TEAM TALK
[Sunday, August 27, 2006]
CBUnited News Weekly Proudly Brought To You ByNo.8 Lee KYCare Bear United upset at home
The Care Bears went out looking to dominate the courts of Ang Mo Kio but spent more time looking at others play from the spectator stands. The Care Bears were missing veterans Albertini, Park Yee Hung and Rooney due to international duties, but had Park Jie Song and Quan van Ning back from hiatus. They were further reinforced by guest player, Tak Wee Junior, while Pnutini was handed a surprise start although he was not medically declared fit. The Court was brimming with numerous teams to play. A quick assessment of the opposing teams’ strengths and weaknesses convinced the Care Bears that it would be an allaying day with little need for The Movement. They were soon PUNISHED for their complacency, and their failure to convert several chances resulted in frustration and more bench time.
In what must be the worst defeat since the disband of Care Bear United, the Care Bears lost the ball, their faith and their hair (tearing at their hair in exasperation over missed chances), and never looked to come back from the abyss. Goals flowed in quick succession and the Care Bears found themselves at the wrong end of a fast flowing game. Goal Keeper Wookie conceded many tap-ins but ultimately, it was the defense that had to shoulder the responsibility. The magnitude of Albertini’s missing influence was evident in the way the disorganized defense stomached the blitzkrieg of the opposing strikers. Wookie also conceded the proverbial own goal and left the court crestfallen. At times, the Care Bears looked like they had found their game, only to be relegated to the sidelines. Several scintillating runs by Pnutini, who played like he was never injured in the first place, gave the Care Bears some hope, albeit false hope. Pnutini, upon receiving the ball from the defense dribbled up field, twisting and turning defenders along the way. Setting his sights on goal, he unleashed a thunderous shot which screamed past the wrong side of the post. Pnutini’s low conversion rate was compensated by his work rate and decisive tackles in defense.
As the weather deteriorated, so did the ethics of the players. Tempers frayed while tackles became reckless. Players chipped away at each other’s ankles, and entered each tackle two-footed. This resulted in several altercations between the Care Bears and their adversaries. Just as dirty play and gamemanship lingered in the minds of the Care Bears, they were JUSTIFIED. The timely arrival of the JUSTICE LEAGUE put to rest any dissent about The Court. The atmosphere was electrifying. As the enforcers of justice strode onto the courts, teams crumbled and succumbed to the likes of GREEN LANTERN and BATMAN. Initially, GREEN LANTERN needed time to adjust to the gravity of Earth, falling awkwardly on several occasions. However, as soon as he found his legs, GREEN LANTERN broke apart defenses with astounding ease. With the resourceful defending of BATMAN, and the clinical finishing of the GREEN LANTERN, their keeper was hardly tested. Their movement fell into place so naturally that it was hard to believe that none of it was choreographed. Any hopes of conquering the court promptly diminished as JUSTICE LEAGUE hammered in the final nails of the Care Bear Coffin (available in Care Bear gift shops, hammer and nails sold separately). Thus mark the end of this day, when the Care Bears fell from grace into the hells of amateur football.
A note-worthy incident to take the pain off a day of leaky defending and wasteful finishing would be Wookie earning his first major career ending flail to become the team’s Most Valuable Career Ending Player (MVCEP). Even in the absence of Jujitsu Maestro Albertini, competition for the award was tough, with Weapons Specialist Pnutini still in the running, however, Wookie won the unanimous vote of all the Care Bears with his acuminous flail. Earlier, a team with a fleet-footed striker, boasting a 100% conversion rate, dominated The Court. A rare occurrence saw the striker flew in for a challenge for the ball at the tip of the semi-circle. Wookie, guided by his astute reflexes, flailed with incredulous eccentricity, causing the striker to lose his balance and crash excruciatingly onto the floor. The flail put Ben Thatcher’s horrendous tackle on Pedro Mendes to unspeakable shame and the fall proved too much for the striker to bear. The latter was swiftly stretchered off. The team, missing their sublime striker, went on to lose the game to the Care Bears.
Positive points of the day:
- Pnuto still didn’t make any regretful Koon Pass
- After a pep talk by teammates Tako Pachi and Kai yi, Wookie went on to deny a few point-blank strikes
- Pnuto’s injury was proven to be less severe than originally perceived
- The team escaped unscathed, once again in the absence of Albertini
- Some movement experienced among the Care Bears, though palling in comparison to Justice League
- Wookie winning the prestigious MVCEP in the absence of Albertini
- Watched ‘The Break Up’ over a late lunch
- Justice prevailed
Negative points of the day:
- Wasting possession and squandering chances
- Giving in to other team’s movement without much resilience
- Hard guy went sailing, thus explains the absence of No. 0.
- Didn’t go Queensway, though Hot Mum ALMOST made up for it
- Postponing the inevitable: trying to find things to do after lunch but in the end all go home
MOTM: Pnutini
Despite suffering from a foot injury (‘Torn ligament’, so he says), Pnutini created most of the chances in a day where chances were few and far between. Although much work is needed to improve his conversion rate, his work rate, defensive tackles and through passes duly made up for him squandering chances. Has shown the ability to rise to occasions, though rising to meet crosses is a different matter altogether. A proven player, Pnutini is without doubt the man of the match.
*There will be additional training next week. Anyone interested can sign up with Tako Pachi or Kai yi before 31st Aug. 2006, Thursday.
[Monday, August 21, 2006]
Match Report 19/08/06And so,armed with new monikers and new-found confidence(though somewhat delusional), the Carebears gathered at the ground they had spilled blood just a week ago. The early birds were punctual, and the latecomers were, as usual (including urs truly)...
Even though the Carebears were lacking their armskote IC today (otherwise known as the Executioner), they naively thought that they would be able end more careers this week. Little did they know...
The absence of Albertini Di MingHsieno’ was always going to be sorely missed, and this was evident not long after the Carebears started their games. The Dominator, KaiYi, opened the scoring just after a few minutes into the first game, and the team quickly became complacent. The next match started, and it was only a matter of seconds before the Carebears were sitting on the sidelines, waiting 30 minutes for their next game again. Yet, the Carebears were not in the least discouraged, as they had gotten used to such treatment, no thanks to the JL who had chased us out of our homeground just now long ago.
Bearing in mind the game that was scheduled in the afternoon in the homeground of the Carebears, the players decided to rotate their playing chances to keep their legs fresh. And so it was with a cruel twist of fate that put index no. 32 (tako pachi) and 33(wookie) together again. The 32 & 33 curse, coupled with the alignment of the ten planets, always meant something magnificent was going to happen. And happen it did. Tako pachi allowed what seemed like a harmless long ball from the opposition bounce into semi-circle of Wookie's goal. Yet with our no.1 keeper, Wookie, you never know what was going to happen. The dwarfish opposition striker managed to put a little pressure on Wookie with a futile attempt at heading the ball, and that sent Wookie panicking. As the ball bounced up, Wookie did the unthinkable - he flailed. The ball went up into the air, and with Wookie looking around aimlessly for the ball, Tako helplessly saw the tragedy unfold before his eyes. The ball fell, and with a header that would put even the best striker to shame, Wookie headed the ball into his net. Momentary silence descended upon the pitch. What happened next was chaos, with Wookie running away and paying no heed to the shocked opposition and his devastated teammates. Tempers flared, abuse was hurled around the court. Yet the Carebears were soon able to put the unhappiness behind them peacefully, after an exchange of blows and flails.
The games that followed were considerably less exciting, as the previous game had proved to be the climax, or rather anti-climax of the day. The players looked considerably tired as the games came and went, with the harsh weather as the main culprit. Nevertheless, the Carebears managed to outdo themselves time and time again by prolonging their stay in the court by 5 seconds each time, and there was much joy among the players when they hit the 5 mins milestone. Park Yee Hung, otherwise known as the Oppressor now, once again highlighted his goalkeeping credentials to the team. He is now recognised as an up-n-rising threat to the position of the no.1 keeper Wookie, and it may be only a matter of time that he will make the no.1 jersey his very own.
And so, the little skirmish of the Carebears at the still-unfamiliar grounds of the HCI came to an end, leaving the players too tired both mentally and physically to contemplate any further exertions in the afternoon. Despite a relatively poorer performance this week, the Carebears are encourgaed to look up and face the coming matches with even more confidence, especially Wookie. Everyone is subject to making mistakes. The fall of the team cannot be blamed on soley one person, the whole team is in it together. So let us work hard together for the good of the team.
Positives of the day:
- The Pioneer (sounds familiar?) a.k.a Pnuto, did not make any Koon pass. Praise Allah.
- The solid performance of Yee Hung in goal. Simply put, wow.
- No. 0 turned up, though she wasn't given much airtime. Period.
- The Carebears managed to walk out in one piece. It seems that the team manages to escape unscathed everytime only when their armskote IC is not around...
- The trip to Queensway and the discovery of the need to go there every week thereafter.
Negatives of the day:
- The Carebears did not unleash "The Movement".
- The Carebears did not end any careers, which was supposed to be their one and only aim. Mission failed.
- The freak incident. Need i say more?
MOTM: Yee Hung
Not only able to score goals when it matters, he has shown himself to be a reliable guardian of the goal also. Impresses with his work rate week in week out, and outshone his teammates on a day where they've put on a lacklustre display. Has yet to show his true prowess, but beware when he does. As a reward, the manager has decided to award him the prestigious chance of taking over Wookie's position permanently. Congratulations!
[Friday, August 18, 2006]
Albertini set to commit to Care Bear UnitedCare Bear United (disbanded) are close to agreeing a deal to extend Albertini Di MingHsieno’s contract beyond this Saturday, club chairman Lim Yuhui said.
‘We have spoken to his grandmother, also his agent, and have reached a consensus that we should extend his contract,’ the CBUnited top dog told AMK sports weekly in an interview on Wednesday.
‘Albertini has told me that he is really happy to be part of a club with such an illustrious history and hopes to further embellish the club’s burgeoning prominence in the courts of Ang Mo Kio and beyond. He is elated with things and for Care Bear United, he is fast becoming an indispensable player for his contributions on the pitch and for what he exemplifies. He remains an integral part of CBUnited’s plans for the future.’
Albertini joined CBUnited on a five-year contract from the youth academy of SCOUTS FC in 2002, but has yet to win an OSCAR at the club. Only 19 years old, Albertini is touted by the Italian media to be the next Rivaldo. His presence is strongly felt by opponents and team mates alike. Fans are certain he will commit his future to the club that has groomed him to become the player he is today.
Although Albertini’s discipline record is blemished by his tendency to frequently miss training sessions in the past, team mate and CBUnited skipper, Tako Pachi (known to some ardent fans as Tak Wee or Anni Lover) believes that it would not encumber Albertini’s meteoric rise to become one of the most feared demolition midfielder in footballing history.
‘I’ve known Albertini for so long and have fortunately played alongside him. He won’t let anything stand in his way to become one of the most feared demolition midfielder in footballing history. Not even his own history.’
Albertini turns 20 this December.
Wookie declared fit for SaturdayCare Bear United’s goalmouth guardian passed a medical on Friday and is affirmed fit for the match on Saturday.
Wookie (initimately known to some fans as MouLdY or GoTHiC) has been struggling with multiple injuries to his face, hand, groin and confidence since he joined the club in 2002.
His latest face, hand, groin and confidence injuries have seen him out of action for the past weeks. Sustained in a 100 – 1 trouncing by Justice League FC, Wookie limped out of action and has never really recovered since.
During the match, Wookie’s performance started off exemplary. After saving a barrage of attempts on CBUnited’s goal and also his pride*, Wookie finally took one in the face and the groin by a Green Lantern screamer. Wookie’s excruciating anguish manifested in his expression, but he valiantly stood in goal (partly due to the lack of medical assistance and no substitute keeper). He subsequently stuck a branch into his hand and conceded to the onslaught of Justice League FC.
Wookie’s return would provide many options to Care Bear United (as there is no longer a need for the frustrating rule of ‘scorer, keeper’) whether in goal or as a striker.
‘Wookie has been sorely missed,’ said striker and part-time keeper Rooney.
‘We need him back in goal. His no look passes have proved essential in the past. More importantly, he would allow me to score without the vexation of becoming keeper.’
*in order to salvage any remaining pride, we have decided to overlook the equally numerous own goals and howlers
Hung out to break records with Care Bear UnitedPark Yee Hung is driven by a fervent aspiration to become part of the most successive side in the history of Care Bear United.
CBUnited are looking to stake their claim on the courts of Ang Mo Kio and has proven to be a force to reckon with, setting courts alit with their scintillating movement and assiduous runs, inspired by their will and a machine known as ‘Rooney’ (or Nightmare or Monster or Rage or The Kimchi Striker)*. Many have dismissed them as mere weekend warriors but Hung deems otherwise.
‘We have a great side. We have proven that we are as good as any side on the courts. Rooney is a weapon and Albertini and Pnutini both have weapons.
‘If you look at any other side, they may have players with a lot of skill or a lot of will. But that’s another incentive to end their careers, chill. Yo yo,’ rapped the Korean international.
Rather than view the abundance of forwards and strikers on the team (Rooney, Quan Ning etc.) as competition for starting places, Hung claims the candidacy spurs him on.
The former table tennis player gets to the training ground wanting to prove that he is every bit as good as his Korean teammate and Holland striker Quan van Ning.
Hung said: ‘I just want to prove myself every game. Rooney and Quan are among the best around and you want to make sure that you are every bit as good as them.’
‘I have always watched and learned, players learn from each other. I learn, you learn, everybody learns.’
Things have not been smooth for Hung at Ang Mo Kio Street 31, especially when he was establishing himself as a formidable forward among the likes of Rooney and Quan. He was often played out of his favourite position and at times, called upon to aid the ailing defense. But Hung remains upbeat.
‘I believe the club will realize my potential as a striker. There’s two things I love in this world: scoring goals and katsudon. I don’t know which I love more.’
Park Yee Hung has been named on the starting line up for Saturday’s match.
*list not exhaustive- submitted by
Kaiyi
[Thursday, August 17, 2006]
Hello fellow bears ...
KaiYi just introduced me to nikefootball.com which has this super cool feature where you can choose your style and design your crest. Depending on your style, they will give you a kind of name and descibe your style of play.
This is mine
Executioner - I will rule the game with my fury.
Fun huh?? Find out yours !! And tell us !!!
[Monday, August 14, 2006]
Match Report 12/08/06On a sunny Saturday morning, the Carebears converged upon the hallowed soccer court of TCHS, a mythical place rumoured to be full of ownage teams and wicked sick players. However Carebear Utd swiftly put those rumours to rest by dominating the court with their
passions and weapons, except for a 15-second spell where the Carebears lost 3 matches in 5 seconds in a row.
With a 1-goal elimination format, the matches were fast and furious and any mistakes were severely punished, be they lame backpasses, goalkicks that became assists, etc etc. The Carebears learnt the hard way that on this court, any mistake is instantly punished. If they were to progress to the next level, they had to cut down on Li Koon, I mean, their mistakes. Of course, there is always disband...
The highlights of the match:
- 4 match winning-streak where Carebear Utd took out all the teams on the court. After finishing that round, we were buoyed by momentum and proceeded to attempt another round, only for the keeper to direct his goalkick straight at the opposing striker. The striker took no time to put his shot into the net and the goalkeeper onto the free transfer list.
- Rooney misses with Albert open. Albert is furious, forcing Rooney to download more program updates. Armed with Passing v1.0 and Vision v0.1, Rooney begins to bring team-mates into play.
Upgrade Complete! Yee smashes a swerving shot into the net from a Rooney cutback.
- Albert starts displaying devastating vision and starts to slice open the opposing defence with his laser-guided through passes. Kaiyi and Takwee cannot stop gushing on the sidelines.
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DISBAND ALERT! Kaiyi initiates the traitorous trend by unleashing an angled shot into the net to send Carebear Utd out of the court. Jun Cheng continues the trend by smashing an unstoppable shot into the Carebear net thanks to a Likoon backpass/assist. Can Carebear Utd 'flail' in time?
- David steals the ball from the opponent and runs away, leaving the ball lying just outside the penalty box. Easy shot from 15cm is converted.
- Tak Wee orders Katong Chicken with sambal at Cute Chicken!
And so ends Carebear Utd's first official foray into TCHS, with more to come...
MOTM: Albert Lee
Continues to shine in his role as a holding mid, and has developed his attacking arsenal to include amazing through-passes and unstoppable toe-pokes. Fast becoming an indispensable member of the team. Only blemish throughout was a berserk 10 minute spell when he zhammed 2 of his own teammates and then ended his career with a thigh strain.
Recieved news that SMU students gets discount at adidas shop located at the new Cathay. So, if any of you guys are looking for a new pair of boots, gloves, or what nought to hide your spanners and tools of the trade, please do not hesitate to make use of your seniors.
[Thursday, August 10, 2006]
champion goalkeeper
[Wednesday, August 09, 2006]
Happy National Day!!First, let us congratulate Kai Yi for doing Carebear Utd (disbanded) proud by strutting his stuff at the Padang, earning himself lots and lots of off-in-lieu for him to practise his joga.
Next, about today's game. Today was another Justice League dominating day, with the colorful (zesty orange, strong green, sky blue etc) superheroes owning the court and all the teams on it. However we managed to tire them out by constantly getting kicked out and going back in, and in the end we managed to win 1 game through a Wookie goal (!) and a YH one.
Today the movement was hard to practise as there was very little space on the court due to the 5-a-side format. However some positives to note is the vastly improved shooting of Albert whose toe-poke poked a hole in both the net and the goalkeeper's morale. And Tak's all-action display with his resolute defending and incisive attack. It seems that the disbanded club is on its way to greater heights...
However a low point today was the injury to Wookie who was zhammed in the face by a Green Lantern shot. He never really recovered and proceeded to let in a lot of lameass goals, although his determination must be commended.
In all I feel our defence is getting there, but we are seriously short of ideas on the attack....will the sage of soccer please enlighten us?
[Sunday, August 06, 2006]
Happy Friendship Day to all my buddies who spent their weekends playing soccer with me!!!Sunday was another day at David court and this round the Junction. We had a relatively eventful time at david court today, totally owning the players. But i must admit they deserve some credit by irritating us with their dirty play. They dunno who they are messing with with the likes of koon on the pitch. Nonetheless, we punished them with clinical efficiency and merciless finishing. After completing the masacre, we moved to the Junction to seek a greater challenge.At the junction, we met up wif the fakey sundram team. They were no doubt better than david court team and gave us a run for our money with their powerful longshots hitting the fence time and again. We had no choice but the unleash the movement on them. At the end, our grooves and moves were still too hot to handle as we scored the goals to finish them and bade them farewell. With the recent improvement of our tema, i am really interested to see how we measure up against the good teams of the past. Lets hope our training have not been in vain. Although our team may not measure up in terms of man to man technical ability but our collective strength and our passion is not to be trifled with.So what will it be next week? Only time will tell.
[Saturday, August 05, 2006]
Another joga day at David's house...
Lots of teams today which suffocated our playing time. The strength of takwee jnr's totally overwhelmed the whole 4F soccer nominal roll. In my opinion the jersey no. 0 is the highlight of the team...
Speaking of highlight, the highlight of today's match must be our goalkeeper Wookie, who put in a determined display and made few mistakes, even sacrificing his ankle in the process.
Everything was going fine, and we became complacent and did not behave ourselves. Justice League inevitably came and implemented their justice on the court, however they were punished for the first time after some slack play thanks to Rooney's superb 2 poached goals.
Sunday awaits...