ARFC's top 20 goal-scorers (as at 14 Jul 2019)

1. Alvin - 314
2. Haron - 267
3. Blackburn - 164
4. Sebastian - 113
5. Hee - 113
6. Derrick - 110
7. Toh - 100
8. Soon - 84
9. Kenny - 83
10. Chun Haw - 80
11. Robin - 69
12. Tjioe - 65
13. Khim - 60
14. Jeffrey - 53
15. Wayne - 45
16. Guoxiong - 34
17. Tong - 26
18. Kiat - 25
19. David - 23
20. Darren - 22

ARFC Veterans maintained perfect 6/6 records in 2019 with 3-2 win

Playing its 21^st Veterans match on 10 Jul 2019 at 7 pm at the superb newly-returfed pitch at St. Wilfred’s, ARFC Veterans defeated DC FC once again in a 3-2 win.

With the win, ARFC Veterans maintained its 6 wins out of 6 matches in 2019.

ARFC Veterans was watched by Ron’s beau, Lingzhi.

As Derrick was late, credit to Tjioe for volunteering to play as GK first.

ARFC Veterans started with this 4-5-1 line-up:

GK – Tjioe

RB – Eng Lai

Sweeper – Elvis

Stopper – Toh

LB – Qingxing

RM – Khim

CM – Sebastian

CM – Soon

CM – Ron

LM - Darren

SC – Daniel Fonseca

Subs:

Hee

Chua

Derrick

ARFC Veterans started the match gingerly but was able to gain control of the match.

Derrick then appeared and took over Tjioe as GK.

After some probings, ARFC Veterans opened the scoring in the 17^th min after some pressure from Darren and Daniel Fonseca (who impressed with some very neat and nice simple touches to free up team mates) down the left.  The ball found its way to Sebastian who was about 7 metres outside the box.  Sebastian brought the ball inwards and exchanged a simple one-two pass with the ever-sublime Khim and ran in from deep.  Khim read Sebastian’s move perfectly and returned a lofted ball and in the process, took 3 defenders out of the equation.   Sebastian brought the ball down with a deft touch, ala Dennis Bergkamp, faced their GK one-on-one, before despatching the ball into the far right bottom corner.  1-0 and this was Sebastian’s 113^th ARFC goal, putting him on level terms with Hee.

ARFC then continued to press and created many chances but to no avail.

The referee then gave the most bizarre decision ever when he awarded a penalty kick to the opponents after he penalised Derrick for charging out of his area and collided their striker though Derrick got a hand to the ball.

No matter. Derrick guessed correctly by diving to his right to keep out their penalty, once again cementing his world-class reputation for saving penalty kicks.

However, the opponents then equalised after capitalising from an ARFC Veterans mistake.

Tjioe then came on for Sebastian while Hee replaced Ron to partner Daniel Fonseca upfront, with ARFC Veterans changing to a 4-4-2 formation.

Hee quickly, pun not intended, stamped his mark by harassing their defenders with his world-renowned speed.

Chua also came on for Khim, with Eng Lai moving up as right mid.

In the 2^nd half, Tjioe was deployed as a striker and within 77 seconds, Tjioe made a wonderful run into the box, picked up a Khim’s pass, and produced a sliding snap-shot that just missed the post by 0.77 mm.

Sebastian then received a pass from Darren from 37 metres out but his half-volley just missed the stanchion by 0.07 mm!

At 54 years old, Chua then came up with several overlapping runs to put to shame some younger players.

ARFC Veterans then regained the lead with yet another incisive pass from Khim.  The beneficiary of Khim’s grounder pass which pierced right through the heart of their defence was Darren.  Darren’s finishing matched the quality of Khim’s brilliant pass when Darren sliced a low shot with his left foot, ala Mo Salah, beyond the despairing dive of their GK.  2-1 and this was Darren’s 21^st ARFC goal.

Soon was then unlucky when his superb long-range shot ha their GK rooted to the spot but the ball clipped the cross-bar and out.

ARFC Veterans then sew up the match in the 70^th min.  Sebastian took a quick short corner on the right to Khim who then returned the ball to him.  Sebastian then swung in a perfectly-weighted ball to the far post and all Darren had to do was to put his forehead to the ball, ala a typical David Beckham-Sheringham goal.  Darren obliged and headed home powerfully for his 22^nd ARFC goal.  3-1

Eng Lai then gamely took over Derrick in goal to allow Derrick to play striker upfront.

The opponents then pulled a goal back. 3-2.

ARFC continued to create chances but could not grab another goal to close out the match 3-2 victors.

ARFC Veterans played really well for this match with many simple and effective passing which was a real delight to behold.   

Derrick – Good penalty save and played rather well as striker

Eng Lai – Solid performance as right back and right mid

Elvis – Led the defence very well

Toh – Came up tops with several aerial challenges

Qingxing – Great to see his crunching tackles and long-range missile-lie clearances once again

Khim – I have ran out of superlatives to describe this player. Enough said!

Sebastian – Dominated centre mid today. Great composed goal too.

Soon – A typical all-action display. Unlucky to not score a goal.

Ron – Powerful at defence and midfield

Darren – A reborn left winger.  Fantastic brace!

Daniel Fonseca – Many nice and simple touches to free up team mates and created space.  Great match!

Hee – His harassing and closing down of opposing defenders is probably second to none.

Chua – 54 year-old but played like 24 year-old! Overlapping runs like Cafu!

Tjioe – Great hold-up play as striker. Unlucky not to score with his superb snap shot.

How Meng scored ARFC's 2200th goal in 6-3 win

Powered by its midfield trio of How Meng, Chun Haw and Rashid, ARFC swept aside E’Valor 6-3 at Punggol SS.

ARFC started with this 4-5-1 line-up:

Jersey No.:	Name	Position
xx	Kerwin	Goalkeeper
31	Vintage Chua	Right-back
3	Astute-reading sweeper Elvis	Sweeper
14	Combative Ron	Stopper
20	Composed Eng Lai	Left-back
16	Marauding Guoxiong (captain)	Right Mid
8	Talented Chun Haw	Centre Mid
12	Remarkable Rashid	Centre Mid
5	Impeccable How Meng	Centre Mid
6	Unbeatable Darren	Left Mid
99	Powerful Alvin	Striker
Substitutes:
11	Speedy Hee
15	Towering Toh
Missing In Action:
2	Unpredictable Blackburn
4	Dynamic Soon
7	Influential Sebastian
9	ARFC Scoring Legend Haron
10	Sublime Khim
17	Nippy Kenny
18	Determined Huiming
19	Skillful Weilit
21	Rampaging Raymond
28	Hard-man Tjioe
33	Talisman Derrick
45	Commanding Ismail
66	Wonder Wayne
77	Dependable Jinzhong
78	Steely Tze Ern
xx	Javier

ARFC was still in dreamland in the opening stage and was duly punished by the opponents in the 7^th min.  0-1.

ARFC soon woke up and began to impose its slick passing to cause problems to the opponents.

In the 15^th min, Chun Haw was hacked down in the box and Alvin stepped up to easily beat their GK from the spot. 1-1 and this was Alvin’s 314^th ARFC goal.

7 mins, ARFC took the lead after a brilliant slick move.  How Meng pinged a great ball down the left for Darren who lofted a perfectly-weighted ball to the far post for Chun Haw to thump home a bullet header.  2-1 and this was Chun Haw’s 79^th ARFC goal.

The opponents then equalised. 2-2

The cue was then set for both Toh and Hee to replace Ron and Alvin respectively.

Within 15 seconds of the substitutions, ARFC regained its lead.  Guoxiong, whose birthday fell on the day after this match, curled a David Beckham-like ball from the right. Their GK tried to keep the ball out but to no avail as the curler was simply too brilliantly-struck. 3-2 and this was Guoxiong’s 34h ARFC goal and an early birhtdy present for himself.

7 mins later, Chun Haw pressured the defender into mistake, robbed him and duly rifled the ball home for his 80^th ARFC goal. 4-2.

Just before half-time, ARFC let in another goal to lead 4-3.

15 mins into the 2^nd half, Rashid drilled in a piledriver from a free-kick.  Their GK somehow managed to tip the ball away but How Meng was quick enough to retrieve the ball before it went out.  His cut-back was met with a sweetly-struck placed shot from Kerwin. 5-3 and this was Kerwin’s 2^nd ARFC goal.

7 mins later, ARFC put the result to bed.  From Alvin’s fantastic free-kick on the right, their GK spilled the ball and How Meng was on hand to blast home the loose ball for his 14^th ARFC goal. 6-3.

How Meng’s goal put him on level terms with Weilit.  Significantly, his goal was ARFC’s 2200^th goal scored.

Voting results:

How Meng – 11

Rashid – 10

Chun Haw – 10

Guoxiong – 2

Ron – 2

Eng Lai – 1