Gruelling Games

By Wei Ee Goh

Through ankle sprains, bruises, blood, sweat, and pain, the Varsity Soccer Boys team gave ACSC everything they had.

On Tuesday, October 17th, at 5 AM, the Varsity Boys Soccer team arrived at Dalat to leave for Chiang Mai. The first flight was to KL, then a 4-hour layover before taking another flight to Chiang Mai. After reaching Chiang Mai, the boys had an hour ride in a red truck, which is a leading form of transportation of the people in Chiang Mai. The day of travel ended by reaching the Alpine Golf Resort and with a team meeting to get everyone in the right mindset for the many gruelling games ahead.

The first game started with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Morrison. Although the team got the win, the team felt that it shouldn’t have been that close as they were better technically than the other team but struggled to score easy goals. In the second game against ICS Hong Kong felt more or less the same. The Dalat players were much better technically but could not gain a more comfortable lead as they won 3-1. In the last game of the round-robin, the Dalat boys played against YISS. The game was even throughout the first 50 minutes, but the tide shifted after Dalat team captain Romeo Kontsas (11) managed to get a goal after attacking high into the YISS defense, causing the them to make a mistake. 

Starting the official tournament bracket to determine placing was a wake-up call, as any games lost at this point would result in placing fourth or below. The boys faced SPH in the quarter-finals, and the game was a hard-fought but comfortable 2-0 win for the Dalat boys.

In the semi-finals, the Dalat boys had to play Grace, who were the hosts for the tournament. Grace played passively without pressing much of the Dalat defenders but counter-attacked fast and aggressively. The game was at a standstill, neither team having clear chances for 60 minutes. At the end, the Dalat defense accidentally made a mistake, causing a Grace striker to be able to score. Losing this game meant the team could only make it to 3rd place at best.

The next day, the boys woke up with hunger and thirst to win after the heartbreaking loss the day before. The weather was unfavorable for all teams as it rained heavily. Despite this, the Dalat captain, Josiah Andrews (12), told the team, “Guys, this is the last game for you seniors. Leave everything you have on the pitch, and don’t regret anything. Underclassmen, play your heart out for your seniors and yourselves. Give this game all you have, and let’s get this win!” The boys played their best game, getting a 4-0 win over ICS Hong Kong to get the third-place spot. Although this wasn’t the result the boys wanted, they celebrated together, knowing they all played their hearts out for one another.

Photo by: Joyce Tang