Saturday, April 30, 2005
10:46 PM
HAPPY DAY! hahaha i couldnt think of any other way to start this post..we won the MI 7s tournament whooo..that kinda ended our season on a high i guess :) we were up against teams from mi and ite, basically a whole lot of skilful mats la..hahaha..and WE WON..whooo..and better still..it was an all ac final..the j1 team took on our strongest team..buggers la beat us in the first round..but good job anyway :) the future looks promising..hopefully coach'll just open his eyes and notice pple like shoshi and reuben..hahaha..
but anyway back to the tournament yes..we (team 1) drew our first game 0-0..stupid ref came up with a no-going-into-penalty-area rule..when the other match was going on without that rule..haha..our 2nd game was against the j1 team..and credit to them..they put their hearts into the game and deservedly won..hahaha that was a wakeup call for us..anything less than a win in the last game and we'd be out..we were up against the toughest team of the grp..the mi soccer team of last year i think..we almost got into several fights! the eediots were playing really dirty..and murali isthiqlal n majun could've exploded any time if they wanted to..but they showed some great uncharacteristic-of-team-havok self control and resisted pulling a punch or two..yay! anyway it was a hard game..and isthiqlal scored a great goal from a tight angle (and at that point our first goal) to rightfully win and qualify for the semis :)
so..the semi match..it came down to a penalty shootout after lemin equalised..another great team goal..sam was the hero..converting his kick and making a crucial superb save at full stretch...woot..save hands for next year..and on the other pitch..the j1s were celebrating their 1-0 victory..so the stage was set for an all ac finale :)
we finally played to our best i would say..the j1s too..so it was a really close match..reuben attempted a cheeky backheel that would have caused us to shit in our pants if it went in ahhaa..but we pressed on..and THEN..THE goal came..
isthiqlal got the ball on the right. he played it back to me. i squared it for murali and he played the one-two with a sweet backheel. i took a touch..cut in between two players and took a shot from outside the area and GOAL. helped with a little touch off shen hehe. but GOAL anyway! hahaha and soon the whistle blew and it was over :)
yayyy so we got some silverware in the end..nowhere near the a div but a symbol of our hard work anyways :) glory to god :)
Friday, April 29, 2005
12:18 AM
Thursday, April 28, 2005
11:12 PM
hahaha WHOO i got a nice medal during track meet..bronze for 1500m..hahaha to think that i was actually considering ponning the meet altogether to play meaningless dota :p and and when i went to report i found out that the runners had already assembled at the start line..they just gave me a random number tag..haha..so my warmup was just my jog over hahaha..my leg and arm muscles were dying on me after the 2nd round man..managed to catch up with the 3rd guy with 300m left..phew..thanks to the drum banging team havok for the support haha..
anywayyy..today was pretty boring..the only exciting part was reading "the things they carried" when i got back haha..damn good book..oh..and constantine's out of american idol what the heck.. that fatty scott had better be next..haha cant think of anything else to type la shows what a sian mood im in now..
oh and i need new free period buddies..hahahaha..
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
2:32 AM
the heroes 
2:31 AM
throw in against sa 
2:29 AM
against sa 
12:58 AM
ah im back..been too lazy to blog these few days..i guess i should carry on with the last match of our season eh..
so it was just less than a week ago..that our dream ended..i guess there was already an air of uncertainty during the training session the day before..no usual vibe, an ominous sign in some ways..it was pretty obvious who coach was gonna start with, and that edwin, me, majun, lemin, dhinesh, enghao and ian wouldnt keep our places in the lineup..i knew i didnt play to my best against sa..but honestly i didnt expect to be dropped..coach ended off by saying "this could be our last training session" heh..very accurate eh..
so we went to sa for the game..and all hopes that i had about a last minute change and my inclusion in the team were basically shattered during the warmup when the starting 11 were clearly split from the rest of the team..so i ended up on the bench..alongside a disgruntled bunch..the first half was pretty bad..we never really got down to playing our usual game..and every little chance we had was pretty much wasted..and then we conceded..i didnt know what to think at that time..we needed 2 goals..and we clearly werent creating any chances to earn that.. so we went into half time a goal down..coach didnt speak to us..and then chong u rose to the occassion and jolted some life back into the team..it was really inspiring..and terence too..what a moment..it was like the leaders within them were unleashed..well i guess it was also out of sheer exasperation and desperation to do anything to get the goals..so we went into the second half..as time passed..and substitutions were used up..the feeling dawned upon me..my season was coming to an end..the hope that i had, that i could redeem myself after the sa game, just went poof..and as i looked beside me i realised that i wasnt one to complain..as we reached the end terence and i just took off our boots and walked to the stands..and didnt bother going back on the pitch after the end of the match..there were tears..one last prayer and cheer and that was it..end of season..
so thats how it ended..real anticlimax if anything..the tears i shed were for our elimination..not for our loss..cos i seriously dont see any thing to cry about that match..whether it was us or coach who screwed up..i dont wanna think bout it anymore..all the hard work, all the bonds made..yes..those i treasure..and they supercede the feeling of loss..but the elimination just goes to show..sometimes life just isnt fair.. and that in football..its the results that matter most..
but above all, god has been good..and will always be..sure..we're out..and its like a big part of my life being removed..but i know he has a greater plan for all of us in the team..whether it be to spend more time on studies or for some, girlfriends heh i dont know..but before embracing that plan he has for us..we have to come to terms with the loss we suffered..
how true that is in life..the hardest thing to do is always to cope with loss..especially when you're the victim of decisions not made by you..its not just in football..look at relationships..when one calls for a breakup, that person is the one who carries on with life happily, while the other feels the loss and pain when reminded of the joy that they once shared..and it sucks seriously..when you've experienced both sides of it..you feel the pain and realise what an ass you were to make someone feel like that last time..
you had my shoulder to cry on,
my arms around you,
my hand to wipe away your tears,
and my love to comfort you still.
but where were you when i wept?
and then thats where god steps in..its these times when man fails you and you dont feel like you can get over the loss and pain, god gives you the option to forgive, and be rid of the burden and hurt that you're carrying..matt 11:25-30..which goes along the lines that his yoke is a lighter one and he wants to trade it for our heavy load..i've learnt a lesson this year..all the bitterness and resentment one feels after a loss can be justified..but ultimately..nothing will ever change unless you release everything completely to the one who's constant in his love for you.
thank you for the cross.
Friday, April 22, 2005
1:41 PM
ive been too tired to blog for the past few days so i shall talk bout my week now..lets start with monday..the game against sa:
i was damn hyped from the moment i woke up..even more so after watching the waterpolo presentation and chapel..couldnt concentrate during lessons after that..only had the game on my mind..and then it started pouring just as we got dismissed..and i got word that the sa pitch was waterlogged..we thought that the game might be cancelled..but it wasnt to be..anw..our spirits were still on a high..we had a banana skin war at the void deck..it was really cool..we werent to any extent a wreck of nerves..rested in the lt for awhile..then nas and is gave us a pre match briefing..isthiqlals analogy of the battle for singapore was pretty apt..we had conquered the north where innova was..todays battle was for the south..
"close them down once they get the ball..pressure them and if they get past you, bring them down" the words that somehow didnt stick in my head.
we got to sa and saw the horrible pitch..our fields much better u know..seriously..no offence..not that i care anw haha..we warmed up..the team was announced and i wore my armband..by then the bulk of our supporters led by the councillors had arrived..the atmosphere was just overwhelming..the sa crowd that lined one flank..and the ac faithful that dominated the other..honestly..i dont think that we were the least bit intimidated as we went into the game and at any point during the game itself..seeing the lone ac flag flying and the voices of our crowd dispelled any form of fear..so..the usual customaries..shake hand, flip coin, and game on....
it was one heck of a messy game..much due to the pitch..the first half was all about both sides shutting out each others attack..tackles flew at every part of the pitch..for me, i think i was overhyped..i flew in at every oppourtunity and should have gotten booked..i didnt apply anything that nas and is had drilled into us b4 the game..murali and syed had already picked up bookings by the end of the half..and then..the chance of a lifetime that i spurned....we won a corner..i decided to go up for it for the first time in a long time..i stationed myself in the middle of the box..the corner was swung in..my marker left me to challenge for the ball..and it was somehow flicked nicely to me..then came the unthinkable..from 6 yards out..i headed the ball over the bar..%#!@.. seriously it was just rahhhhhh..and i already knew then that it would be one of the costliest misses in the long sad history of costly misses..we were blasted at half time..by which were already covered with mud and sa filth..we went back in..and the game carried on with the ferocity that it had left off..no mercy with the tackles from either side..we played better i reckon..but never created any real oppourtunities..to be honest..sa werent much better..every ball that they played down the centre was met by chong, syed or majun with conviction and authority..the game looked to be headed towards a draw..
and then..it happened..
sa earned a throw on the left..one of them got to the byline and managed to squeeze a cross in..and their striker headed home..it wasnt anyones error..but ultimately the whole team was made to pay for it..from then we were just chasing the game and sa was content to pump the balls up front..we brought on subs..adam steve ian and kai..but nothing could be done to salvage the situation..we were fighting a losing battle..but for that matter..we fought bloody hard and pushed them to the death..
the whistle was blown..the sa crowd roared..and we could only sink to the ground..i didnt even have the mood to lead a cheer for them..it was just the terrible feeling of knowing that u gave ur heart and guts but it still fell short of the standard that we had to meet..we did stop sa from playing their usual game, thats for sure..but in the end..one goal meant three points down the drain..reflecting back..we didnt play our usual game either..but the effort the team put in on a whole was really insurpassable..for that alone i was proud..
right now, when i think back to the game..certain glorious images come to my mind..lifeng and the councillors shouting their hearts out, as well as the rest of the ac gang who came out of their passion for the red blue and gold..majun rising up to head clear the high balls..chong u outmuscling and outrunning the sa players who were huge..murali flying in for a tackle, getting up and flying in again, enghao running at the defence and showing that size doesnt matter..me going in for a 50-50 challenge with the sa captain and coming out tops..and of course..the other images still haunt me..that miss..that goal..my mistakes during the game..the tears..picking each other up after the game..
this is everything that football is about..the passion that makes u proud of being part of the team that ur in..the drive that makes you give ur all on the field..the tears that drive u in the future so that u never have to feel the same sorrow again..
as the supporters put it: "on that day on sa soil..i was proud to be an acsian"
hell yeah.
Monday, April 18, 2005
9:46 AM
OHO I CAN PUT UP PICS HERE
5:57 AM
just got back from church..daaaamn tired..and its so hot..i tell u, i bet god makes sundays really hot so everyone'll just go home and sleep..hence satisfying the day of rest hahaha..anyway..church was good..stevie talked bout the importance of fellowship..its very true..a life without meaningful fellowships'd just suck..with fellowship, your problems are halved and your joy is doubled :) well anyway..i went to queensway with mike after that..talked bout alot of stuff on the way..and got reminded how mikes one of the few people who's been there with me thru all of the most screwed up times of my life..and gives greatgreat advice..heres to fatty yong hahaha..
a little more than 2 hours to the biggest match of my life..i cant imagine losing in front of the sa crowd..seriously..and im already picturing how it'll be like celebrating victory in front of them..whooo..die sa die sa die sa..if by some chance i score im gonna run the length of the field past their supporters with my finger on my lips..rahhhh..the dream ended at sa last year..not again this time..
time to unleash the power of the limegreen armband rahhhh
Sunday, April 17, 2005
6:48 PM
whooo 
6:39 PM
with god on our side whom shall we fear :) 
Friday, April 15, 2005
2:53 PM
ACJC 2-0 INNOVA
woohooo our first match, and three points in the bag..it wasnt an easy match, so thank god we won it :)
im just gonna talk bout the match briefly cos i wanna sleep..we started with samuel, me, syed, chong-u, edwin, enghao, adam, murali, majun, lemin and dhinesh..hiren, ian and rens were out blahh..dhinesh opened the scoring in the first half with a composed chip, and doubled his tally soon after with a shot from a tight angle..we controlled the game for the bulk of the time..but really should have scored more..murali blasted his penalty onto the crossbar hahaa..i played an average game..first half was really quite bad..miscommunication with sam almost led to him getting injured and a goal..blahh..and my ball control sucked..thank god 2nd half was a little better..nade a number of good tackles..and injured the innova captain..felt quite bad heh..i've gotta up my game against sa nonetheless..watched sa play hwa chong..both sides were pretty good to be honest..sa attacked non stop but hwa chong held on and only limited them to an early goal..so its two tricky matches for us coming up..rawr.. OH and THANK YOU TO DIMAS FOR TAKING WONDERFUL PICS OF THE MATCH!! with you around we dont need mark ng hahaha
oh and i forgot to say this ytd..well done christopher chong ee ming and the whole cross team..really chrispy..the way u've improved since sec 4's just inspirational..so no matter what position u finished...you're still a winner :) oh and screw the rj guy who supposedly elbowed eeghim..
off to bed now..yawn
what happens next, dare you to move
Thursday, April 14, 2005
4:10 PM
to me, you are perfect.
the things we did,
hand in hand.
the words that meant nothing,
in the end.
the smiles, the winks,
that twenty plus number.
the love, the trust,
where to? i wonder.
the hope, the dreams,
i counted on.
the voice in my head that says
"all gone".
i look at you now,
and what do i see?
a shadow of the figure,
that captivated me.
to me, you were perfect
11:08 AM
whoo com's finally repaired..stupid thing's been screwed up for idunnohowlong..as josh would say..acer sucks..haha..as im typing this, it's less than 24 hrs till our first match against innova wooohoo..
i saw ben shepherd on the train this morning hahaha the reason for my failure in physics in acsi :p and it hit me again how much he looks like prince..omg..brit teachers in singapore are stereotypes i tell u..cos
1.no matter how long they've been in singapore, they're still not used to the weather and sweat alot
2.they look the same, well, for shepherd and prince at least
3.they have indian wives (!!!!)
4.they cannot pronounce chinese names (meisheee)
5.they cannot remember ANY common names, for prince at least..hahaha he calls girls suzy and guys idunnowhat
6.they sound pretty dumb when attempting singlish
7.they think i'm a rascal hahaha
anywayy..school was alright..after that..training..isthiqlal came up with a cool powerpoint presentation..and likened us to professional players hahaha..murali was vieira, chong was hyypia, syed was ferdinand, asri was ronaldo, eng hao was GRAVESEN hahaha and i was gary neville oooh..field training after that was pretty light..set pieces and all..
and so..the journey starts tmr..as coach put it, the stage is set for us to prove our worth. how true..very hyped up i am..sa, innova, hc, just bring it. you're not facing just any team, you're facing a family..and one that's bent on going all the way to the national stadium come May..we've come a long way indeed, and i wouldn't trade the experience even for a million cheese toasts..ok bad analogy..but seriously..its been amazing seeing how god's worked in the team since day 1..how united we are now, the love we have for each other..both on and off the field..the tears we shed, the joy we shared, it had god written all over it..and i'm sure everyone in the team would agree that the bond we have is indeed unique..no cliques, no superstars, to put it simply, everyones equal :) and i think this is gonna translate into silverware next month :) so we're marching into the A div with god by our side, and when he's with us, whom shall we fear :)
and so it begins.
Monday, April 11, 2005
12:53 PM
my second post whooo..today was a good day..i woke up at 8 (church starts at 9)..haha typical..but i managed to rush there in time..worship and sermon was really good..as always..stevie's message was about living for christ alone, doing everything out of love for him :) we were made for worship! and god's the only one who deserves all our love thats for sure :) had a good time with my cell and a few others after service..and i went to STUDY, omg..thats new, at nus with jon+hawn+bryan+charissa+dave..silence was broken when fatty yong came..no surprise eh..hahaha oh and i heard this damn cute song 'lonely' for the first time..its still stuck in my head whoo..but i accomplished quite abit there..finished an sbq and read some international economy notes..THANK GOD I DONT TAKE ECONS LA WHAT STUPID BUDGET DEFICIT SOLID LIQUID GAS MONEY NONSENSE..hahaha ok fine it wasnt that bad actually :p i went home after that and did nothing but laze around..true blue sunday style :) its a day of rest ok so i dont feel bad haha..
somehow the topic of bgrs keeps popping up everywhere..and today i came to a conclusion..or rather..i got reminded of a conclusion that i made..that getting into one (a bgr) at a time like this, when u dont have enough time to maintain the relationship, and screwing things up resulting in losing a great friendship just isnt worth it..how philosophical of me wahhhh..but a fact nonetheless..
so anyway..life's all about god now..and it will always be..whether it be soccer,school or anythin else..i live to worship you :)
Sunday, April 10, 2005
3:56 PM
hello hello..i made this blog out of PURE BOREDOM and already im getting irritated by searching for skins..for skins..oh look..a nice sick pun..hahaha..ok nvm..i shall start by talking bout my match today..
4-0!! first clean sheet of the year whooo..rens me chong-u syed edwin hiren murali majun ian lemin and asri..4-4-2..we wore our new red kit for the first time haha so it was a good start with our cool new jerseys :) AND i wore my sexy, tight, blood-flow-stopping luminous yellow armband whooo..haha i was damn excited and wore it during warmup, and then coach came and ask me to take it off haha damn mahlu..anywayy..
we started the match pretty strong..and it was what..only 20 mins before asri got the first..great buildup if i remember correctly..calm finish too..1-0..the havok had started :D we kinda faded away after the goal tho..but i almost got involved in a goal! haha the tamileh connection of me n murali almost got us the 2nd..he floated a quick freekick to me when the opponents were forming their wall..i managed to pull it back for asri but the ref disallowed it for idunnowhatreason..hahaa murali n i were already celebrating havok style sheesh..OH the ref was this big burly no nonsense tamileh..pretty intimidating..anyway..lemin missed quite a number of chances..hiren n asri one each..which at that point seemed like it was gonna be really costly..but we still held on..and went into the 2nd half a goal up..
we started pressing right from the restart..but never really created many decent chances till around midway of the half..i almost scored from outside the area with a cross-shot..dang..and then the 2nd goal finally came..whoo..asri made a good cross which lemin missed..edwin picked it up on the left and played a sweet ball back in, and vice-cap liang lemin made no mistake with the second chance..brilliant glancing header whoo..and at a good time too..cos lemin got taken off soon after that..so he redeemed himself yay :) 2-0..and a few minutes later..murali got what i'd vote as goal of the match..a nice floated shot from the left which bounced off the crossbar TWICE before going in..sweet :) 3-0 and we were cruising..wasnt long before the fourth came..murali played a wonderful ball with his outside foot to majun down the left..and our captain gung beat the offside trap and burst down the flank before completing the one-two and giving murali his brace.. 4-0 ..yay..our best performance of the year thats for sure..and a good way to end our winless run..innova next thurs..i smell blood rahhhh..
rest the day was damn boring..i slept and went out for dinner..and now im witnessing a simplystoopid man u performance..hahaa i dont exactly care now..theres only the A div on my mind..rawr..and as ive been telling my teammates..from now till the end of the season..life=soccer (and studies but what the heck la i cant be bothered anymore)
acjc vs innova..14/4/05..one monster kill coming up
