capacity and superiority and Enrik started the come-back by shooting powerfully a free-kick on the goalkeeper that had to release it into Vernon’s feet for a first goal (62th minute). Vernon’s impact on the game was terrible, constantly threatening Cosmos defense that tired, left some space for Sergio Parla to score a nice equalizer and erase his mistake of the first half (71th minute).
At that time, Cosmos started to doubt and 3 United to think that it was impossible to leave the pitch without a win that day, and that’s what happened when Vernon put everyone’s heart on fire scoring a winner at 5 minutes from the end (85th minute). The end finally ended this way, letting to everyone a sweet touch in the mouth and confidence for the rest of the season, while very fair-play cosmos players congratulating 3 united ones in every languages of the world.
Final score: Cosmos – 3 United 2-3
Team performance: 9,5/10
The best performance of 3 United since ages, with a very beautiful football and a fantastic mental..
Individual performances:
Guys please don’t overreact about the following part, that is purely for fun,so please let me apologize in advance if you feel that any of my below comment is unfair or/and shocking.
CODY “HOWARD” ASHTON 8,5/10
For his first game for 3 United, Cody proved to be a serious competitor to Joren by showing insurance in his box and secure short passing.
DEAN “CARRAGHER” ROSIER 8/10
Dean plays always more confident and beside doing his job defensively was also able to bring offensively, would have been even better with a better cross quality.
JD “DESCHAMPS” PERNIN 7/10
JD obviously made the job as a sentinel in front of the defense, we could regret a lack of offensive impact.
DAVID “PODOLSKI” LAZAROWICZ 8/10
David always consistently brings his usual fighter qualities that really upset the adversary defense, good game, could have been more precise in his passing game.
ETIENNE “GINOLA” BERNHARDT 7,5/10
What to say about Etienne, a own goal and two fantastic shots, playing on an unusual full-back position, Etienne brought his team-spirit to the game and besidely dominated easily his area of the pitch.
ENRIK “SVENSSON” STORM 8,5/10
He is a fighter and a fine technician, a complete player that definitely made the game today.
DEREK “CHICHARITO” YESIONOWSKI 8/10
Derek plays better and better since he is back from his groin injury, his pace helped to control the dangerous Cosmos forwards.
NATHAN “DEMPSEY” JONES 7,5/10
Some good dribbling and impact.
NICK “ROONEY” LAW 8/10
A lot of activity as ususal, especially impressive defensively, could do more offensively.
VERNON « ETO’O » 9/10
Big impact, his ball guiding was a big threat for Cosmos defense, creating space and being always well positionned, man of the match.
ALVARO « GUARDIOLA » ROCA 8/10
Made himself available, good ball conduction . Beside, a stupid yellow card for contesting a ruling.
ALVARO « CANNAVARO » CORBETTA 9/10
Alvaro shown a grand mastering of the defense, quiet, sober, clever, good passing, a catenaccio masterpiece.
SERGIO « NAVAS » PARLA 8,5/10
Beside a mistake that led to the first Cosmos goal, Sergio shows game after game is huge talent on his side, and I won’t be surprise that he become a key player this season.
