The skies were as dark as midnight early Saturday morning, as a thunderstorm rolled through Shanghai. Many thought games would be cancelled but the 3U players were ready to play regardless of the weather with everyone on time at the bus stops for their 13:00 pm game. After prepping their bags and gear for the worst of the rain, 3United took the field against the top-of-the-table-threatening, Tianfu. 3U was looking to keep their point differential from the 2nd place United at 6 points, while Tianfu was looking to stay in 3rd with a game in hand.

Tianfu won the toss and immediately tried to test the 3U defense pushing hard for a crack in the defense for the first few minutes. But 3U was solid and gained control of the game quickly. They spent most of the half on Tianfu’s side of the pitch but were unable to create anything dangerous to really test the keeper. About 35 minutes in, Tianfu had a 3 on 2 breakaway and saw a shot from the left corner of the box. 3U keeper, Steve Rowland, made a diving save but the wet ball squirreled out and a Tianfu attacker was able to beat the 3U defenders and poke the ball into goal for the first goal of the game. For the last 10 minutes, 3U struggled to find an equalizer but were stumped by the Tianfu defense.

After some motivational words and a tactical change from Coach Peythieu, 3U took the pitch again and the difference in the team was immediately apparent. Dangerous from the first play, within ten minutes 3U was able to put the equalizer in. Joe Williams received a throughball on goal, beat his defender and smashed it low into goal to make the game 1-1. Only ten minutes later, Alvaro Roca received ball on the left and cut past a defender across the top of the box and whipped a ball into the side netting giving 3U the lead for the first time in the game. Tianfu was discouraged but was not ready to give up and tried to find another break on the 3U defense. But it was to no avail and with less than 15 minutes left in the game, Roca was able to link up with Guillaume Jeannerot waiting on the other side of the keeper box to make it 3-1. Tianfu then imploded in on itself, receiving a red and yellow card trying to dispute that the goal was offsides but it was ruled by both the main and sideline officials that the goal was indeed onsides. With only 10 men, the rest of the game was 3U dominated and before the end of the game, they were also awarded a penalty for a foul by the keeper in the box and extended their lead to three. After a wet, tough-fought battle, the final seconds wound down and the whistle was blown solidifying 3United’s comeback win. Final goal tally, 4-1 to 3United.

Man of the match: Guillaume Jeannerot

Side note: 3United’s defense continues to be the best in the 1st division having conceded only 12 goals in 14 games, with the next least conceding team, the Vikings, having let in 24.