Written by Muhamad Shahrin Izhar B M S (08S12).
[The blogger also owns his personal blog here.]
The softball team had played a game of soccer with the Indian Cultural Society (ICS) before and it was a pretty close contest then. It was not long before we decided to hold another match in college. But this time, it was more "official" as it was planned beforehand and we were all in proper game attire (boots, long socks and all).
I guess the match served as a form of recreation since it was the end of the Promos and all. The match was played on 26th September at around 5pm. It was almost like a real soccer match; the only difference was that we used half the field. It was 30 minutes a half, with a 10-minute break in between. We were caught in a hilarious situation even before the match kicked off when we realized that we did not have a ball to play with! We had to borrow one in the end. (Haha, talk about poor planning.)
To be honest, I thought that the Softball players had a smaller chance at winning the match. I felt that ICS had more people who were skilful in soccer, but it was just a friendly game after all. We just wanted to have fun.
It was a nail biting match. There were several attempts made at goal by both teams. A lot of the shots came close to reaching the back of the net. Credit went to the goalkeepers for their excellent forms. ICS took the lead at first, but Softball soon equalized. The score line was dramatic – it began with 1 - 0, then 1 - 1, 2 - 1, 2 – 2 and so on.
A piece of the action, unedited:
It was after ICS scored their sixth goal. I had a chance to equalize. I managed to get the ball near the ICS penalty area. I dribbled the ball in, running as fast as I could. I thought of passing, but I didn't know if I could think fast enough. So I decided to go for the shot. I used the outside part of my right foot to try and tap it in, but at the very last moment, an ICS defender, Bharet, came in sliding. It threw me off a little bit, and it caused me to fall forwards. I knew right then that my shot would miss. But it was so close to going in, which made it even more disappointing. I wasn't injured, but after I was helped up by another ICS player, I saw Bharet on the floor. I thought that he was injured, but it turns out, he was fine. I helped him up, and we laughed it off. A scary moment, but after that every single one of us was back into the game, with the Softballers trying to equalize, and the ICS members trying to seal the deal.
Time was running out, but a touch of brilliance by the ICS members allowed them to extend their lead by a goal to make it 6-5. It was demoralizing for the Softball players but we kept on fighting. We never gave up. We hit the post a couple of times and got so close to scoring. Luck was just not on our side. In the dying moments of the match, ICS scored the seventh and final goal. The match ended with an impressive score line of 7 – 5 favouring the ICS team. I was disappointed, but I knew that the Softball team had given it their all.
It was a tough experience for me and the other Muslims who were playing because we were fasting. It really drained me. I felt thirsty after the match but I had fun. I am sure the rest of the players had fun too. Both teams played well. It was a huge demonstration of persistence and teamwork. The players also showed sportsmanship. Members from both teams laughed with each other at our fumbles, smiles were written all over our faces. The point is, we had fun.
As a Softball player, I must say that ICS is a good team. They have very good soccer players in their team, and they made good passes. I definitely feel that more soccer matches should be played among the various CCAs. It could serve as a way to bond us all together as well as a platform for us to make new friends. After all, we're all from the same college right?
I believe that ICS would be playing against the Malay Cultural Society (MCS) next week. I wish both sides all the best, and I hope that no one gets hurt. After all, it is just a friendly game. The word "friendly" should mean something. We're all friends at the end. It doesn't matter who wins or loses. I'm thankful for the experience, and I think that the Softball players and the ICS members would be closer friends now that we've had such a pleasant experience together.
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