1 April 2012 - Match Report: Hurdy Flurdy Gurdy!!!
Season opener and Tromp's managerial debut (against Daan) proves to be no walk in the park.
After being in charge of the game for the first 30 minutes, the game seemed to even out. With both teams putting in decent work rates, although playing some
inconsistent football, the game looked to be heading for a 0-0 draw.
After a few chances for both teams, Daan broke the deadlock after 75 minutes. 1-0 Daan. Switching to 3 at the back and thus pushing an extra man in midfield made
a big difference. Carnegie's looking once more like the team that won last year's CPL.
Laying seige to Daan's 18 yard box, persistence paid off. The pressure was too much the Daan diddy men. One of their players cracked and handled the ball.
The ref duly awarded a penalty, which lead to Daan's Sunil also cracking - bursting into a fit of anger previously only ever displayed by the likes of Mike OG
and myself. Bryan stepped up to take the penalty, smashing the ball into the back of the net. With only a few minutes to spare the score was back to 1-1.
Carnegie's continued to push for the winner and came oh so very close once more in the dying minutes. It was not to be, 1-1 the final score.
Not the greatest of team performances could've left us looking like April Fools, but a tremendous push of energy and spirit (lead by team captain, Mike OG) saved our blushes.
A few things to sort out ahead of the next game? Absolutely. An enormous can of WD-40 for a good number of rusty legs should sort us out.
We must play like champions - encourage each other more, focus and not let our frustrations get the better of us.
1 Apr 2012 - Paul
FINAL SCORE: B52 Carnegie's 1 - Daan 1
7 December 2011 - CPL Update: Carnegie's Win CPL Title!!!!!
A solid season is rewarded by winning the league for a second time.
What with a distinct lack of match reports over the past 9 months, you may have wondered what's been going on. Nothing but good news. Carnegie's won the CPL title with 1 game to spare. Congratulations to all players involved. A well deserved 2nd title!!! A big thanks to our sponsor, Carnegie's for rewarding our emphatic title win with NT$20,000 of drinks and food. Great season, great sponsor, great team!
7 Dec 2011 - Paul
A solid season is rewarded by winning the league for a second time.
What with a distinct lack of match reports over the past 9 months, you may have wondered what's been going on. Nothing but good news. Carnegie's won the CPL title with 1 game to spare. Congratulations to all players involved. A well deserved 2nd title!!! A big thanks to our sponsor, Carnegie's for rewarding our emphatic title win with NT$20,000 of drinks and food. Great season, great sponsor, great team!
7 Dec 2011 - Paul
2 July 2011 - China Tour Report: A Spiffing Second in Xiamen
A weekend on the mainland often throws up the odd surprise but when 8 members of the Carnegie’s team took it upon themselves to travel from Taipei , Hong Kong and Malaysia to join Mote in Xiamen , no-one could have guessed what the following 4 days had in store.
Having touched down at varying times, the chosen meeting point was The Londoner pub. With Mote leading the charge in his vivid red, skewiff tie and the rest of the gang following suit in sinking Qingdao beer, Mark “Spider” Evans took it upon himself to buck the trend and stick to the Coke Zeros. His motives were unclear and were met with dismay around the table. His attempt at having a booze free weekend were short-lived. With a few of the guys chomping at the bit to savor more of the Xiamen nightlife, the next port of call was the ironically named True Love bar. After a swift round of Qingdaos and the search for true love abandoned, the group moved on to one more spot before hitting the hay to prepare for a day of culture and golf.
Despite one or two groggy heads, Ray, Martin, OG, Ricky and Guy made their way to the port to grab a high speed ferry to a nearby golf course. In the meantime, Pete and Spider took it upon themselves to take the “refugee” boat over to Gulangyu to do a recce of the pitch, climb a rock and check out fiberglass sculptures of Roman centurions and martians. Back at the golf course and with several balls in the drink by hole 2, the guys knew they were in for a long day. With temperatures rising and confidence growing, Ricky, offering himself words of encouragement (Read: C’mon Chappy, nice an easy, straight down the middle pal, ‘ere we go) began to play like a man possessed. Mike OG was demonstrating fine temperament by throwing himself to the ground instead of hurling Ray’s club into the sea after smashing a ball a whole 2 feet. Ray “ Orange ” Koot was demonstrating a fine command of the wrenches and a unique tanning ability whilst Martin, our non-playing golfer, kicked back and enjoyed the view. 6 hours on and several shades of pink/orange later, the boys dragged themselves onto the last green where Ricky “you sh*thouse” Chapman claimed the title of lowest overall score and Mike OG took the crown for most holes won.
After a brief nap, the boys reconvened at The Londoner for a sharpener and then made their way to JJ’s Bar, a Texan themed bar by the waterfront. Just as we were launching in to our third round of enchiladas, Xavier appeared having just flown in from Malaysia . In order to celebrate the arrival of one Carnegie’s most decorated players, a round on the bucking bronco was called. Despite Mike OG coming from the south of the U.S. and being born with cow sh*t in his ears, his command of the mechanical bull was truly atrocious and lasted a mere 30 seconds. Mark “Hypeman” Evans, who had now decided to start drinking on the back of some good news from a lady friend, was most disappointed at OG’s shortcomings as he had been bigging him up to bewildered locals.
The next episode of the evening is sure to go down in Carnegie’s football team folklore. With several members of the team having experienced Chinese bar games firsthand, they took it upon themselves to introduce Ricky to “Liar Dice.” On the surface, and to most human beings, Liar Dice is an extremely simple game of luck, bluff and speed. To Mr. Chapman, however, Liar Dice is a game of huge thought, honesty and languor. With a maximum of 12 dice remaining amongst five people and repeated looks under his jar, Ricky “Rain Man” Chapman would call an outlandish 8 sixes, convinced he had laid an almighty trap for the remaining players. What Rain Man failed to notice (on more than one occasion) was that he was digging his own grave. After about an hour of repeated loses, chugs of beer and cries of foul play (“is that dice regulation?”), did Rain Man proclaim, “Right, I’ve got this, let’s play for muney!” The others showing mercy did not take Rain Man up on his offer, however, they did seek great amusement in his “jazz” dancing and ability to count toothpicks thrown on the floor.
The call was made to hit Key club where Mote arranged a cracking table complete with vodka and fruit. The first bottle was shared amongst the Swiss HK football team and Carnegie’s in the most utmost of ways (glasses, ice, mixers). On the departure of the Swiss, however, the Carnegie’s lads cut loose and started to get stuck in. First there was the pouring of vodka directly from the bottle into the mouths, eyes and ears of anyone who dared. Then there was a carafe of whisky/green tea being reversed poured down shirts. After a few more skirmishes, the gang decided to call it quits at 4am in order to prepare for Saturday’s tournament. One member of the team, buoyed by his appearance behind the bongos, decided to go on and take on 1801 club.
On rising at 8am the following day, the team was greeted with blue skies and roasting temperatures. The heavy heads were herded to the ferry pier where they reconvened with the fresh looking Swiss. Having survived the crush of the “refugee” ferry to Gulangyu island, members of the team picked up much need refreshments and food from the golden arches and made their way to the pristine pitch. Our first game of the day was against Xiamen International A; a bunch of chaps based in XM. Despite horrific hangovers we played very solidly, stroking the ball around nicely. However, through failure of converting our chances and being caught on the break, the opposition ended up beating us 4-1.
After a slightly longer than expected break due to the uncharacteristically late arrival of the Xiamen Black Stars (African team), we took on Pacific International, a team made up mostly of Uzbeks. Despite the occasional scare, we were dominant in possession (again) and went on to win the game 2-0. Having wolfed down some offerings from the food stall and having had a giggle about Rain Man sitting in the stands on his own (he was probably calculating the number of blades of grass on the pitch), we took to the field to face Xiamen International B. This was a very tight, tense game that exploded towards the end of the second half when one of the Carnegie’s players was attacked by, as Mike OG described him, “some dorky, indie rocker, English bloke.” With the guilty party removed from the pitch by his teammates and not the ref, the mighty orange hung on to their 1-0 lead and came out of the match unscathed.
After more bottles of water and a brief rest, we took on the rather un-black Black Stars. True to form, the team was incomplete and pitched up to the tournament 2 hours late. With a final spot play-off with the Swiss as Carnegie’s next game, the team took things slow but still dominated the game with smart passing and efficient movement. The final score was 4-0.
Carnegie’s final group game was against the Swiss XI from HK with whom Mote and Spider have played for in the past. This was the big one. Carnegie’s and the Swiss couldn’t be more different both on and off the pitch. Due to Carnegie’s more redeeming features off the pitch, Spider is a self-proclaimed Carnegie’s man but Mote “flip-flop” Pooley still has ties with them and so, decided he would play the first half with the Swiss and the second half with Carnegies. Luckily for him, he made the right choice. A game of sheer brilliance unfolded which was witnessed by hordes of Chinese tourists who took it upon themselves to pop their head in to have a gander. Controlled, slick, smart passing put the Swiss on the back foot from the off and the pressure paid off when Mike OG made it to the byline, crossed the ball through 2 defenders and Guy kneed in the first goal. Minutes later Xavier found himself in space on the right, drew the defender and unselfishly squared the ball to an onrushing Guy who blasted the ball past the keeper and into the goal. The goals did not stop there. Mike OG teased their midfield and unleashed a killer ball from his own half to release Xavier who buried it to make it 3-0. The final goal saw Spider charging at the defenders (who couldn’t get near him), drawing the onrushing keeper and then laying it off to Martin who coolly played the ball into an empty net. Peter Harrod, who had now fully recovered from his bongo playing and solo mission, was a rock in defense keeping the Swiss striker (who had scored 7 goals earlier in the day) in his pocket for the whole match. Ray made several big claims and saves at the back and distributed the ball with speed. Mote by this time had rejoined the men in orange and duly got stuck into the post-match celebrations.
Next up was the final against Xiamen International A. A combination of clinical finishes, missed chances and exhaustion saw us come up a little short against a good team. The final score was 4-0.
On finishing our beers and chat with the BBQ girls (Russian, Antiguan, Tongan and Indonesian), we dragged our burnt and bruised bodies back to the pier to board, once more, the refugee ferry. Xiamen rush-hour was in full flow and chances were slim in getting a taxi. However, a local boy racer (with van) spotting a quick pay day, offered to take us back to our lodgings. The fact that we had to pay an extortionate 80 RMB for a ride which usually costs 15RMB, paled in significance to the amount of money the local lad would have to pay to re-upholster his seats. Let’s just say, the joke was on him.
Post snooze and shower, Mote greeted the Swiss and Carnegie’s with a 25 seater coach to take us to a cracking seafood restaurant on the beach. Having devoured some superb food, Mote took to the floor to introduce the obligatory down downs. Notable winners included: Martin picking up the statue award, Rain Man for being the only person to play for an African team (and being rubbish at Liar Dice) and the whole of the Swiss team for being whipped by Carnegies. In true Carnegies style, we hit the bars again, where Spider insisted on scratching his nuts like a chimp insisting he had chaffing (this is in fact his mating call). Incidents of note include OG trying to woo a girl (who was more interested in playing Angry Birds) by dancing with a beer tower, Martin and Ray-von leading the European techno revival by dancing on stage and Mote being forced to drink whisky/green tea (again) from a carafe. The night almost ended prematurely when a local reveler took it upon himself to test the durability of our glasses and bar table by swan diving off the stage and onto our table. Thankfully the carafes that Mote seems to have grown so fondly of since his arrival in Xiamen were unharmed and the night continued until daybreak. Only after seeing off a McDs, which incidentally took Spider’s burger count of the day to 5, did we decide that is was time to head home and rest up.
The following lunchtime was spent recounting the weekend’s antics, asking Rain Man about the meaning of life and planning 2012’s tour.
A special mention should go to Mote who expertly arranged the whole weekend for both the Swiss and Carnegie’s. Without him generously giving up his time to arrange this tournament, housing some of the team members and being a superb tour guide, none of the abovementioned antics would never have occurred. He is a fine host and we are thoroughly looking forward to next year. Thank you Mote!
6 Jul 2011 - Guy T. Moore
A weekend on the mainland often throws up the odd surprise but when 8 members of the Carnegie’s team took it upon themselves to travel from Taipei , Hong Kong and Malaysia to join Mote in Xiamen , no-one could have guessed what the following 4 days had in store.
Having touched down at varying times, the chosen meeting point was The Londoner pub. With Mote leading the charge in his vivid red, skewiff tie and the rest of the gang following suit in sinking Qingdao beer, Mark “Spider” Evans took it upon himself to buck the trend and stick to the Coke Zeros. His motives were unclear and were met with dismay around the table. His attempt at having a booze free weekend were short-lived. With a few of the guys chomping at the bit to savor more of the Xiamen nightlife, the next port of call was the ironically named True Love bar. After a swift round of Qingdaos and the search for true love abandoned, the group moved on to one more spot before hitting the hay to prepare for a day of culture and golf.
Despite one or two groggy heads, Ray, Martin, OG, Ricky and Guy made their way to the port to grab a high speed ferry to a nearby golf course. In the meantime, Pete and Spider took it upon themselves to take the “refugee” boat over to Gulangyu to do a recce of the pitch, climb a rock and check out fiberglass sculptures of Roman centurions and martians. Back at the golf course and with several balls in the drink by hole 2, the guys knew they were in for a long day. With temperatures rising and confidence growing, Ricky, offering himself words of encouragement (Read: C’mon Chappy, nice an easy, straight down the middle pal, ‘ere we go) began to play like a man possessed. Mike OG was demonstrating fine temperament by throwing himself to the ground instead of hurling Ray’s club into the sea after smashing a ball a whole 2 feet. Ray “ Orange ” Koot was demonstrating a fine command of the wrenches and a unique tanning ability whilst Martin, our non-playing golfer, kicked back and enjoyed the view. 6 hours on and several shades of pink/orange later, the boys dragged themselves onto the last green where Ricky “you sh*thouse” Chapman claimed the title of lowest overall score and Mike OG took the crown for most holes won.
After a brief nap, the boys reconvened at The Londoner for a sharpener and then made their way to JJ’s Bar, a Texan themed bar by the waterfront. Just as we were launching in to our third round of enchiladas, Xavier appeared having just flown in from Malaysia . In order to celebrate the arrival of one Carnegie’s most decorated players, a round on the bucking bronco was called. Despite Mike OG coming from the south of the U.S. and being born with cow sh*t in his ears, his command of the mechanical bull was truly atrocious and lasted a mere 30 seconds. Mark “Hypeman” Evans, who had now decided to start drinking on the back of some good news from a lady friend, was most disappointed at OG’s shortcomings as he had been bigging him up to bewildered locals.
The next episode of the evening is sure to go down in Carnegie’s football team folklore. With several members of the team having experienced Chinese bar games firsthand, they took it upon themselves to introduce Ricky to “Liar Dice.” On the surface, and to most human beings, Liar Dice is an extremely simple game of luck, bluff and speed. To Mr. Chapman, however, Liar Dice is a game of huge thought, honesty and languor. With a maximum of 12 dice remaining amongst five people and repeated looks under his jar, Ricky “Rain Man” Chapman would call an outlandish 8 sixes, convinced he had laid an almighty trap for the remaining players. What Rain Man failed to notice (on more than one occasion) was that he was digging his own grave. After about an hour of repeated loses, chugs of beer and cries of foul play (“is that dice regulation?”), did Rain Man proclaim, “Right, I’ve got this, let’s play for muney!” The others showing mercy did not take Rain Man up on his offer, however, they did seek great amusement in his “jazz” dancing and ability to count toothpicks thrown on the floor.
The call was made to hit Key club where Mote arranged a cracking table complete with vodka and fruit. The first bottle was shared amongst the Swiss HK football team and Carnegie’s in the most utmost of ways (glasses, ice, mixers). On the departure of the Swiss, however, the Carnegie’s lads cut loose and started to get stuck in. First there was the pouring of vodka directly from the bottle into the mouths, eyes and ears of anyone who dared. Then there was a carafe of whisky/green tea being reversed poured down shirts. After a few more skirmishes, the gang decided to call it quits at 4am in order to prepare for Saturday’s tournament. One member of the team, buoyed by his appearance behind the bongos, decided to go on and take on 1801 club.
On rising at 8am the following day, the team was greeted with blue skies and roasting temperatures. The heavy heads were herded to the ferry pier where they reconvened with the fresh looking Swiss. Having survived the crush of the “refugee” ferry to Gulangyu island, members of the team picked up much need refreshments and food from the golden arches and made their way to the pristine pitch. Our first game of the day was against Xiamen International A; a bunch of chaps based in XM. Despite horrific hangovers we played very solidly, stroking the ball around nicely. However, through failure of converting our chances and being caught on the break, the opposition ended up beating us 4-1.
After a slightly longer than expected break due to the uncharacteristically late arrival of the Xiamen Black Stars (African team), we took on Pacific International, a team made up mostly of Uzbeks. Despite the occasional scare, we were dominant in possession (again) and went on to win the game 2-0. Having wolfed down some offerings from the food stall and having had a giggle about Rain Man sitting in the stands on his own (he was probably calculating the number of blades of grass on the pitch), we took to the field to face Xiamen International B. This was a very tight, tense game that exploded towards the end of the second half when one of the Carnegie’s players was attacked by, as Mike OG described him, “some dorky, indie rocker, English bloke.” With the guilty party removed from the pitch by his teammates and not the ref, the mighty orange hung on to their 1-0 lead and came out of the match unscathed.
After more bottles of water and a brief rest, we took on the rather un-black Black Stars. True to form, the team was incomplete and pitched up to the tournament 2 hours late. With a final spot play-off with the Swiss as Carnegie’s next game, the team took things slow but still dominated the game with smart passing and efficient movement. The final score was 4-0.
Carnegie’s final group game was against the Swiss XI from HK with whom Mote and Spider have played for in the past. This was the big one. Carnegie’s and the Swiss couldn’t be more different both on and off the pitch. Due to Carnegie’s more redeeming features off the pitch, Spider is a self-proclaimed Carnegie’s man but Mote “flip-flop” Pooley still has ties with them and so, decided he would play the first half with the Swiss and the second half with Carnegies. Luckily for him, he made the right choice. A game of sheer brilliance unfolded which was witnessed by hordes of Chinese tourists who took it upon themselves to pop their head in to have a gander. Controlled, slick, smart passing put the Swiss on the back foot from the off and the pressure paid off when Mike OG made it to the byline, crossed the ball through 2 defenders and Guy kneed in the first goal. Minutes later Xavier found himself in space on the right, drew the defender and unselfishly squared the ball to an onrushing Guy who blasted the ball past the keeper and into the goal. The goals did not stop there. Mike OG teased their midfield and unleashed a killer ball from his own half to release Xavier who buried it to make it 3-0. The final goal saw Spider charging at the defenders (who couldn’t get near him), drawing the onrushing keeper and then laying it off to Martin who coolly played the ball into an empty net. Peter Harrod, who had now fully recovered from his bongo playing and solo mission, was a rock in defense keeping the Swiss striker (who had scored 7 goals earlier in the day) in his pocket for the whole match. Ray made several big claims and saves at the back and distributed the ball with speed. Mote by this time had rejoined the men in orange and duly got stuck into the post-match celebrations.
Next up was the final against Xiamen International A. A combination of clinical finishes, missed chances and exhaustion saw us come up a little short against a good team. The final score was 4-0.
On finishing our beers and chat with the BBQ girls (Russian, Antiguan, Tongan and Indonesian), we dragged our burnt and bruised bodies back to the pier to board, once more, the refugee ferry. Xiamen rush-hour was in full flow and chances were slim in getting a taxi. However, a local boy racer (with van) spotting a quick pay day, offered to take us back to our lodgings. The fact that we had to pay an extortionate 80 RMB for a ride which usually costs 15RMB, paled in significance to the amount of money the local lad would have to pay to re-upholster his seats. Let’s just say, the joke was on him.
Post snooze and shower, Mote greeted the Swiss and Carnegie’s with a 25 seater coach to take us to a cracking seafood restaurant on the beach. Having devoured some superb food, Mote took to the floor to introduce the obligatory down downs. Notable winners included: Martin picking up the statue award, Rain Man for being the only person to play for an African team (and being rubbish at Liar Dice) and the whole of the Swiss team for being whipped by Carnegies. In true Carnegies style, we hit the bars again, where Spider insisted on scratching his nuts like a chimp insisting he had chaffing (this is in fact his mating call). Incidents of note include OG trying to woo a girl (who was more interested in playing Angry Birds) by dancing with a beer tower, Martin and Ray-von leading the European techno revival by dancing on stage and Mote being forced to drink whisky/green tea (again) from a carafe. The night almost ended prematurely when a local reveler took it upon himself to test the durability of our glasses and bar table by swan diving off the stage and onto our table. Thankfully the carafes that Mote seems to have grown so fondly of since his arrival in Xiamen were unharmed and the night continued until daybreak. Only after seeing off a McDs, which incidentally took Spider’s burger count of the day to 5, did we decide that is was time to head home and rest up.
The following lunchtime was spent recounting the weekend’s antics, asking Rain Man about the meaning of life and planning 2012’s tour.
A special mention should go to Mote who expertly arranged the whole weekend for both the Swiss and Carnegie’s. Without him generously giving up his time to arrange this tournament, housing some of the team members and being a superb tour guide, none of the abovementioned antics would never have occurred. He is a fine host and we are thoroughly looking forward to next year. Thank you Mote!
6 Jul 2011 - Guy T. Moore
29 May 2011 - Match Report: Stars Shine as Carnegie's Fizzle Out
Was it down to Champions League hangovers or lack of fire power upfront? Needless to say, Carnegie's continue in their struggle to hit the back of the net.
Due to a few days heavy rain, it always looked like Sunday's game was going to be a non-event. Fortunately, a bleak Saturday gave way to a blue sky and hence a warm, sunny Sunday. It was our turn to play in the 3.15pm binge drinkers slot, and we should've considered ourselves fortunate to have the late kick-off as a number of our squad members had obviously been painting the town red the previous night; watching the mighty FC Barcelona destroy the miserable Mancs. In the case of Francois 'Pukathon' Mosinier, he didn't cease at just painting the town. More about that later.
On paper the assembled squad looked strong enough to take on the Blackstars and get the win we so desperatley needed to stay in contention with the leading teams. Easier said than done - we started off looking sluggish and not really up for it. For the first twenty minutes the ball was mostly in our half of the pitch and ever continuing pressure saw the Blackstars go a goal up thanks to a quick take down on the edge of the 18-yard box and rapid shot which deflected off this match report writer's boot, causing it to dip and swerve past Alex Moga in goal.
This echoed a wake up call for both the defense and the rest of the team, who reorganized and completely shut out the Blackstar attacks for the rest of the first half. Meanwhile the midfield seemed to playing themselves slowly into the game but to no avail, 1-0 down at half time. Which brings us to the half time antics of young Monsieur Mosinier and a possible all-new way to signify half-time. The sound of the referee's whistle was drowned out by Franky's yacking vomitous tones - fresh from painting the town red, he went one step further by also painting the pitch red................and luminous yellow, funky pink, fluoresant green, and dayglo orange. His own personal half-time fireworks display, all the colors of the rainbow. Match of the day meets the exorcist!
Undisturbed by Franky's antics, Martin Tromp (taking over as Craig had gone AWOL), gave a subtle yet tactical half time team talk that seemed to rouse a few spirits and not to mention groggy heads. We managed to begin the second half in a higher gear than in previous games and played some neat and tidy 'simple passes' that the Blackstars struggled to deal with. We seemed to dominate the play for over twenty minutes or so, and mostly pinned the opposition in their own half, but playing the final ball to set up one of our strikers for the equaliser continued to be a problem. Had we been able to do this, the final score would have favored us rather than the opposition.
With balls put in to the opposition's box both from crosses and corners, there was a feeling that we'd get that equalizer, but with about 20 minutes remaining and completely against the run of play, one the Blackstars decided to put in a long ball, originally intended for one of his team mates' heads, but instead finding the back of our net, as an over eager keeper (who most likely had it in his mind to punch out both the ball and one of the opposition also) ventured off his goaline a little too exuberantly, resulting in the ball sailing over him and into the back of the net. A wildy overhit pass that turned into a shot and a goal; yes it was one of those days.
Pushing an extra man from defense into midfield and try as we might to at least get a goal, it simply never happened for us. There were a good number of Carnegie's attacks, but the midfield and strikers never really linked up and put the Blackstars' keeper to the test. The opposition even managed to rub a little more salt into the wounds with a late goal, resulting in a rather unflattering scoreline and concluding a bad day at the office. As Roberto mentioned, nobody put in a great performance but nobody played badly either.
One goal scored from the last three games and five conceded has resulted in accumulating only one point out of a possible nine and have faded our title hopes more than the pitch's lines. And that's saying something! Even the Hubble telescope at point blank range would have trouble making them out!
Man of the match? Honorable mentions go to Alex Moga for some brave goal keeping, and despite being continually fouled by the opposition's strikers, not flinching even once. Other mentions must go to our two Texans, Warren and Roberto, playing their final game for Carnegie's as they'll be heading back home. On behalf of the club, cheers to both of them for putting in a good number of solid and skillful performances.
Men of the match: Two fantastic Frenchmen, Frederic and Jean-Marc. They played the match with heart, aggression and (unlike one of their fellow countrymen) strong stomachs! They put in some great crunching tackles too!
30 May 2011 - Paul
FINAL SCORE: B52 Carnegie's 0 - Black Stars 3
Was it down to Champions League hangovers or lack of fire power upfront? Needless to say, Carnegie's continue in their struggle to hit the back of the net.
Due to a few days heavy rain, it always looked like Sunday's game was going to be a non-event. Fortunately, a bleak Saturday gave way to a blue sky and hence a warm, sunny Sunday. It was our turn to play in the 3.15pm binge drinkers slot, and we should've considered ourselves fortunate to have the late kick-off as a number of our squad members had obviously been painting the town red the previous night; watching the mighty FC Barcelona destroy the miserable Mancs. In the case of Francois 'Pukathon' Mosinier, he didn't cease at just painting the town. More about that later.
On paper the assembled squad looked strong enough to take on the Blackstars and get the win we so desperatley needed to stay in contention with the leading teams. Easier said than done - we started off looking sluggish and not really up for it. For the first twenty minutes the ball was mostly in our half of the pitch and ever continuing pressure saw the Blackstars go a goal up thanks to a quick take down on the edge of the 18-yard box and rapid shot which deflected off this match report writer's boot, causing it to dip and swerve past Alex Moga in goal.
This echoed a wake up call for both the defense and the rest of the team, who reorganized and completely shut out the Blackstar attacks for the rest of the first half. Meanwhile the midfield seemed to playing themselves slowly into the game but to no avail, 1-0 down at half time. Which brings us to the half time antics of young Monsieur Mosinier and a possible all-new way to signify half-time. The sound of the referee's whistle was drowned out by Franky's yacking vomitous tones - fresh from painting the town red, he went one step further by also painting the pitch red................and luminous yellow, funky pink, fluoresant green, and dayglo orange. His own personal half-time fireworks display, all the colors of the rainbow. Match of the day meets the exorcist!
Undisturbed by Franky's antics, Martin Tromp (taking over as Craig had gone AWOL), gave a subtle yet tactical half time team talk that seemed to rouse a few spirits and not to mention groggy heads. We managed to begin the second half in a higher gear than in previous games and played some neat and tidy 'simple passes' that the Blackstars struggled to deal with. We seemed to dominate the play for over twenty minutes or so, and mostly pinned the opposition in their own half, but playing the final ball to set up one of our strikers for the equaliser continued to be a problem. Had we been able to do this, the final score would have favored us rather than the opposition.
With balls put in to the opposition's box both from crosses and corners, there was a feeling that we'd get that equalizer, but with about 20 minutes remaining and completely against the run of play, one the Blackstars decided to put in a long ball, originally intended for one of his team mates' heads, but instead finding the back of our net, as an over eager keeper (who most likely had it in his mind to punch out both the ball and one of the opposition also) ventured off his goaline a little too exuberantly, resulting in the ball sailing over him and into the back of the net. A wildy overhit pass that turned into a shot and a goal; yes it was one of those days.
Pushing an extra man from defense into midfield and try as we might to at least get a goal, it simply never happened for us. There were a good number of Carnegie's attacks, but the midfield and strikers never really linked up and put the Blackstars' keeper to the test. The opposition even managed to rub a little more salt into the wounds with a late goal, resulting in a rather unflattering scoreline and concluding a bad day at the office. As Roberto mentioned, nobody put in a great performance but nobody played badly either.
One goal scored from the last three games and five conceded has resulted in accumulating only one point out of a possible nine and have faded our title hopes more than the pitch's lines. And that's saying something! Even the Hubble telescope at point blank range would have trouble making them out!
Man of the match? Honorable mentions go to Alex Moga for some brave goal keeping, and despite being continually fouled by the opposition's strikers, not flinching even once. Other mentions must go to our two Texans, Warren and Roberto, playing their final game for Carnegie's as they'll be heading back home. On behalf of the club, cheers to both of them for putting in a good number of solid and skillful performances.
Men of the match: Two fantastic Frenchmen, Frederic and Jean-Marc. They played the match with heart, aggression and (unlike one of their fellow countrymen) strong stomachs! They put in some great crunching tackles too!
30 May 2011 - Paul
FINAL SCORE: B52 Carnegie's 0 - Black Stars 3
17 April 2011 - Match Report: Carnegie's get Down and Dirty with The Eagles
Nice weather for hippos? In contrast to the previous week's bone dry surface, this time around the pitch was transformed into both swimming pool and mud bath.
It wasn’t the most pleasant of days to play football in. The afternoon of rain had moistened the pitch (to say the least) leaving parts of the pitch coated with a sheen of water.
The first half was a hard fought battle between the two sides; neither one could quite find the necessary quality in the final third of the pitch to open the game up though. Roberto had a couple of excellent runs down the slightly drier patch in front of him on the left. However, the best of those saw him round the keeper before striking the ball directly into the path of their sliding defender who cleared the ball off the line. Charlie also had an excellent chance in the box before being felled by the keeper (and leaving the game with a gash down his leg). Fortunately he managed to earn… a goal kick. It was one of those halves.
The team battled hard though. Every player fought for the ball well and we defended stalwartly in front of the safe hands of Luke (see what a good night’s sleep can lead to!) Everyone left the pitch muddied but with the feeling that soon the game would open up. The first goal would be crucial in these conditions.
In the second half we were attacking the “drier” half of the pitch. And the difference was quickly apparent. Finally we were able to string a few passes together but still the vital opening we needed was proving to be as hard to find as Shawn’s clothing at the end of a Saturday night. The back line continued to hold resolutely and the few chances they created were quickly cleared.
Finally we caught a break as the ball broke over the top of their back line and into the path of the marauding Dan Calvert. He chipped the ball on the bounce over the outstretched arms of the onrushing Eagles keeper to give us a deserved 1 – 0 lead.
Moments later Dan was through in the box again before being brought down from behind while in the act of shooting. The referee pointed to the spot and then (harshly in my opinion) reached into his pocket and pulled out a red card for the defender. Davo stepped into the box and rolled the ball past the diving keeper with all the calm one would expect from a man who has regularly faced off against sharks, stingrays and various other deadly aquatic creatures with only a long board and some sharp Aussie wits to protect him.
The two goal cushion made the next few minutes much easier to handle as the Eagles, undeterred by being a man down, came at us in waves of attacks. However, the defense continued to play with great assurance and we managed to turn the game back in our favour and close out the match comfortably.
Man of the match: Warren Pugliano. A truly monstrous performance at the heart of our defense that kept the Eagles without much of a chance all game.
20 Apr 2011 - Craig Schofield
FINAL SCORE: B52 Carnegie's 2 - The Eagles 0
Nice weather for hippos? In contrast to the previous week's bone dry surface, this time around the pitch was transformed into both swimming pool and mud bath.
It wasn’t the most pleasant of days to play football in. The afternoon of rain had moistened the pitch (to say the least) leaving parts of the pitch coated with a sheen of water.
The first half was a hard fought battle between the two sides; neither one could quite find the necessary quality in the final third of the pitch to open the game up though. Roberto had a couple of excellent runs down the slightly drier patch in front of him on the left. However, the best of those saw him round the keeper before striking the ball directly into the path of their sliding defender who cleared the ball off the line. Charlie also had an excellent chance in the box before being felled by the keeper (and leaving the game with a gash down his leg). Fortunately he managed to earn… a goal kick. It was one of those halves.
In the second half we were attacking the “drier” half of the pitch. And the difference was quickly apparent. Finally we were able to string a few passes together but still the vital opening we needed was proving to be as hard to find as Shawn’s clothing at the end of a Saturday night. The back line continued to hold resolutely and the few chances they created were quickly cleared.
Finally we caught a break as the ball broke over the top of their back line and into the path of the marauding Dan Calvert. He chipped the ball on the bounce over the outstretched arms of the onrushing Eagles keeper to give us a deserved 1 – 0 lead.
Moments later Dan was through in the box again before being brought down from behind while in the act of shooting. The referee pointed to the spot and then (harshly in my opinion) reached into his pocket and pulled out a red card for the defender. Davo stepped into the box and rolled the ball past the diving keeper with all the calm one would expect from a man who has regularly faced off against sharks, stingrays and various other deadly aquatic creatures with only a long board and some sharp Aussie wits to protect him.
The two goal cushion made the next few minutes much easier to handle as the Eagles, undeterred by being a man down, came at us in waves of attacks. However, the defense continued to play with great assurance and we managed to turn the game back in our favour and close out the match comfortably.
Man of the match: Warren Pugliano. A truly monstrous performance at the heart of our defense that kept the Eagles without much of a chance all game.
20 Apr 2011 - Craig Schofield
10 April 2011 - Match Report: Carnegie's Leave it Late to Take the Beer Home
Bouncing back from a defeat, B52 Carnegie's FC saw themselves up against their longest running rival, The Shane. The all important beer match turned out not to be the walk in the park that was expected.
We faced our oldest rival on Sunday; the team we have played more often than any other. In the words of the returning wanker of the year “Every time, I am playing ze Shane and bringing ze beer”.
There were several weary heads on the bus to the pitch as several players were showing signs of enjoying Francois’ return to Taiwan a bit more than necessary (though it was those who didn’t make it to the match who looked as though they saw the worst of the night).
We started the game brightly though and managed to get on top of the game and control most of the ball. However, our final touch let us down and we weren’t getting enough pressure in the final third of the pitch. 20 minutes in though, Mike O’Gorman once again scored our opening goal (his third opener for us in as many games) with a fine follow up from our first shot of the game. 1 – 0 to the good and it looked like our control of the game would see us through to the second half. But the Shane had other ideas and they struck a late equalizer right on the stroke of halftime.
The second half saw us fall behind 1 – 2 with another quick goal following a bit of confusion at the back demonstrating a real need for more effective communication (and sleep for some people!)
But our returning star Francois decided to earn himself some free lunches from the Chairman by hitting a powerful free kick that singed the fingers of the keeper before finding the back of the net. Back to evens and all the beers to play for. As the match wore on our midfield, led by Mike and Roberto, grabbed the game more and more by the throat and pushed for the winner. But as in the first half we couldn’t seem to find the final ball that would allow us to score. We kept the pressure on though and were continually looking for the opening that would give us sight of the goal.
Finally, in the last minute of the game the opening came as some excellent midfield work got the ball to Aiden who played a perfect pass through the defense to put Bryan through on goal to finish from a tight angle. 3 – 2 the lead but the game was not done. Alberto was felled in the box and stepped up to finish the penalty expertly and give us a 4 – 2 victory. The scoreline may have flattered our finishing on the day but it certainly didn’t flatter the effort and determination.
Man of the match: Roberto, who finally managed to finish a game and it was well worth the wait. Honorable mention to Mike O’Gorman for an exceptional second half in which he dominated the midfield.
14 Apr 2011 - Craig Schofield
FINAL SCORE: B52 Carnegie's 4 - The Shane 2
Bouncing back from a defeat, B52 Carnegie's FC saw themselves up against their longest running rival, The Shane. The all important beer match turned out not to be the walk in the park that was expected.
We faced our oldest rival on Sunday; the team we have played more often than any other. In the words of the returning wanker of the year “Every time, I am playing ze Shane and bringing ze beer”.
There were several weary heads on the bus to the pitch as several players were showing signs of enjoying Francois’ return to Taiwan a bit more than necessary (though it was those who didn’t make it to the match who looked as though they saw the worst of the night).
We started the game brightly though and managed to get on top of the game and control most of the ball. However, our final touch let us down and we weren’t getting enough pressure in the final third of the pitch. 20 minutes in though, Mike O’Gorman once again scored our opening goal (his third opener for us in as many games) with a fine follow up from our first shot of the game. 1 – 0 to the good and it looked like our control of the game would see us through to the second half. But the Shane had other ideas and they struck a late equalizer right on the stroke of halftime.
The second half saw us fall behind 1 – 2 with another quick goal following a bit of confusion at the back demonstrating a real need for more effective communication (and sleep for some people!)
But our returning star Francois decided to earn himself some free lunches from the Chairman by hitting a powerful free kick that singed the fingers of the keeper before finding the back of the net. Back to evens and all the beers to play for. As the match wore on our midfield, led by Mike and Roberto, grabbed the game more and more by the throat and pushed for the winner. But as in the first half we couldn’t seem to find the final ball that would allow us to score. We kept the pressure on though and were continually looking for the opening that would give us sight of the goal.
Finally, in the last minute of the game the opening came as some excellent midfield work got the ball to Aiden who played a perfect pass through the defense to put Bryan through on goal to finish from a tight angle. 3 – 2 the lead but the game was not done. Alberto was felled in the box and stepped up to finish the penalty expertly and give us a 4 – 2 victory. The scoreline may have flattered our finishing on the day but it certainly didn’t flatter the effort and determination.
Man of the match: Roberto, who finally managed to finish a game and it was well worth the wait. Honorable mention to Mike O’Gorman for an exceptional second half in which he dominated the midfield.
14 Apr 2011 - Craig Schofield
FINAL SCORE: B52 Carnegie's 4 - The Shane 2
13 March 2011 - Match Report: Bogey Team Strikes Again !!!
Following on from the previous week's annihilation of the Celts, B52 Carnegie's FC took on the highly competitive Taipei Animals. A beast that continues to be nearly impossible to tame.
It seems that every time we play the Animals we manage to shoot ourselves in the foot. Once again we went ahead in the match through Captain OG. He slotted home from close range after a scramble in the box right on the stroke of halftime.
Perhaps we lost our focus a bit at the break (something to work on for future games) as within minutes some poor positioning cost us 2 quick, but very well taken, goals. They scored a third to really put us under the cosh but we managed to pull one back when Aiden hit a great shot after a corner. Down 2 – 3 but still feeling good and clearly in the ascendant position. Then disaster struck again as some miscommunication on a corner led to the ball slipping into the back of the net off of a corner. Fortunately we continued to press forward and were rewarded when Bryan hit his 5th of the season on a superb shot from a tight angle. Clearly we were going to get the job done this time.
Yet it wasn’t to be. A failed defensive clearance resulted in the ball slipping through to their striker who somehow managed to trip over Moga’s sprawled form and the penalty (and red card) was quick to follow. Temporary keeper Magic McGee almost managed to get a hand to it but he came up just short (there’s a joke in there somewhere…) 3 – 5 the final score. And once again we are left to ponder the rule of the bogey team.
Man of the Match: Shawn McGee for another all action display.
18 Mar 2011 - Craig Schofield
FINAL SCORE: B52 Carnegie's 3 - Taipei Animals 5
Following on from the previous week's annihilation of the Celts, B52 Carnegie's FC took on the highly competitive Taipei Animals. A beast that continues to be nearly impossible to tame.
It seems that every time we play the Animals we manage to shoot ourselves in the foot. Once again we went ahead in the match through Captain OG. He slotted home from close range after a scramble in the box right on the stroke of halftime.
Perhaps we lost our focus a bit at the break (something to work on for future games) as within minutes some poor positioning cost us 2 quick, but very well taken, goals. They scored a third to really put us under the cosh but we managed to pull one back when Aiden hit a great shot after a corner. Down 2 – 3 but still feeling good and clearly in the ascendant position. Then disaster struck again as some miscommunication on a corner led to the ball slipping into the back of the net off of a corner. Fortunately we continued to press forward and were rewarded when Bryan hit his 5th of the season on a superb shot from a tight angle. Clearly we were going to get the job done this time.
Yet it wasn’t to be. A failed defensive clearance resulted in the ball slipping through to their striker who somehow managed to trip over Moga’s sprawled form and the penalty (and red card) was quick to follow. Temporary keeper Magic McGee almost managed to get a hand to it but he came up just short (there’s a joke in there somewhere…) 3 – 5 the final score. And once again we are left to ponder the rule of the bogey team.
Man of the Match: Shawn McGee for another all action display.
18 Mar 2011 - Craig Schofield
FINAL SCORE: B52 Carnegie's 3 - Taipei Animals 5
6 March 2011 - Match Report: The Carnegie's Machine Runs Over the Celts
After a two month break, the 2011 Carnegie's Premier League reignited. B52 Carnegie's FC's strengthened squad of seasoned talent and recently recruited young guns took on the Celts in a one sided affair.
After a two month break, the 2011 Carnegie's Premier League reignited. B52 Carnegie's FC's strengthened squad of seasoned talent and recently recruited young guns took on the Celts in a one sided affair.
Saturday night, 25 of us made merry at the sponsor’s place for the league party. Captain Chaos returned once again to bless us with his presence and be blamed for multiple rug burns the following morning (along with various other injuries and hangovers). A great time was had by almost all, from what I remember!
However, despite the previous evenings exertions at the training ground (and on the pitch at Shi Pai; only the one police incident this weekend) we managed to arrive with a full squad for the match on Sunday. The team bus surely helped as 17 people took advantage of the ride. Ricky decided not to take the bus but did redeem himself by bringing a cool box and a dozen beers. Star man! I hope there was one left for you at the end of the match!
However, despite the previous evenings exertions at the training ground (and on the pitch at Shi Pai; only the one police incident this weekend) we managed to arrive with a full squad for the match on Sunday. The team bus surely helped as 17 people took advantage of the ride. Ricky decided not to take the bus but did redeem himself by bringing a cool box and a dozen beers. Star man! I hope there was one left for you at the end of the match!
Twenty players showed up; as did numerous supporters and club officials for the start of the new season. We played the Celts in the late game feature match. And it was quite the match.
Right from the off we controlled possession well and were put ahead by Mike OG with a lovely shot that beat the keeper high to the right. This helped to calm some of the nerves and set us up for a more relaxed day than last year when we were often left wondering where the goals would come from (and in many cases when). Davo made it 2-0 with a lovely volley before a Celts defender hit a superb shot to make it… 3 – 0 (by my count that makes it two goals for OG).
Then it was the turn of our newest player to show his class as Bryan hit 4 straight goals, easily running past the Celts defenders and slotting the ball home from every angle you can think of. 7 – 0 at the half and Gren was already drinking his second beer.
View all photos from this game
And we weren’t finished there. The second half started slowly but we settled after 15 minutes and saw Dan find his striking boots as he hit a brace of goals with two superb runs. This opened the flood gates again as Gren (cheeky toe-poke into the top corner), Shawn (penalty), Alberto (20 yard curler) and Carl (close range screamer) rounded out the scoring.
13 - 0. A record win for the club and a positive start to the new season. Luke kept a clean sheet and did what he needed to when called upon (“Luke, could you pass us a beer?”). New boys Roberto, Charlie and Aiden slotted in well to the midfield adding much needed class, depth and speed. The back four was by far the most hung-over part of the team but held things together throughout with Shawn a particular menace in the second half. Honorable mention for a stellar performance to Ricky, Jean-Marc, Frederic, Spike, Smith, Warren and Alex Hart.
9 Mar 2011 - Craig Schofield
FINAL SCORE: B52 Carnegie's 13 - Celts 0