Wei Lit im impressive form in ARFC Open team's season opening 3-1 win

 Kicking off its 2023 playing calendar, ARFC dished out a controlled performance by dismissing the tough challenge of Sunday Marine 3-1 on 15 Jan 2023 at 3 pm at Yio Chu Kang SS.

 

Prior to kick-off, ARFC was hit by the bad news as Derrick could not recover from his gout problem.  Thankfully, Sunny responded to the early Sunday morning SOS to be our GK.

 

ARFC took to the pitch with this 4-5-1 line-up:

 

Jersey No.:	Name	Position
xx	Sunny (guest GK)	Goalkeeper
20	Composed Eng Lai	Right back
3	Astute-reading sweeper Elvis	Sweeper
xx	Tony (guest player)	Stopper
6	Unbeatable Darren	Left back
16	Marauding Guoxiong	Right mid
4	Dynamic Soon	Centre Mid
7	Influential Sebastian (captain)	Centre Mid
23	Talented Chun Haw	Centre Mid
xx	Yao Yang (guest player)	Left Mid
31	Wonder Wayne	Striker
Substitutes:
15	Towering Toh (late)
19	Skillful Wei Lit (late)
xx	Syed (guest player)
Missing In Action:
2	Remarkable Rashid
5	Energetic Kerwin
8	Precocious Javier
9	ARFC Scoring Legend Haron
10	Sublime Khim
11	Speedy Hee
13	Talisman Derrick
14	Combative Ron
17	Nippy Kenny
18	Determined Huiming
26	Rampaging Raymond
27	Left-foot wizard Kejendran (KJ)
28	Hard-man Tjioe
29	Flying Fremont
66	Vintage Chua
77	Dependable Jinzhong
78	Steely Tze Ern
98	Impeccable How Meng
99	Powerful Alvin

 

 

 

ARFC started somewhat gingerly and allowed the opponents to threaten our goal on several occasions.  However, Elvis and his defence stood tall and kept them at bay, with Soon providing much covering and closing down of the opponents.

 

In the 17^th min, ARFC nearly took the lead.  Eng Lai played the ball out from his right back position to the area near centre circle.   Sebastian went for the ball together with the opponents.  Upon hearing a call from behind, Sebastian deliberately dummied the ball, completely dumb-founded the opponent who challenged into thin air.

 

The ball rolled through and Soon brought the ball all the way in.  With their GK charging out, Soon tried to lift the ball over him but it went just slightly wide of goal.  Unlucky Soon.

 

7 mins later, ARFC took the lead thanks in large part to Wayne.  A loose ball was played to their left back but before he could clear, Wayne charged in to pressure him which led to a throw-in to ARFC.  Guoxiong then received a quick throw-in from Wayne before sending in a delicious over the top ball to Chun Haw on the left. 

 

Chun Haw then showed Soon how it was done when he nonchalantly chipped the ball over their advancing GK for his 106^th ARFC goal.  Brilliant team goal!

 

7 mins later, ARFC doubled its lead with yet another fantastic team goal.

 

ARFC first won a corner but the opponents cleared the ball away.  Sebastian’s decision to ask Toh to stay up reaped dividends after Darren retrieved the cleared ball.  He passed to Wei Lit who then paid the ball to the impressive Yao Yang.  Wit a quick look, Yao Yang fizzed a cross-field ball all the way to Guoxiong at the right wing.  Killing the ball with a great first touch, Guoxiong whipped in a tantalising cross that saw Wayne trying to head the ball in but missed.  No matter, as Toh poppd up at the far post to sweep the ball home with his left foot for a 2-0 lead.

 

This was Toh’s 104^th ARFC goals and it was really a rare feat for him to score with his foot, let alone with his left foot. 

 

Toh’s last goal for the ARFC Open team was back on 29 Dec 2019 when he netted in a 4-1 win over Pumpsters FC at Anderson SS.

 

In the second half, ARFC conjured a few chances but could not add to its lead.

 

The opponents then pulled a goal back in the 77^th min. 2-1 now.

 

Wei Lit then saved the day when his trickery down the left touch-line had their defenders in a knot and conceded a corner. 

 

From the corner, Sebastian swung the ball into the danger area (right at the top of the 6-yard box area) that saw Toh, Chun Haw and Wayne all challenging for the ball.  This caused mayhem as the ball hit the back of their defender and flw past their GK for an own goal under tremendous pressure from the trio.  3-1 and this was the 39^th own goal conceded to ARFC.

Man of the Match is Wei Lit, though Soon, Elvis and Guoxiong did really well too.

ARFC Veterans kicked off 2023 with narrow 3-4 loss

Kicking off its playing calendar in 2023, and playing its 34^th Veterans match overall, ARFC Veterans was badly hit by insufficient substitutes, made worse by the Sahara Desert-like weather, and succumbed 3-4 to Marine Sunday on 8 Jan 2023 at 3 pm.

 

Prior to the kick-off, ARFC Veterans received a huge blow when ARFC all-time top scorer Alvin was ruled out with a right knee injury.  To compound matters, ARFC’s 7-lung workhorse Soon was late.

 

At the request of the opponents, the match was played in three 30-min halves.

 

ARFC Veterans started with this 4-4-2 line-up:

 

GK – Sunny (guest GK)

RB – Chua

Sweeper – Elvis

Stopper – Toh

LB – Eng Lai

RM – Guoxiong

CM – Tjioe

CM – Sebastian (captain)

LM – Darren

SC – Kenny

SC – Haron

 

Subs:

 

Ron

Soon (late)

 

ARFC veterans had the upper hands in the opening exchanges and Haron nearly put ARFC veterans ahead.

 

In the 7^th min, Guoxiong sent in a cross from the right and Haron dashed in to connect with a glancing header but their GK was equal to the task when he turned the ball over for a corner. 

 

The opponents then scored. 0-1.

 

Sebastian then suffered a nasty knock to his head when their burly striker struck his head with a late aerial challenge.  Thankfully, there were no cuts or blood and Sebastian continued to play.

 

ARFC Veterans equalised 7 mins later. Eng Lai did well to bring the ball out from his left back position and passed to Tjioe in the middle of the pitch just inside our half.  Tjioe threaded a low ball right through the heart of the opponents for Kenny to run in from deep.  Distracted by Kenny’s run for the ball, their GK inexplicably kicked the air and the ball then rolled into the empty net.  1-1 and this was Tjioe’s 71^st ARFC goal.

 

Sebastian then signalled for a change as he felt the effects and Ron came on to replace him.

From yet another brilliant cross from Guoxiong on the right, Haron met the ball perfectly with a crisp right foot volley but again, their GK denied Haron with a low sprawling save with his foot.  Unlucky Haron!

 

The opponents then scored.  1-2 now.

 

In the second 30-min half, Soon came on to partner Sebastian.

 

In the 37^th min, ARFC Veterans equalised for the 2^nd time in the match.  Darren was fouled in the left wide area and the referee awarded a free-kick.  Sebastian stepped up and whipped in a wicked curling ball that saw Darren running in and meeting the ball first with a well-planted header that gave their GK no chance at all.  2-2 and this was Darren’s 28^th ARFC goal.

 

7 mins later, ARFC Veterans took the lead for the first time in the match. Darren dribbled in from left before leaving the ball for Sebastian who was just inside the centre circle in his own half.  Both Haron and Kenny shouted for the ball, and Sebastian duly obliged with a chipped low ball in.  Haron and Kenny then showed telepathic understanding when Haron left the ball for Kenny to latch on.  Kenny then passed the ball to his left for Haron who expertly drew out their GK before unselfishly squaring the ball back to Kenny to drill the ball into the bottom left corner.  3-2 and what a superb team goal. 

 

This was Kenny’s 88^th ARFC goal.

 

ARFC Veterans then had the chance to extend its lead.  Kenny broke clear down the left and passed the ball to Guoxiong on the right.  With their GK to beat, Guoxiong hesitated and eventually saw his powerful shot deflected away by their GK.

 

The opponents then equalised 3-3. 

 

In the last 30-min half, ARFC Veterans were obviously tiring and it was no surprise that the opponents, with younger and more players, scored another goal to win 4-3.

 

 

These are the top 5 scorers only for ARFC Veterans’ 34 matches:

 

1.    Raymond – 18 goals

2.    Haron – 15 goals

3.    Darren – 13 goals

4.    Sebastian – 12 goals

5.    Soon – 11 goals

 

ARFC top goal scorers since 1991

Alvin - 350 goals (342 open matches; 8 veterans matches)

Haron - 276 goals (261; 15)

Blackburn - 164 goals (161; 3)

Sebastian - 129 goals (117; 12)

Hee - 117 goals (115; 2)

Derrick - 115 goals (108; 7)

Chun Haw - 105 goals (all open team matches)

Toh - 103 goals (100; 3)

Soon - 94 goals (83; 11)

Kenny - 87 goals (84; 3)

Tjioe - 70 goals (66; 4)

Robin - 69 goals (ex-player)

Khim - 62 goals (61; 1)

Wayne - 55 goals (all open team matches)

Jeffrey - 53 goals (49; 4)

Guoxiong - 37 goals (all open team matches)

Tong - 27 goals (24; 3)

Darren - 27 goals (15; 12)

Kiat - 25 goals (all open team matches)

Raymond - 25 goals (7; 18)

David - 23 goals (all open team matches)

Jiong Jiong (ex-player) - 21 goals

Hock (ex-player) - 21 goals

Wei Lit - 20 goals (all open team matches)

Jesmond (ex-player) - 19 goals

How Meng - 19 goals (all open team matches)

Tze En - 18 goals (16; 2)

Ron - 17 goals (15; 2)

Elvis - 15 goals (all open team matches)

Hwee (ex-player) - 11 goals

Damian - 11 goals (all open team matches)

Javier - 11 goals (all open team matches)

Eng Lai - 8 goals (all open team matches)

Jinzhong - 7 goals (all open team matches)

Daniel Fonseca - 6 goals (5; 1)

Kerwin - 5 goals (all open team matches)

Rashid - 2 goals (all open team matches)

Own goals - 38 goals

 

ARFC Goal scorers in 2022

These are the goal scorers and their goal for all ARFC matches in 2022:

Alvin - 15 goals

Chun Haw - 14 goals

Sebastian - 12 goals

Haron - 4 goals

Kenny, Wei Lit, Tjioe, Wayne and How Meng - all 3 goals

Derrick, Kerwin - all 2 goals

Soon, Darren, Guoxiong, Raymond and Tze Ern - all 1 goal

Own goal - 1 goal

ARFC Stats for 2022