TEAM TALK
[Wednesday, January 31, 2007]
The Amazing AMK Race: Survivor Soccer EditionSNEAK PREVIEWBefore the official premiere of this highly anticipated reality TV series, let’s take a peek into what is in store for you…
Castaway Location: Castaway Teams: Care Bear Tribe, NIE Legends, Marshaller FC, Jia Xuan XI
Roadblock: A roadblock is a task which only one team member may perform. Before heading into a Roadblock, teams read a vague clue about the task to come, e.g., "
Who's really hungry?" (for a David’s mother’s delicacies buffet eating challenge), or "
Who wants to get clogged arteries?" (for a task involving eating braised pig trotters’ skin at a Bak Kut Teh Stall).
Detour: A detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. One task is typically an
easier option that takes more time to complete, while the other is usually a
difficult or frightening option that can be finished quickly.
In this edition, teams that choose “Woodlands Street Court” must play a game of soccer among themselves at the location. The detour will be completed once a single goal is scored. This may sound effortless but teams are going to spend more time picking up balls that flew out of the court than actually kicking it.
For the other option, teams that choose “Justice League” must play a game of soccer with the legendary AMK team. The detour will be completed once 10 goals are scored. Playing against a team consisting of comic book heroes like Superman, Green Lantern, Flash Gordon and Batman may seem a daunting task, but 10 goals will be scored by Batman in no time, and teams can quickly proceed with their race.
Care Bear Tribe Strengths:Coffee: Out-feast/Outgo(thic)ing. (He's always hungry)
Song: Out-nutmeg/Out(under)growth.
David-lele: Out-twist/Outlandish. (flower hats, leiei, neinei, brinjal)
Fireman: Outburst/Outnumber.
Tako: Out-an(nie)gst.
Albertini: Out-MVCEP/Out-flail/Outcry.
Kaiyi: Outwit/Out(word)play. (His outstanding wordplay has landed him in Exile Island even before the start of the show)
Koon: Outdoor-AC. (He doesn't mind clogged arteries)
Quan van Ning: Out-poise/Outscore.
Yee Hung Pyo: Outclass/Outsource. (4J)
Kimchi Prototype: Out-zham.
In desperate need of a boost to their transfer coffer after KY's free transfer, AMK indigenous Care Bear Tribe is the favourite to walk away with this edition's prize money.
Will the Care Bear Tribe outlast? Will the others become outpatients? Stay tune!
[Tuesday, January 30, 2007]
[death]star sports.Carebear United dominates AMK.Recent calls by members of the team for punctuality were heartily enacted upon by most members of the team, with wooki finally turning up, and only half an hour late. Resident slacker and training rebel Tako was also seen reporting for the match on time and on his bike. Strangely, the rest of the team was half an hour late.
Church team was seen loitering around bear’s home ground though not actively seeking out a match. When bears took to the court, they were seen leaving in a hurry, perhaps towards their last refuge. “So beings the exodus”, Luke 9:30sharp. It seems the early match up was too much for most of the bears as the first team was quickly put out of action by poor defending, poor reactions and Albertini’s purs. Oh shits and oh mans was heard coming from wooki as the bears left the court dejectedly.
It was not long before the bears took to the courts again, courting a victory. Several members of the crowd were muttering rain is coming as wooki marched towards the goal. As the ball bounce from the drop start, the sky shimmers and behold, a drizzle graced the courts of AMK, the little rain has indeed come.
Though lacking in the movement with the departure of playmaker LKY, the bears more then make up for it with the firemen, trees and Tako Suction Shoes™ . Albertini’s sleek flails on the slick floors also added much to the team’s counter attacking prowess. Soaring headers from Quan, blazing runs by firemen, precision strikes by Tako, flying cannonballs by Kimchi Prototype and sly toe pokes that sounds like sincere laughter by Alberitini saw the bears put teams after teams out of the court. The keeper of the groove also provided superb defensive coverage with vital blocks and decisive tackles, making sure all that the opposing striker sees are thighs that tie their attack up. Yee took another step towards goalkeeperhood by getting exactly 0 goals. It seems his scoring takie is back again.
Highlights of the day:-Tako was early.
-Wookie turned up.
-Beginning of The Counter
-Inception of Survivor: AMK
-Total domination by the bears after early set back.
-Rain has come and gone
Lowlights of the day:-Yee not being able to convert chances into goals.
-Rain made the ground slippery as tak’s footwork, making it more of a ice soccer then street soccer.
-The movement was sorely lacking.
In other news, Carebear Productions recently announced their inaugural production: Survivor: AMK. According to the official press release, the contestants must pit themselves against members of the Carebear united team to outscheme, outrun, outzham, outplay, outlast, outeat, outkorean, outfiail and on the general, just go out. The show promises to be the most exciting ever to be shown this year with 100% real emotions and adorable moments.
On a side note, due to health considerations, contestants will be not be asked to consume red meat that is 2 weeks 2 fresh. Resident health consultant wooki has commented that because of the sheer physical effort needed to even come close to Outing any of the Carebears, contestants needs to be sufficiently nourished with red meat left under the desk for 2 weeks (RMUDFTW), 12 eggs with yolks and 3 bowls of beef noodle every meal.
[Sunday, January 28, 2007]
The Weakly Newsletter
And so,the first edition of Carebear United's very own newsletter is out!After weak attempts by the head editor to get all members of the team to put up posts periodically,the resident slacker has decided to make his first contribution.
Meanwhile,your friendly neighbourhood fireman(men) has called out to all fellow bears to start being punctual for matches.Although it has been a tradition of the bears to unconsciously add half to one hour to the stipulated timings,as a new year approaches,it is certainly time to embrace a new tradition of being punctual.As quoted from him/them,"I hate to do this but when even the perpetually-late Tako is coming at 9.30(real timing),you know anyone can do it." Known for his no-nonsense style and immense self-discipline,you know he/they cannot be messed with,especially when they are omni-present.
At a press-conference,manager albertini added,"With the depature of Kaiyi,words alone may not be able to achieve the effect.So,i would like to impose,i mean,give out rewards for those who still wish to turn a deaf ear(no pun intended) to what your fireman has just said. " While the reporters started discussing among themselves what would the generous manager possibly give out as rewards,a brief footage of Juncheng doing his laundry was shown.Though of compromised quality,the footage clearly showed Juncheng washing his clothes with his abs.As he scrubbed harder however,the clothes were ripped to shreds,and he was seen doing this with a big grin on his face.The message was clear.After the footage,manager albertini could not be reached for further comments,but his sincere laughter could still be heard ringing in everyone's ears.
(*P.S. According to the unknown source that supplied this story,the reporters at the press-conference were never seen again.Rumors have it that they previously tried to reach Juncheng regarding the footage prior to their disappearance,but no one knows what happened for sure.)Lastly,the Carebear teamblog has seen a recent surge in influx of visitors;fans,rivals and impostors alike.Our tenderness and huge entertainment value has won us more fans than foes,as seen by the increasing number of identity-less fans who frequent our tagboard.Caring messages from fans like "Care Bear Fan" and "Carebearutd Fan" have greatly boosted the morale of the team.Though it is unclear who these are fans exactly,the similar tone and style of these fans are becoming increasingly suspicious.However,according to an unknown member of the public who wishes to be known as WKF,these fans are real,and WKF knows them.In fact,WKF says,they are his online friends.But that was all WKF was willing to reveal,and with a seemingly familiar jiggle of his shoulders,WKF left,muttering words we could only make out as "wuki-wuki,wuki-wuki".
Upcoming in the next Weakly newsletter:
-Interview of our birthday boy,Pnuto,who just turned 21,and his intimate and prey-predator 9-year friendship with manager albertini
-Latest player/position transfers
-Tips on how to save the trees,and how to save yourself from the trees(A must-read!)
Get your copy of the Weakly newsletter today!
[Wednesday, January 17, 2007]
Living in the UK is Kai Yi’s best optionWhether the signs were apparent or not the writing was always on the wall in the Ang Mo Kio Street 31 dressing room.
Any amount of tears withheld and cognitive explanation about contract talks being ongoing could not hide the fact that their number 8 was headed for the door marked 출구.
The Care Bears’ road to total annihilation may be marginally inhibited, but the club does not see the once playmaking midfielder as being imperative to their plans. And while the English department of any club will always have a use for his word playing features, Kai Yi faced an identity crisis.
Footballer, professor or wordsmith? Does he still have aspirations to be a footballer? Or is the iniquitous ‘Movement’ more important? In moving to the UK he would be admitting that his days as a footballer capable of competing at the top level are gone. At 20, that must be a jarring reality.
But words and plays (formations) can be sought elsewhere when you are Kai Yi. Though he may have less choice in the matter than he would care to admit.
With his 21st birthday coming in April, Kai Yi’s peak as a player could very well be behind him (you may say weak… now). Most would say his career zenith was reached in the years of the F10 boots, when he and former teammate Tako Pachi developed an understanding parallel but unequivocally opposite to that between Tako and Wookie, with the crunch of Albertini’s trailing leg diametrically on his anterior cruciate ligament in a training match between Care XI and Bears XI being the moment that halted the Kai Yi juggernaut dead in its tracks.
After that, things got difficile; he was barely fit for the JX XI match, he was introduced to Korean tearjerkers by then fellow teammate Albertini (whom he trusted as his sole soul mate) and thus came the ‘mootgate’ (which is a moot point since no reference to that incident exists) and being sidelined for most of the Care Bear matches. Though he ended his United career with the flourish of a brace and a first touch assist (scorer was Wookie whose slightest of touches volleyed the ball out of the reaches of Tako, though some say Tako just wanted to end the game since it was a blistering afternoon) on an absolutely scorching afternoon, it was adieu from a Street 31 faithful that ended up in the hands of conspiracy theorists. Did Albertini scheme him? Or did Kai Yi engineer his move?
It was probably a lot of both. That some Care Bear United fans choose to label him as ‘w34k’, an oblique reference to his ‘k8i’ range of bric-a-brac, relates a story. Kai Yi’s place at United is in the annals (that could also be replaced with a*** --- censored due to Care Bear United blog being a loving and amicable environment for little children supporters). Care Bear United may have faltered and lost a few scintillating word plays. Yet with Yee Hung Pyo and Albertini viciously contending for the word play mantle, and Ahn Jun Cheng and Park Jie Song taking flight (literally in the case of Ahn), the Care Bears have rendered Kai Yi a page in an overpriced ‘Opus’.
So the choices for an emotional return to the first team seem scant. A move to Italy might satisfy his desire for tender football, but Serie A is no longer estranged by scandals. French football seemed placid enough, but sadly French word play is perceptibly different. Germany is not known for mind games either.
Perhaps this lack of options may have led Kai Yi to re-sign the deal that purportedly remained on the expensive dustbin by Street 31 ‘Home of the Bears’ Court. However in moving to the UK, Kai Yi can satiate his craving for the mellow football and the mind-boggling word plays. Furthermore, he would finally get to meet his childhood hero, Tony Bear. With all these in mind, a move to the UK would not seem a self-destructing move.
[Tuesday, January 16, 2007]
Torrential Rain Fails to Undermine Bears Domination The sky was littered with menacing stormclouds and the sound of thunder could have frightened babies out from their sleep but once again the Bears passion and love for the beautiful and sometimes painful game was for all to see as they gathered on the court of David. With the departure of playmaker Kai Yi to greener pastures abroad, the team was once again thrown into disarray and shouts for the disband was echoed by some unnamed members of the club. Caretaker manager Tak could not be reached for comments as he was late for the press conference. However, the ever peace loving Albertini was on hand to give his vote of reassurance. "SHh ShH SHh ... Our club members treat each other with the utmost sincerity and we truly care for each other. No backstabbing, no complaints. I dont see the need for a disband." He went on to add. " But if a club has a star player that is perpetually late, a striker who should been better off in goal and a keeper better off in Korean tearjerkers then you know something is wrong." " But, we still love one another. Shh ShH" With that, Albertini proceeded to shingle to the court. Having a manpower crisis, care-tak-er manager decided to loan in some new players namely Marcus and Chorming from the council team. And so the team is as follows:
The opponent we faced was the The Red Indian and Friends. A respected rival as they also displayed similar passion and love by appearing week in week out despite rain or shine, win or lose.
Highlights of the Day
Jiesong just totally sux as he destroyed wave after wave of enemies attack with his chest, knees, calves, head. Attackers were just left in the tracks of Jiesong as he takes the ball away with ease and composure. Definitely his most solid display thus far in a Carebear shirt. In a move which saw him orchestrating his defense and finishing the attack, Jiesong tackled the ball away from Red Indian. nutmegged the plump defender and released an unstoppable shot into the top right hand corner.
If you had somehow managed to shake free from Jiesong, you would have my deepest condoleses as you would surely run into Juncheng. With a body to die for and a even deadlier speed, you would have not the slightest chance to even release your shot. Often confusing friends and foes alike by appearing in different parts of the court at the same time, as experienced personall by Likoon. Didnt really find his scoring touch on the day but impressed with his defending as off the ball running as usual.
In midfield that was the pairing of Albertini & Likoon. They may have known each other for a long time but they sure didnt show it as they frequently mis-timed each other runs and going for the same opponent time and again. Nonetheless, they make up for their mistakes with relentless running supporting both defense and attack with every wave. With a penchant for trying impossible shots at impssible angles, Likoon came under fire again from the spectators but Lady Luck was smiling on him this time as he didnt blast the ball over the fence and saved everyone a lot of time. He however did manage to score a memorable goal when he was released on the right wing. The star winger he was, he stroked the ball forward and unleased a venomous shot towards goal with no challenge, finding the bottom left corner. Albertini also had a rare header goal that was totally against the run of play. Yee Hung seeing Albertini free on the edge of the semicircle, sent up a searching ball. It floated over all the defenders and came to Albertini whose back was facing the goal. Albertini leaped and sent a glancing header into opposite corner of trhe net with a idol look that even Korean hearthrob would be proud of. The keeper that had come out hoping to catch the ball was left flailing thin air.
Tak Wee, as usual, was a model of consistency as he sent in assist after assist to his team-mates. He may have a penchant for ugly things but he sure doesnt tolerate ugly goals as he on more than 1 occasion chose to pass the ball to another player to score than to score the simple goal himself. However, conspiracy theorist have came up with a darker theory that may link his behaviour to the number 1 rule in Carebear soccer which applies to scorers and which Yee Hung know too well.
Only just recovering from his exploits in Mainland China, Yee Hung was still a shade of his old passionate self. However, he managed to transform that fatigue into goals by poaching all the goals when he was too lazy to run back to defend or when his normally cannonball shot was wrongly interpreted by the keeper and thus allowed the powerless shot to roll under his outstretched body. His play of the day would be the 3 touches to goal attack. The keeper rolls the ball to Albertini who then striked the ball forward to Yee Hung. Although heavily marked, he somehow turned the ball around with his massive body and shot it into the bottom corner surprising the keeper and defenders. All done in 3 easy steps.
Making a late appearance was David. Allegedlly believed to be suffering from an Achillies tendon injury, he showed no signs of it as he defended resolutely and chipped in with several goals throughout the match. More remarkable was the manner in which these goals are scored in. Virtually zero angle. David zero angle shots are slowly but surely becoming his best weapon in a soccer game. Just when you least expect it, David scores from the far corner of the court and beating the keeper at his far post. Proving an asset also in defense with his elbows and flailing legs, he is also irreplacable in the Bears team.
MVCEP of the Day
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, David was awarded with the MVCEP. Despite just making a brief appearance, he made a deep impact by indirectly causing a shoulder injury to Albertini with a koon pass that Albertini was obliged to save by diving across the face of goal and thereby twisting his shoulder. As if adding insult to injury, David pushed the blame to Yee Hung for pressuring him and Yee Hung in turn blamed Albertini for passing the ball to David for him to pressure. Hurt mentally and physically, it seems that the chances of Albertini retaining the MVCEP of Jan is silm. Definitely a masterstroke by David.
[Wednesday, January 03, 2007]
Ang Mo Kio, Jan 1 (Routers) - Carebear United has been rocked by the sudden announcement of club playmaker Lee Kai Yi's transfer to an undisclosed London club. The loss of their key player has seen them instantly turn from title challengers to relegation battlers, a fact recognized by bookmaker Ah Boo Kee. The odds of the Bears winning the title are now 500/1, while they are 2/1 to make the drop to the Milo Godzilla Championship. Another ominous statistic for the Carebears is the sudden plunge in shirt sales worldwide except Korea, though Rain album sales were unaffected.
When approached, Kai Yi was still unable to confirm any details of his transfer. "When I'll be back, I don't know. I don't even know if I'll be coming back." When pressed further, he explained, "One thing leads to another and then... everyone who watches TV should know."
Fans have expressed their shock and disbelief, as Kai Yi had looked guaranteed of a new contract after his recent sterling performances. The players themselves were also caught unaware by this unexpected turn of events and were visibly saddened at the imminent loss of their team-mate and resident linguist/wordplayer.
Military midfielder Lee Li Koon put up a strong front and gave Kai Yi a soldier's send-off, but it was just a facade of his tearing self. "Known this guy for six years liao," Li Koon said. "He's a fucker, a good fren, a cock tokker, a good player. I wish him all the best and not forget the bunch of losers he always play soccer with."
A BIG BLOW"It's hard to see a player like Kai Yi go." said Yee 'Safe Hands' Hung Pyo. "His creativity and attacking flair on the pitch and his wordplay and jokes off it will be sorely missed. The dressing room will never be the same again. I wish him the best of luck in England and its slower-paced, gentler Premier League, and I hope he will return to the club in time."
Quan van Ning, star striker of Carebears United, was still at a loss for words when interviewed. "Stay healthy" was all he could muster up before declining further comment.
It certainly looks like Kai Yi's departure has dealt a big blow to the club members. It did not help that when some players expressed their hope for a swift return to the club for Kai Yi, current No. 1 Wooki reminded them that its cathedral 'was built upon the bodies of the fallen'.
Known for their camaderie on the pitch and commentary off it, the Bears will have to pick themselves up from this sad episode if they are to beat the drop. Club gaffer Albertini led by example and refused to look at the dark side of things, instead choosing to focus on the good times.
He commented: "Will cherish the laughs and the arguments during these six years. Good luck in your future endeavours and hope to see you soon. ;-)"
Carebear fans, having grown used to the subtle underlying meanings of Albertini's words, scrutinized the emoticon and concluded that the smiley was shedding a tear, betraying Albertini's sadness. Albertini was subsequently fined two week's wages for flouting the tearjerker ban.
Brilliant ball-winner and wacky fashionista David also gave his sincere well-wishes. "Hey Kai Yi, enjoy yourself and please remember to take care..."
EMOTIONAL FAREWELLEmotions ran high during a recent press conference, as Kai Yi made known his affection for the Bears and his reluctance to leave. "Some people say it's hard to leave everything behind. It really is." He told the press. "I really cherish and enjoy the time we spent together. We share a special happiness (besides all the red meat jokes) and I hope this is not the end but the beginning."
Ever the passionate player, he included an ominous warning to all current and would-be soccer players. "We're going to kick soccer till we're fifty," he vowed, sending trembles throughout the football arena.
The departure of Kai Yi brought out the soft side in the normally intimidating characters that make up the Carebears. Gothic goalie Wookie shed his skull-and-crossbones image for once to bid the popular playmaker farewell. He said: "Just wishing him all the best in England, it's time for him to pit his wits against the likes of Mourinho. And when he comes back next year, he will be a better player. We will certainly miss his versatile midfield play."
In a rare display of optimism which sent Korean fans swooning, he said: "I guess this trip might be a blessing in disguise since he has one year to rest his knee." However he quickly reverted to his cranky self. "Something which I think, most of us thinks is about god-damned time. We will miss him, and wish him many successful mind games with the big two. Farewell dude."
Even the forboding Tak Wee, who was always spared Kai Yi's hairdryer treatment (albeit for the wrong reasons), revealed his anguish at losing his team-mate. "Dubbed as the brain of the team, Kai Yi's departure will surely be a big loss to the team. He is by far the only one I've most understanding with up front, and I'll surely miss his tricks and flicks."
"All the best to you Kai Yi,we will never have a professor and wordplay master like you again."
It was with no small effort that our reporter finally caught up with tireless midfielder Jun "Energizer" Cheng for his comments. Ever the entrepreneur, Jun Cheng distilled valuable advice to his prodigious team-mate. "Scout out the opportunities in UK. We shall succeed together in the future." Emotions took over business as his firm expression softened (though his torso did not). "Take care bro."
World-class defender and resident Treant Jie Song remained decidedly philosophical, though his words were tinged with sadness. Quoting Richard Bach, he said: "Don't be dismayed at good byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends.
"Will be missing your sublime passes, your wit.. your intelligent play on court, and wordplay off court..now there's no one to stop those who wanna ps from doing so...
"And lastly, a reminder to us when we all feel the urge to ps," he said in a barbed reference to the consistently late and absent (and Annie-loving as well), and quoted Charles M. Schulz. "Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos."
BEARS VOW TO STAY STRONGAlthough still reeling from the sudden loss, the Bears vow to stay strong and continue their winning exploits in the league. "We will still fight for honours," said Yee Hung Pyo. "This sudden transfer has served to remind us that soccer does not come first, the team does."
"A soccer match lasts 90 minutes but friendship lasts forever."
Albertini concurred: ""Red meat may last two weeks but friendship lasts forever."
And last but not least, Kai Yi nodded: "Friendship lasts forever."
The club has since released a testimonial slideshow to immortalize the exploits of Kai Yi at the hallowed grounds of the Ang Mo Kio Stadium.
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