Chun Haw's wonder goal could not prevent ARFC's 1st defeat in 2023

 Playing on the excellent pitch at SJI, ARFC fell to its first defeat in 9 matches in 2023 after losing 3-6 to SGX Utd on a rainy day on 24 Sep 2023 at 9 am.

 

As it was a morning match, no supporters turned up.

 

ARFC had to call up 2 guest players (Syed and Delon) due to poor responses.  Thankfully, Chua turned up at the 11^th hour to play.

 

ARFC took to the pitch with this 4-4-2 line-up:

 

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

 

 

Both teams were equally matched in the opening 15 minutes with both teams teasing and testing each other with passes though no headway was made by both teams.

 

However, the opponents grabbed a 2-goal lead with their first 2 shots at our goal.    0-2.

 

Chun Haw then pulled a goal back after some exquisite thinking, technique and power. 

 

After they scored their 2^nd goal, ARFC was preparing to re-start.  However, Chun Haw spotted their GK daydreaming and with a swing of his right foot, he whacked a high curling ball directly from the kick-off point that saw the ball sailed high over the entire opposing team and nestled nicely into the net!!!!    World class goal that stunned everyone.

 

1-2 and this was Chun Haw’s 110^th ARFC goal.

 

The half-time scored stayed at 1-2.

 

In the 2^nd half, ARFC nearly equalised 7 mins after the re-start.  Chun Haw, who has been superb all day long, found Guoxiong with a searching ball down the right.  As Guoxiong was preparing for a cut-back, Wei Lit made a call for the call and ran towards the near post. Guoxiong duly dragged the ball back which saw Wei Lit dummied the ball for Chun Haw, who was coming in from deep) to side-foot a powerful slicing grounder that eluded every opponents and their GK.   Alas, their stranded GK was totally relieved when the ball just rolled agonisingly wide of the left post!   Totally unlucky but what a great move.

 

The opponents scored another 2 goals to lead 4-1.

 

ARFC did not give up and pulled another goal back.

 

After exchange of play down the left between Darren, Wei Lit and Delon, Delon spotted Guoxiong’s galloping down the right and duly found him.  Guoxiong showed incredible first touch by seizing on to the ball, moved ahead of their defender before being upended by the defender in the box.

 

Alvin then notched his 357^th ARFC goal by firing a rising cannon to the top left corner of the goal that no GK in the world could have saved it.  2-4 now.

 

By now, ARFC was tiring which was not helped by Syed’s injury.  The opponents also fully utilised their 22-men playing roster by rotating their substitutes, giving them a superior fitness advantage aided by the rain-soaked pitch.

 

Hence, it was no surprise that ARFC conceded another 2 goals to trail 2-6.

 

ARFC did not give up and continued to press for goals. 

 

ARFC was rewarded when Darren’s long ball into the box was spilled by their GK.  Alvin showed predatory instinct when he reacted fastest to the loose ball before faking a shot that left their GK with his back on the ground.  With their covering defender on the line, Alvin took his time before calmly stroking the ball into the net for his 358^th ARFC goal.  3-6

Man-of-the-Match is jointly given to Darren and Chun Haw.