Shanghai ReUnited launched into the 2019/20 campaign looking to go one better after a gut-wrenching end to the last season which saw them miss out on a maiden SIFL title to Azzurri on goal difference.
It would also mark a new era of sorts—club mainstay and manager Seb Becker relocated to Germany in the summer, though has since remained ever-present in the committee from afar and had been returning to China frequently on business prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
ReU were straight out of the blocks in their opener vs. Krauts, as attacking trio Luke Blakebrough, Denys Yarych and Steve Ishemezmwe freewheeled in a commanding 6-0 victory. It was a near-perfect start, marred only by the injury of captain Derek Yesionowski who sustained a blow to the head while contesting a header.
Yesionowski would sit the next three games and his absence proved costly in the ensuing tie vs. defending champions Azzurri. A makeshift back four without both Yesionowski and CB partner Mikhail Kutuzov (also nursing an injury) struggled to contain the Azzurri forwards early on, conceding a penalty inside five minutes. This was converted and the Italians held firm in a frustrating encounter. The match ended 0-1.
ReU rebounded the following weekend against Japan in an encounter that saw a 0-0 scoreline at half-time converted into an 8-0 victory. Japan’s insistent up-field pressing exposed them to the break and ReU were clinical. This momentum carried into the following week’s grudge match with Shooters, a bruising affair which saw Shooters claw back to 2-2 after a fast start from ReU, but ultimately fail to keep pace in the final 20 minutes. ReUnited emerged with a hard-fought 5-3 victory.
The next run of fixtures was highlighted by a dominant display over bottom-placed Longtang and a convincing 4-1 win over Voodoo. The former was a memorable day for the club marked by the farewell of James Stetzel (who fittingly netted four goals as a departing gift) and the arrival of ReU Under 19 product Zach Kohring, who drilled home a superb long-range effort in the late stages. The latter encounter saw two first-half goals from Danish rookie William Olsen to put ReUnited in the clear, with the steady hands of goalkeeper and reigning league MVP Cody Ahlstrom seeing them home
After the long COVID-19-induced delay, ReU lept back into action and were on-script for the first week of top-tier play, besting Shooters 4-2 in a convincing display which put the team two points clear at the top of the league following an Azzurri-Voodoo draw earlier in the day. Blakebrough bagged two goals which lifted his tally to a rampant 24 goals in 12 appearances. A brace from veteran Eitel Nsile rounded out the day.
As the story goes, that would unfortunately mark the season’s apex. A dogged Cosmos snatched three points the following week in a disappointing day out which saw ReU fail to break down a sturdy defense after Cosmos headed home a goal in the first 25 minutes. The loss of Blakebrough to a hamstring injury for what was virtually a must-win encounter with Voodoo the following week, coupled with the loss of Yarych to suspension and season-ending knee surgery for Ishemezmwe—meant ReUnited were left with insufficient firepower up top and went down 1-3 to a hungry Voodoo. At that stage, ReU’s fate was taken out of its hands, opening the door for Azzurri to secure the spoils a fortnight later.
All told, another strong but ultimately dissatisfying campaign for a club that will be again be fired up and looking to go one better in 2020/21. Though all is not lost yet—at the time of print ReUnited still have every hope of taking home the SIFL Cup in a highly anticipated clash with Shooters. Come on ReU!
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