By Les Tan
Muhd Khairil glances in the winning goal for VJC in second half stoppage time to ensure a 3-2 victory. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Jalan Besar Stadium, Monday, May 25, 2009 – Victoria Junior College scored a stoppage time goal to eke out a 3-2 victory over Meridian Junior College.
The 3pm start time under the scorching sun plus the adrenaline of a national football final meant fitness would come into play in this game. Added to that the heart-pounding and ear-splitting cheering from supporters of both schools – the loudest cheering you’ll hear at a football game on this island – the stage was set for an exciting game.
A blistering start saw VJC take an early 1-0. Alex (#10) found some space on the left flank and his cross was met by Asyraf who placed his header over Edmund Wong in the (#32) in the MJC goal. 1-0 to VJC.
But MJC came right back. Their constant pressure yielded them a free-kick from 30m out. Up stepped their captain Fazli Hisham (#7) who hit it straight at the VJC keeper Ifwat Wafiy. It was not a hard shot and everyone expected the keeper to pluck it safely from the air. To his and the collective horror of the VJC crowd, it squirmed from his outstretched hands and bounced over the line. 1-1 and the MJC crowd roared their approval.
Man for man, MJC had the measure of the VJC team, nullifying any attack, while their constant probing left VJC fans with the gnawing dread of another MJC goal.
Alex (VJC #10) then missed a one-on-one situation to leave the score unchanged and the miss would haunt VJC.
VJC’s Jasper gave away another free-kick to MJC and this time Attah Joseph (#21) stepped up. Of all the people in the VJC wall, Joseph’s blast chose to take a wicked deflection off the head of Jasper and the ball hit the back of the net while VJC keeper Ifwat was left flat footed. VJC, and Jasper, were feeling particularly unlucky by now.
With MJC holding their first lead of the game at 2-1, VJC did not look likely to score. But an individual piece of finishing by Alex changed the scoreline. VJC keeper Ifwat’s kick upfield was met by the head of Anders Aplin (VJC #9). Another teammate met Anders’ header with another flick on and the ball landed nicely in the path of Alex who bore down on the right side of the MJC penalty box.
VJC fans wondered: Was he going to shoot? His answer was instantaneous – a blast with his right leg that arrowed across the diving body of MJC keeper Edmund Wong to nestle in the far corner of the net. A predator’s goal and the score was now 2-2. Game on.
After the excitement of the first half with four goals and lots of action, the second half was an anti-climax. The 3pm start was taking its toll as players from both teams started going down with cramps. The most pained sufferer was Attah Joseph (MJC #21) whose cramp was so severe that his bulging thigh muscles were rigid with cramp and he had to be carried off the pitch.
With the injuries, the game was going nowhere as a spectacle but with the passing minutes, the tension ratcheted up. A goal at this late juncture would surely spell the winner.
MJC had two golden chances to score through Joseph Tai (MJC #23), the second of which was a header that was headed for goal but Ifwat pulled off a stupendous save to make up for his first half error.
The miss of the game though, was by Alex (VJC #10), this year’s top scorer with 16 goals.
A blistering shot by Anders (VJC #9) from outside the box was not held by MJC keeper Edmund. The ball spilled loose and bounced up nicely into the path of the onrushing Alex. However, from less than 2m from the goal line and with the whole goal gaping before him, he somehow contrived to put the ball over the bar.
Even though the ball fell to his weaker left leg, he pounded the ground in extreme frustration while the VJC bench saw coach Tan Yew Hwee sprawl to the ground like he had been shot. The VJC bench must have thought this was going to be a repeat of the 2008 final where Alex also missed chances that cost them the championship title.
By this time, everyone was expecting extra-time but the final act was yet to be played out. In the second minute of extra time, a throw in by Cephas Ong was headed on by Anders Aplin. In the middle was the waiting Muhammad Khairil (VJC #5). Rising with him were two MJ defenders but Khairil got his head to the ball first.
It was not a hard header but the ball’s bounce fooled MJC keeper Edmund and went in to send the VJC crowd into delirium. 3-2 to VJC was how it finished, and VJC put to bed their 1-2 loss to MJC in last year’s final.
In an on-field incident witnessed by many and sure to be discussed for days on end, the MJC taunt to VJC to “go fly kite” got the better of VJC’s Khairil and he made a mocking gesture – putting his thumb on his nose and wiggling his fingers – to the MJC crowd in return after teammate Alex scored the second VJC goal.
After getting scolded by coach Tan Yew Hwee immediately after the incident, Khairil was marched to the MJC principal after the game by his coach and made to apologise.
“That kind of game, heart attack!” said VJC coach Tan Yew Hwee. “The chances they missed!”
The winning goal was unexpected.
“The goal was a soft goal,” he said.
For MJC, this was their fifth A Division final appearance in a row.
“That’s football,” said MJC coach Fabio Fanticelle Da Silva. “It was a loss of concentration in the last two minutes.”
“It was a very good save by the VJC keeper,” said coach Fabio, referring to the save from Joseph Tai (MJC #23) in the dying moments of the second half.
“Last year was our year, this year is their time. Our boys worked very hard and we have very good support from the principal and teachers.”
MJC are also well placed for A Division football honours next year.
“Seven of the players will be back next year,” coach Fabio confirmed.
“It’s really honourable to score in the final on such a big stage,” said Muhd Khairil, the scorer of the winning goal and who also bagged the man-of-the-match award. “Lucky the ball went in. We had many chances to score but we threw it away.”
Khairil finished the season with four goals, but that last one will live long in the memory for him and VJC.
Clearly written by someone who has never played, let alone understand football.
NEXT YEAR TPJC WILL WIN!!!!!
Can we just stop harping on the issue of whether vj have sportsmanship anot? If vjc players do not have sportsmanship then how do we define the actions of ACJC players? Throughout the A div they showed no respect for the opponents and the authorities. No wonder ACJC soccer is one of the most hated school in A div. No offense to ACJC, ACJC is a great sch but their soccer team totally destroy their own college’s reputation.
Anyway to ACJC soccer players, stop voting for yourselves for the best 11 players in 2009 A Division Football. None of you deserve a place there with your act.
0.o
just got to say that all this comments is just a way for people to vent off their angers but after awhile everything will be ok. =)
so continue posting but know your limits and dont harp about it when everything is over as it may start another war of words =)
very well said, les. u’re the best. i think that explains it to all those sourgrapes.
as they say…
mess with les, die like the rest..
rip, mjc.
To those that say that meridians are sore loser, still refusing to accept reality and move on,still harping on suposedly nitty gritty and insignificant taunting gestures, still refusing to accept #5 apology. I would like to say that the point of contention and uproar started not because mjc lost to vjc, but due to the reasons reported by Les saying that mjc’s cheer was taunting which invariably signifies a disrespectful diaplay of attitude and sportsmanship by mjc-meaning all meridians at the stadium that day. I beg to differ to his opionion. Taunting or not, it may seem so to him, but reporting in a distinguished website that publicises news to people from all walks of life, would put mjc in a negative light. And for that, as a student from mjc, i would not allow such a comment to taint our school’s image and reputation. I’m sure any meridians who reads this would certainly second my opinion.
Secondly, the point of contention would be #5’s taunting gestures. Many would have reasons to say that we should have the magnanimous attitude to accept his apology and move on. However, may i ask, would you immediately accept an apology from someone who taunts at his opponent right after scoring the winning goal? CLearly, his complete lack of humility displayed by his actions would leave us in a state of shock and certainly make our blood pressure run high. Thus to say that we are unforgiving and even ungracious is too much of an overstatement and unfair view towards us. May i ask, if one of our student were to taunt vjc like what #5 did, wouldn’t it still spark a debate and war of words?
So please, to those that still hold a biased view towards mjc and our supposedly lack of sportsmanship, yada yada. Please reflect on yourself first before commenting.
to nice guy,
the ans to ur question is very simple..jus as i said…bcos no one brings it up…
now that les has brought it up, that’s why the friendly discussions here…pls see my example below.
Give me a break. You guys see stunts and gestures like that every week on the EPL and other soccer leagues. Strangely, I don’t see a big debate everytime Ronaldo or anyone else shows that kind of behaviour. Why the double standards? Let’s just put it this way. VJ won, #5 scored the winning goal, and MJ feel that they were robbed. Fair enough by any standards. But is it really necessary to tear apart a boy like this? You guys must really either have too much time on your hands or are majorly slacking off on your work. Honestly, enough has been said about the VJ team and its individual players. Nothing you say will change the fact that it was a glorious match to watch and a victory for the Victorian team. And nobody cares if you think your cheer was a valid one, MJC. You may argue all you want but to other people, it was a taunt. Be reasonable and stop all this crazy defensive spiels. It’s very distasteful and reflects badly on the school.
MJC LOST. VJC WON. GET OVER IT, MJ PEEPS. #5 HAS ALREADY APOLOGISED. WHAT MORE DO YOU GUYS WANT? JUST ADMIT DEFEAT.
BOTH PARTIES WERE AT WRONG. #5 SHOULD HAVE NOT DISPLAYED HIS MOCKING GESTURE. FOR MJ’S, THEY SHOULD HAVE NOT “BOOED” AT THE VJ PEEPS. FURTHERMORE, TO THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN CRITICS TOWARDS #5, CONSIDER YOURSELVES AT WRONG AS WELL.
I AM NEITHER ON ANYONE’S SIDE. I AM BEING NEUTRAL HERE. LET’S JUST GET OVER AND DONE WITH. THE COMPETITION IS OVER, ANYWAY. IT IS IMMATURE TO ARGUE OVER THIS.
to enn, xxx,
shut up lah u mj sourgrapes…
the fact is u lost on the soccer field, fair and square…try again next year, if u can lah.
to passerby,
first u have to establish if it’s a taunt or not…les has defined it aptly, and proven by the poll result..it’s a taunt!
so, regardless when you started it…if no one bring it up previously, doesn’t mean it has ceased to be a taunt now..it still is. u mean, if it’s not brought up by anyone the last few years, then no one can say it’s a taunt now..?
for example, if u committed a crime 10 years ago, and not get caught then, now the police cannot catch u liao…u’re immuned already? think lah..
i strongly believe that everything has a different level of impact on different situations. By saying the same statement on the spectator stand and on the pitch, you get different results. From the spectator view, there is nothing much people can do to you just to imaginary label you as a rebel. On the pitch, you get reprimanded by the referee or the other officals.
From another angle of view.
People should just stop arguing
Sportsmanship, taunting or wadever pls stop this shit now
Vj won so what?
Mj lost so what?
Mj cheer so what?
Vj gesture so what?
whats over is over,
pls get over with it
xxx
Immaturity should really not be even mentioned here because it’s so obvious that it’s something that’s present in everyone who’s making a big deal over something that happened in five seconds. And losing with dignity? Rather ironic coming from an MJ supporter.
The game was good though. Nobody disputes the fact that both teams played well. And you should really try writing your own article on it if you’re not happy with Les’.
Cheers 🙂
You guys are still so worked up about it. Fair enough.
Alright, let’s discuss this. It will be a useful exercise in argument and logic. Good for those preparing for GP. If you’re prepared to do this in good faith, I’ll do so too.
Ok, nice guy says: “why would only this “taunt” only be brought up during the soccer finals…”
I said it before but I will say it again here for those who can’t be bothered to read all that’s gone on – it was a curious thing that a VJ player was made to apologise to the MJC principal in front of everybody. Upon inquiry, it was because he made a gesture – putting his thumb on his nose and wiggling his fingers.
Upon further inquiry, the VJC team says it was because the line “go fly kite” was making them upset and the player reacted.
Hence, the line in the post above that the taunt made him do it. So that’s why it has been brought up.
So now some of you, presumably MJC folks, are somewhere between mildly upset and complete outraged that your cheer has been described as a taunt.
The line “go fly kite”, regardless of what it means to you (just a cheer) or to others (sexual or crude), does not pass the common sense and courtesy test.
Nobody has yet answered the question: If your principal asked you to do something you don’t like, do you say:
a. “Sorry I can’t because I have too many commitments now?”
or
b. “Go fly kite.”
Any reasonable person will say that “go fly kite” is somewhere on the spectrum between flippant and rude. Yes, it is in your cheer. But it is a taunt wrapped in a cheer.
So that’s why your cheer was brought up. Because it was relevant to the incident and material to why the player reacted the way he did. If I heard it again next year, I’m not going to write about it for no rhyme or reason. If you are going to sing it for the next 10 years, please go ahead. I am only concerned about the game (see report above which was mostly about the game). The MJC cheering standard is outstanding and gives the game excellent atmosphere. Like I wrote in the post above, school sports cheering is the best on this island.
Secondly, the poll is also material because the numbers suggest that while you may feel it is harmless, other do not think so and consider it provocative. To say the poll is biased is to complain why ice cream is cold. The only neutral people are dead people.
The poll, plus the fact that it can’t pass the test of common sense and courtesy, is enough evidence that most reasonable folks consider the line a taunt.
And the last test is that of coherence and consistency. If MJC supporters are allowed to turn what others consider to be a taunt into what you consider to be an acceptable cheer, then you have to extend the same flexible standard to the VJC player.
Perhaps putting his thumb on his nose and wiggling his fingers was a cheering gesture expressed when his teammate scored a goal? I already described it as a mocking action but to maintain your line of reasoning, that is a possibility that we must accept.
You may protest that it is not the same. But you shouldn’t, if you want to be consistent and coherent. You cannot say, “we’ve always cheered like this so don’t get offended” and then go “Aha! What a despicable act by the VJ player! He has no sportsmanship!”
If you can bend facts to fit your preferred reality, then shouldn’t others too?
And to Enn, you misread.
Jasper tackles and gives away the free kick. Then the ball hits him on the head and goes in. If I were him, I would feel unlucky too. The other goal, the VJC goalie made an error. If I was in the team, I would feel unlucky the way both goals went in.
So that’s why, like I always, always say, my volunteers and I can write what we consider perfectly neutral statements, but some of you will always feel aggrieved.
So I decided, very early on, please, write your own version and we will post it. Enn, if you wish to write a 1,000 word story on how MJC has great skill and has made it to the final 5 years in a row (a fact which I wrote but you seem to have ignored), please, by all means, do so and send it in ( http://redsports.sg/tell-your-story )
In Red Sports, the number one policy that everyone who reads regularly knows is (yes, wait for it):
You send it, we post it.
all i can say, if the fly kite is a taunt. then why wouldnt it be stop for example during the soccer semis, quarters, group stages, the floorball semis and finals, and the tennis competitions. i mean, why would only this “taunt” only be brought up during the soccer finals, when nothing happen during the semis and quarters despite doing the cheer? now thats a question.
does it make sense that since “go fly kite” has been mj’s cheer all along from the start, then it isn’t a taunt?
heyy. everyone has a chance. its just the effort that they put in and how musch they want it. both teams played well. well some people may say that ‘go fly kite’may be a taunt. but why the problem only surface during this match? whose fault isit? we may not know the whole story behind it. lets just say tt both teams played well. jia yous for next year.
Once again I reiterate, this is a soccer competition and NOT a cheerleading competition. So why bother harping over MJ’s cheer which MJ has been using right from the start when the actual crux is the SOCCER?
MJ shouldn’t even apologise for the cheering incident bcos the cheer wasn’t even taunting to begin with. And its only flared up bcos some reporter and immature soccer guys feel its taunting. Which just goes to show the maturity of previous batches of soccer players and the lack of it in VJ now.
Yes, MJ should not have boo-ed him but the lack of sportsmanship in VJ players is appalling. The arrogance in them as well is beyond annoying. Forget the nosing incident. If you kick an MJ player, you jolly well apologise for causing his nose to bleed. If you see your own VJ player having leg cramps, the decent thing is to help your own player and not allow your opponent team to help you do it whilst you enjoy water. If you lose (as you did last year), then respect is standing up when your opponent team receives the prize. If you won, and congratulations on doing so, the humble thing like what VJ#20 did is to comfort your opponent team and not show off like what the rest did.
Its not the first time people have witnessed VJ acting without any graciousness or sportsmanship. There is a long list of examples. If they did, they’d win with humility and lose with dignity, none of which they have done.
And I’m sorry to say that the poll is horribly inaccurate bcos you don’t know the actual people taking it, and there are bound to be biased views when they take the poll. So the accurate way is to give it to neutral people? Uhhuh. So don’t justify your comments based on a poll. Nobody has mentioned anything about MJ’s cheer until you did bcos apparently some immature guy said he was affected by it. But nobody else was until this article came out.
it’s so sad that despite winning the A’div finals, VJC still has to resort to such cheap tricks by trying to cover up the mocking gesture by a “taunt” cheer from the other side. The “go fly kite” cheer is not a taunt, it’s always been mjc’s cheer, yet no one ever complained about it until one player displayed such despicable attitude on the field. VJC was good, but MJC played really well too. It’s sad that this article has to portray MJC in such a light as to imply that the 2 goals were merely lucky
(“Of all the people in the VJC wall, Joseph’s blast chose to take a wicked deflection off the head of Jasper and the ball hit the back of the net while VJC keeper Ifwat was left flat footed. VJC, and Jasper, were feeling particularly unlucky by now.”)
and due to MJC’s “constant pressure”. I feel that any team who manages to reach the finals truly deserve it, and on the finals itself, there’s always a huge element of luck. The fact that mjc has manage to make it in the finals for 5 years shows that they are truly skilled. It would be ridiculously hopeful to wish that this article appreciate that..which is really sad.
hey dearest people, he already apologised. why still the big hoo-ha over this.
at least #5 apologised abt his wrong behaviour, even though he’s held be the coach to the mj principal.
but did mj apologise openly for their wrong behaviour, like booing the vj players and the “cheering”? NO.
and how do you know he’s insincere in his apology? Are you God? you can read his mind is it?
dont make accusations without proof pls.
It was a great match, so why let the mocking gesture and “taunts” nullify it? 10 years down the road, nobody wants to remember this as a match that ended with new born rivalry.
And when Zidane headbutted Materazzi in the 2006 world cup finals, did all of you here, who are more than ready to condemn Khairil, react fervently with preachings about good values??? We all make mistakes, so why do this to crush a 17 yr old?