Location – Phu Quoc

Players – Sasha, Henno, Nico, Borris, Andreas, Angelo, Albin, Craig.

General Manager – Jon

The wafer thin squad arrived at the pitch on Saturday morning and were in surprisingly fresh and positive spirits. Injuries had decimated the squad as Tarek, Jon and Floyd were all forced to miss out leaving us with only 8 players for what was sure to be a long and gruelling tournament. The day was already heating up when the Raiders took to the pitch to face their first opponents, Mango Bay (a local viet team). Matches were to be 20 minutes each and you would play both teams in your group twice.

Ready for the tournament

Opting for a 2-3-1 formation the raiders started well and were soon ahead thanks to Andreas slotting home a poorly cleared corner. Nico then doubled the raiders lead using what would come to be our secret weapon against the small Vietnamese teams….the stoke FC long throw! Nico didn’t even need to jump in order to flick the ball from the near post over the keeper and into the far corner. The other teams struggled to deal with it all day long as Andreas Delap could launch the ball in from almost the half way line. Any thoughts of complacency were dismissed when the opposition were given a penalty after a brilliant swan lake impression from their striker. However the raiders responded immediately as Craig was released by a through ball from Nico to smash the ball into the top corner from a narrow angle (similar to the Dennis Bergkamp goal predicted). There was still time for Sasha to miss a penalty…yes you read that right!!! Result: 3-1 Raiders and a confidence boosting start.

Due to the lay out of the tournament the Raiders then had to play again immediately after which was especially difficult due to our small squad. The team was a group of local taxi drivers who must get the ball out every time they aren’t driving as they were surprisingly young and fit. Perhaps due the success of the throws in the first game the Raiders were a little one dimensional and resorted to too many long balls allowing the opposition space in their own half and also allowed them to have repeated long shots. The Raiders went behind early to one such effort. Nico then scored his second header from a throw in to equalise. Then in the second half Angelo produced one of the greatest goal keeping displays in Raiders history, at one point he made 5 goal line blocks in a row! The agility and bravery were greatly admired by the friendly crowd and the other team could not believe the silver fox continued to deny them. As the Raiders tired Angelo was repeatedly called into action and eventually conceded a second when a rebound was bundled in. 2-1 loss.

After a much needed break for fluids and sun cream the Raiders again played the Mango Bay team. Once again the Raiders dominated the game with Albin, Nico and Henno running the mid field. Henno scored the first with a long range effort. Then Albin completed a flowing moved with a calm finish past the keeper. Mango bay scored a goal from a long shot as Angelo worried about the location of his beloved yellow ball. But for the rest of the game Sasha and Andreas kept them out well in defence. Craig then sealed the result with a composed finish past the keeper. 3-1. This result guaranteed a semi final spot.

The Raiders again had to play the taxi drivers immediately after this game and it was decided given our lack of subs to take the game easy and allow the opposition to have the ball in their half. However this all changed when the Mango bay team offered us free beers all night if we could achieve the 2-0 result they needed in order for them to go through. Game on! Again it was a tight game with Angelo saving the raiders on a number of occasions with outstanding saves. However tired legs allowed the Taxi drivers to take a 2-0 lead at half time. Henno then pulled his groan early in the second half. Craigs knee then gave out meaning Henno had to go back on (which he later regretted!) Meanwhile Sasha scored his 800th long range rebound shot for the Raiders. Albin was then really unlucky as he proceeded to hit the cross bar with a header then the post as we fought for an equaliser. The game ended 2-1 however with the Raiders now finishing 2nd in the group.

Lunch time gave the team a chance to take stock of injuries and sun burn. Henno was definitely ‘fucking fucked man!’ and Craig felt he could play on. Reduced to no subs the Raiders considered asking Romain and Fred to join the team after their team had been eliminated in the group stages however it was decided we would compete with the team we had and win as the Raiders or nothing. The semi final was against another local team who had won their group so were confident of victory. A reshuffled formation of Andreas and Borris at the back and Nico in central midfield proved a tactical master stroke as the Raiders dominated the game from start to finish. Borris was excellent at the back blocking shots and using his hand ball skills to complement our long throw arsenal! Andreas was his usually niggly, fearless, monstrous self giving the opposition nothing and winning everything in the air. The raiders took the lead early as Nico slotted one in from the edge of the box. Craig then added the finish to a move where no one wanted to score as Borris, then Albin and then Nico all passed the ball across the oppositions box. Sasha and Albin charging down each wing was too much for them as chances where created throughout the half with Craig making it 3-0 with a turn and shot into the top corner. Half time and the raiders were confident. Second half the opposition scored early but the Raiders upped their energy levels and Nico scored again from a long throw header combo (3rd of the day). A consolation goal was scored for them before Angelo unexpectedly walked from his goal to vomit behind a bush discretely. As everyone looked on confused and the retching continued it became clear he wasn’t coming back on. A nervous Henno took his place in goal but was relatively untroubled as the Raiders remained disciplined and ran themselves into the ground to protect the result. Craig completed his hatrick when he completely abandoned his DM duties and got onto the end of a cheeky Nico backheel to rifle home and guaranteed a final spot.

All eyes turned to Angelo as we had an hour break before the final. He reappeared looking very white and it was debated whether he had been sitting under his herbal tree at half time for too long but it turned out to be a bad case of heat stoke and he was forced to retire. It was a harsh end for the tournaments best player so far. A local Keeper was recruited and the Raiders decided to stick to the same game plan that had served them so well in the Semi Final.

Raiders team before final and Nico before resuscitation

The Final was against the Taxi drivers who had already beaten us twice but this time both teams were fresh…..well I say fresh.

The teams before the final

The game started well as the Taxi’s were reduced to long shots before the ball broke to Craig to hit first time past the keeper from an angle. Cue dance celebrations. The lead didn’t last till half time however as our sub keeper, Theo, managed to let a shot under his body. It was his only mistake of the game but a costly one. This gave the Taxi’s confidence and they soon took the lead from a low drilled corner that was poorly defended by the Raiders. Half time 2-1 down. Motivation from Jon ‘Keep playing our passing game and have long shots’ and Henno ‘You’ve just got to fucking, you know, keep fucking going against these fuckers.’ The lack of subs began to take its toll in the second half as first Craig then Albin required treatment for cramp. The ref didn’t appear to know what a foul throw was (hire him for next time we play Saints?) as he continually allowed foul throws. Albin’s bad luck continued as he again hit the post (Craig’s curse has definitely been passed on). The taxi’s scored again to make it 3-1 and with tired legs all around it looked over but the Raiders found the energy for one last push and encouraged by the crowd took the game to the opposition. When Craig was hauled down for a penalty Sasha took responsibility to atone for his earlier miss and with ice in his veins scored to make it 3-2. Late chances from a drilled Craig free kick that hit Nico then the post, long throws into a packed box and long shots couldn’t produce the equaliser and the Raiders had lost.

Throughout the day the tournament was run in a very friendly manner with all the teams laughing and joking together. It was a pleasure to play in and given the injuries we had a final place is something to be proud of. The team then returned to Mango for a well earned dip in the sea and a delicious evening buffet. The growing anger as the players learned happy hour had been cancelled was calmed when free whiskey and punch was provided. Angelo was later awarded the ‘Im too old for his award.’ by the organisers.

Special Mentions

All 8 players did the club proud and the 6 who played all 60 minutes of the semi and final earned a special mention from the tournament organiser for their bravery. There were no weak links throughout the team and everyone gave everything on the pitch for the entire 140 minutes we played throughout the day.

Quotes

I have a job! I need this face! I come here to play football not lose my job!!! – Angleo is typically calm after an opposition striker goes in two footed for a loose ball.

I need to get out all my anger before my girlfriend arrives after lunch. – Nico hides the inner demon.

Are you sure you don’t want me to take it – Nico in the final just before Sasha ignored him to smash home the penalty.

Star of the tournament

Jon’s daughter who has made Andreas broody.

Starring: Angelo, Paddy, Joey, Luke no-hair, Rasul, Sascha, Jon, Tobias, Albin, Vincent, Nico, Craig and Floyd

Raiders 2012 Bangkok

Arriving at various parts of the day and from various locations, the team gathered together at the German Beerhouse Soi 11 to learn the fate of the draw. Avoiding Saigon rivals once again, Raiders were however handed a tough Group A with Manila Nomads and the Swiss HK team who won the tournament two years in succession previously. The other two teams were Bayon FC from Cambodia and the London Panthers, both perceived as winnable group games.

Once the draw was completed the nights entertainment descended into the gutter rapidly, with a group consensus being reached that a quick stroll led by Papa Angelo would culminate at the refined Nana Plaza, second floor. You know you’re somewhere seedy when you have to open a curtain to go inside. Raiders took a back-bench seat in one of these flesh pits but then realized it was 10.00pm, all were sober and that it was a bit crap.

An inevitable argument with a mama-san over the bar bill saw a rapid exit to a slightly less seedy pool bar where Craig and Luke showed off their entries for the 2012 air guitar world championships. Fearing meltdown the following day Hoff and Dawson shared an intimate taxi journey home following Angelo, Vincent and Sascha as the sensible ones. Seeking immediate hedonism some of the lads attempted to find somewhere in Bangkok that tickled their fancy but (somehow) failed and were home not too much later.

On to the football, where first up on Saturday morning was Manila Nomads. A tight game and eventually a 1-0 loss..the first game is always the hardest in the Bangkok heat. Second was Swiss HK, a good, physical team, but not quite the caliber that had won the tournament the year before. Unfortunately Raiders failed to score once again and went down 1-0 again. That was to be the last defeat of the weekend, but a costly one. We were now battling for ‘best third’ or second best third out of the three groups of five (the third best third would enter the plate). Bayon FC were destroyed by Nico down the right with his famous ‘looks like I’m rolling the ball back but actually chipping it forward’ trick and a cross onto Floyd’s head. Against London Panthers the deadlock was broken when Hoff beat two darting into the box (honestly) and clipped the ball in for Floyd to nod home. So by the end of the day we had played 4, won 2 and lost 2, and were unsure of our third place competitiveness. We later discovered that it was exactly the same record as the GAS Bangkok (eventual finalists who defeated both Hotshots and Finexys, the team of football robots from Sarawak). We would face a penalty shout out first thing Sunday morning to decide who progressed to the quarter-final to play Hotshots.

Saturday night arrived and Raiders were led to the fish supermarket where ‘if it swims we have it’. My suggestion of just getting a whale shark and sharing it wasn’t popular, so a variety of marine treats were dished up much to the satisfaction of our stomachs. 37 large bottles of Singha consumed? Sounds about right. But that was just the warm up…. not for me and Rasul, unfortunately losing the main group around Soi 11 and having to retire early. Perhaps I’m not the best candidate to be writing this report as the real banter was had in the clubs of Sukhumvit into the early hours. We feared the worst when Floyd told us at breakfast he had left at 3.00am when a bottle of Vodka had just been ordered. However, after a few phone calls and the dismissal of  visitors (no names mentioned) the whole team was on the bus, groaning in pain, in time to get to the tournament.

The penalty shootout ensued. Sascha buried his first and then Floyd had his saved to the keepers left. Nico scored casually having briefly removed his sunglasses, Joey stepped up for number four and tricked the keeper by intentionally scuffing the ground and connecting with his heel to send the ball rolling down the middle of the goal, did him with the eyes….Despite Angelo’s best challenge of the FIFA rules as the ball came off the bar and in off his body, GAS failed to miss and were through. Raiders had to make do with the rather tame ’round robin’ plate with three other teams.

The first game was a 1-1. Toby’s fantastic work down the wing and great cross saw Rasul connecting with the header and guiding it under the keeper from a narrow angle for a late equalizer. Second up was a 0-0 with a decent team, and two points after two games. The final game Raiders won 1-0 – the ball broke in the box and Craig narrowly missed his chance after seagulling a defender but Nico was there to knock it home – and celebrated with what a forward roll would look like if it was performed by a very happy spastic. Sadly 5 points was not enough to claim the plate and we finished second, 10th out of 15 teams. Floyd twisted a knee badly during the 0-0 and missed the rest of the football, and that was the only injury that occurred (well, physical injury, not sure about mental). I forget which game, but Angelo amused himself greatly by slamming a drop kick into the back of a very hungover Luke. The Italian’s belly laugh echoed around the ground as loudly as Luke’s howl of shock and pain. Nico also shocked us during the team photo with his orange football shaped penis.

Sunday night started off well in Gullivers, and particularly well for one opportunistic member of the group even before that. Some of us just can’t compete with extraordinary good looks and the gift of the gab that other Raider’s seem to possess, to the extent that the location of their prey is irrelevant, be it at the bus stop, walking by on the street, a fleeting look across a crowded room or even checking in at a hotel. There was talk of an insane cross town dash to Khaosan Raod which Hoff, Moras and Phillips declined ( waking up sweating in $5 a night room made of plywood with no clothes or money left was the most likely outcome). The lads however appeared to have manufactured a bait and switch as they jumped out of the taxi two minutes down the road and into Soi Cowboy. What happened there may never be repeated verbally, only those who participated will ever know, and share that warm silent glow of bonding that says ‘we did Soi Cowboy’. Later, they met the same girls with their clothes ON in Insomnia.

Saint Patrick took a second to use his incredible powers of perception (some call it a sixth sense) to locate the party and head off to rejoin. Hoff and Moras preferred a nightcap together discussing art and poetry in a posh bar overlooking the glittering lights of the City of Angels. And then got ripped off by a taxi driver.

Special mentions:

Throughout the whole event Mr Phillips was taking care, as is his moral duty, of innocent Tobais (or was it the other way around?), who has undoubtedly been violated for life by what he heard and witnessed through the weekend. To Toby’s mum and dad, we apologize. We will pass over Luke’s phone number if necessary.

Quotes of the tournament:

Toby to Luke T: I’m not sharing a massage room with you, you’re sick.

Craig: Did you give it a rinse?

Nico: I’m all over you like a football Ninja

Awkward question of the tournament to a Raider:

When was the last time you had sex?

Star of the tournament:

Vincent – for all the filth he had to put up with

Special thanks:

Special thanks to Captain Sascha for successfully managing our participation and leading on the field

Angelo for directing our social activities and being wonderfully eccentric to the last

The girls, Vy and Hop, for being our mothers during the day, serving drinks, taking pictures and keeping our area tidy

Rasul for being a legend on and off the pitch

We started as in the previous game, defending against sustained pressure but holding firm, our most likely outlet being down the wings as usual. Raiders were playing patiently and building up from the back, and after the first 10 minutes nudged ourselves into the game and were also applying pressure at the Saints end of the pitch. However no real chances were forthcoming for either side, both teams looking most likely from corners or set plays. Angelo likes being injured in Bangkok, so to prepare for this year he decided to smash his ribs into the goalpost whilst catching a ball. First half ended 0-0.

Second half was where all the drama happened. Inevitably with legs getting more tired, the game became more and more open and stretched. Saints had threatened to get in behind us and another ball over the top saw Hieu battling with a Saints striker into the box, unfortunately the ball striking his arm and a penalty conceded. Having saved a pen against Hotshots the week before Angelo was confident and was very close again this time, reaching the ball comfortably but not being able to direct it away from goal it span over his shoulder and in.

Raiders were not creating a whole lot, but it was Hieu who came to rescue. In all honesty he was extremely lucky to be on the pitch after having committed a professional foul which for some reason was shown leniency by the referee. However it was Hieu who connected with a clearance from a corner and sent a looping shot back into the box – just one of those you knew was going in. Saints goalkeeper fell awkwardly and broke two bones in his wrist attempting to save, we wish him a speedy recovery.

So 1-1 and after a lengthy delay there was less than ten minutes to play. Saints managed to score, but from a Raiders point of view to concede that goal was disappointing as it was soft and could have been prevented in the build up on at least two occasions. However, we move on and accept defeat again.

Squad: Angelo, Hieu, Andreas, Toby, Rasul, Anthony, Luke T, Vu, Luke McD, Jon, Albin, Floyd, Romaine, Craig, Mark J

It seems like the season is over now depending on whether we claim points from Japan or not. Looking back, I’d it was a season of improvement in terms of team play, but still lots of missed opportunities to pick up points – defeat to Hiep Phu, drawing with Japan at the start of the season, the first loss to Hotshots, a tight 3-2 with NTV first time around and the draw with OS that should have been ours too! And a couple of good thrashings of course. But it will be the season remembered for THAT victory vs Saints…

League table will be published once its done and dusted.

So, plenty of room for improvement.

We look forward to Bangkok this weekend. I will be taking notes for the report.

Time for the excuses…Song Phat is not the easiest place to play, a fairly big pitch and its resemblance to a beach rather than a grassy area is ever increasing.

The first fifteen minutes and Raiders were pushing hard and passing well, and that saw us take the lead after Laurie put the onrushing Henno through in the box who sidefooted his shot low past the keepers left.

The first half finished with Raiders 1-0 up, but despite all the half time chest thumping about going for the second goal, we were soon pegged back to 1-1 with a Gemadept breakaway. The heavy pitch (excuse) was leading to some tired legs, and Gemadept having a fair bit of pace down the wings they were causing us some problems. Enough problems to then go 2-1 up, the chain of events erased from my mind forever by the built in selective memory involved in recalling football matches we don’t win.

However, it wasn’t all one way traffic and Raiders gained some momentum back. Pressure in the box led to Henno being poleaxed by the onrushing Gemadept goalkeeper in what looked like a well practiced WWE move. Unfortunately though for Henno’s arse this wasn’t acting. Rightly, the referee pointed to the spot – it was at least 2 meters inside the box so the old ‘I’ll give it right on the line even though it was inside’ trick was not applicable. Laurie, perhaps still with visions of projectile shitting babies bothering him, saw his penalty saved and Raiders unable to turn in the rebound.

Salvation was at hand however, as more Raiders pressure led to the equaliser, with Nico and Toby winning the opportunity in the box after it had been crossed in from the right. Toby eventually found himself through on goal and from a narrow angle chipped the ball across goal, over the keeper and into the side of the net – a touch of the Messi in that finish.

Squad: Angelo, Anthony, Luke (with hair), Luke (no hair), Tarek, Andreas, Paddy, Vu, Jon, Fabrizio, Henno, Laurie, Nico, Toby

Let’s be honest, it was a total spanking and our bottoms were purple. Not the kind of spanking that some Raiders will be searching out in the upcoming Bangkok tournament – gentle and playful (but still hurts a bit) – this was daddy’s belt across the buttocks.

NTV did score some excellent goals including a good free kick. Their delivery in the long ball was pinpoint mainly due to their standout number 19. Raiders did have to suffer the extended NTV family running the line – the linesman almost looked embarrassed when he had to flag for a Raiders throw – and the same referee as the previous weekend, the 4-3 loss to Hiep Phu.

No excuses for this loss, just beaten by a very well organised team. That is not to say we couldn’t have done better. We could have done a lot better! Let’s take the warning that our next opponents Gemadept did manage to score twice against NTV. Although they did concede 12.

(***DISCLAIMER: This match report claims artistic license and may or may not bear resemblance to actual events. It’s main purpose is entertainment. SRFC DOES NOT condone the loss of discipline shown in the second half and asks the whole team to consider their conduct in the future)

Confidence was high after the Saints victory and a full strength squad minus Tarek saw returning superstars Craig ‘tweet that!’ Armitt and Nico ‘the shark’ Greeve relegated to the bench, Angelo preferring to start the same eleven from the previous week.

The first half was fairly even, with both sides creating a couple of opportunities. Raiders scored first, as Laurie found himself in a familiar position, through on goal, and he finished clinically lofting the ball high over the keeper into the top left corner. Raiders then were disappointed to concede as a defensive mix-up saw OS striker able to roll the ball over the line. 1-1. Late in the half Dawson saw his header come back off the crossbar from a corner and Albin nearly completed the follow up.

Second half saw more Raiders chances, and only two that we could count for OS, one of which saw a Fred free kick well tipped over by Angelo. With Andreas, Seb, Paddy and Joey all feeling particularly stingy in defense, there wasn’t much of a sniff for the OS attack. At the other end of the field, Raiders made a number of inroads and most notably Nico who created a couple of fine chances for himself after his familiar jinking and weaving past defenders. The first saw him tripped in the box for what looked like a blatant penalty…with the referee putting his whistle in his mouth and running towards the box, arm outstretched towards the spot…but then decided to change his mind and give nothing. The second, he created space after beating two players and got his shot away, narrowly passing the post.

No doubt, its a good point for Raiders but it certainly wasn’t a scraped point either, the consensus being that we could certainly have come away with the win with a little more luck.

Another great team performance! The league table looks like this of this morning after the weekend results:

Raiders 1 OS 1

NTV 10 Fighting Cocks 2 (Hey!)

Hotshots 3 – 0 Japan

Saints vs Hiep Phu ???

Squad: Angelo, Andreas, Seb, Paddy, Joey, Anthony, Peter, Rasul, Henno, Jon, Sascha, Craig, Laurie, Nico, Toby, Albin, Vu

Saints started very strongly and put us under a lot of pressure in the first ten minutes, but some assured defensive work and the presence of Angelo in goal saw us standing firm and surviving that initial onslaught. Perhaps we never recovered from that, as the first half was dominated by Saints and Raiders did not play the football we are capable of, wasting possession, not competing well enough, and playing too many long balls with Laurie having little chance to get in the game. Our best chance came from a corner with Andreas going close.

Half time arrived at 0-0 and after a pep talk from coach and captain Raiders emerged to what was a fantastic team performance in the second half. We managed to play a bit more football with the ball on the ground and got ourselves right back into the game. Indeed, for a good twenty minute spell we were ‘all over them’ as they struggled to get hold of the ball and Raiders pressure looked like a goal was coming. The best chance to take the lead came when Sascha drove into the box and laid a deft backheel into Jon’s path, his shot beating the keeper but cleared off the line, the rebound falling to Albin, but not kindly enough to provide a finish.

Towards the end of the second period Saints came back into it and were most threatening from set pieces – they never got in behind us all game. And then – the crowning moment, as a Raiders build up in the middle and pressure on the ball from Sascha saw the ball fall into Laurie’s path. Through on goal, he calmly angled his shot past the keeper, two minutes left on the clock, and I’ve never seen such a spontaneous celebration – what a moment! Of course, we very nearly then conceded in the dying seconds, thankfully the Saints striker scuffed his shot and it was safely in Angelo’s hands.

Saints were very gracious in defeat, and what a great day for Raiders.

We have to thank the entire squad for their performances on and off the pitch, and note that we do deserve an SIFL victory like this, and with the players, organisation and team spirit we have, look forward to competing in these kinds of games more regularly.

A special shout out to Seb who has waited 8 years across four different teams to beat the Saints! However, Andreas, Joey and Albin have never lost to them. I prefer the latter.

Team: Angelo, Seb, Tarek, Joey, Andreas, Paddy, Peter, Rasul, Henno, Sascha, Jon, Anthony, Albin, Laurie, Toby, Vu

Yeehaw!

Raiders graced the five-star Legend with their presence. The clinking of wine glasses, light patter of conversation and amiable laughter soon gave way to a raucous, drunken din. Leading the way was Roberti, who found great entertainment in instructing the staff into fetching the most ridiculous food combinations possible. This culminated in the now famous ‘banana cake topped with liver pate’. Hoff volunteered to join Roberti in this gruesome taste test, and let me say, it was great – but that was probably more to do with a palette obliterated by 13 glasses of wine. Upon leaving, Roberti did what every red blooded male who has visited the Legend Hotel wants to – mounted the giant horse in the lobby. If this was in Europe or the US, he would have been tasered.

The night continued on to a German bar in the InterCon where much table banging, general incomprehensible shouting, and singing occurred. Singing was led by Koetz, who after popping out for 5 mins (judging by his condition on return it was to down a litre of gin) led the Raiders chants. And as they sang well past midnight in drunken haze, one Raider of Italian decent went to the toilet and never came back. And it wasn’t the goalkeeper.

Anyway, back to the football. Due to two cancellations beyond Raiders control we are still to play an SIFL league game this year. In their place two friendlies have been played – the first saw a convincing 5-1 victory and a Fred hatrick. I can’t provide much more detail as I wasn’t there. The second, I can, because I was. This one was a 2-1 victory. Having dominated the first half we endeavoured to concede a penalty and found ourselves 1-0 down. This only galvanized the team and we quickly turned it around. Craig scored twice before half time whilst Hoff and Dawson struck the frame of the goal. The second half saw a similar pattern and Craig nearly notched his hatrick after rounding the keeper and seeing his shot come back off the post from a narrow angle. The game should have been put to bed with a much more comfortable scoreline, but with a really solid defensive performance, the game was closed out and Raiders are unbeaten in 2012.

This will be truely put to the test in our next league encounter with Olympique de Saigon, coming after TET holidays.