Sporočila za javnost

It was a fitting end to a season that had started so brightly and ended with such droll. With the managers changing places every two or three weeks (and the players similarly changing names just as often), the team's performance has been tried, tested, and utterly chewed up and torn to pieces. But here we are at the end of the season with a new manager who has brought the club from the brink of relegation (as if the 6th league of third division football wasn't down in the dumps enough...) to a more respectable but not really all that much more so 15th place finish. The prize winnings for 15th place will be a welcome change for the moment as the team awaits news about how this relegation play-off stuff really works out and if Ssangyong United will need to participate (we're assuming that's what the cute little dark lines mean...) to ensure our continued existence in the armpits of US Division III football.

The new manager started things coming out from a 2-nil loss at home to the top team in the league and set out working on rejuvenating the squad. For some reason, his license to buy ubergodmod players was not yet place (and won't be so for another week or so), so he was left with the players at his disposal. Awaiting reconstruction of some of the stands - torn asunder after weeks of vandals damaging the place (srsly, wth is up with that?!? get some real jobs, you punks!) - the team went away to Knights, where a possession-dominated strategy ensured the team came away with three points, after Rolland Cloud, given the go ahead for the lead striking role, earned the points with a goal just before half-time. Despite giving up loads of possession, the team made possession count where it mattered, and the opponents were severely limited in their attacking chances. Equally important was Brent Hickey's dominance in the net, who ensured that the opposition's strikers did not have an easy day.

Coming home to a raucous crowd of 2175 fans (plus or minus the opposition fans), Ssangyong United took to the field against 9th placed runningaroundkickingabal, who had not lost since a 5-nil trouncing away at FC BARC3LONA on the 30th of April. Their form was on the decline after 3 draws in their last 4 matches, but their top-half table standing was indication that this was not going to be an easy match. A reinforced defense and a continued focus on possession dominated the pre-match planning, and the match started beautifully for the home crowd, drawing no less than three scoring opportunities before Paul Grover scored the opening goal in the 4th minute. Ssangyong United continued to dominate possession, bossing around midfield as Spencer Kenny eased another goal on the half-hour to increased the lead. This proved pivotal, as after half-time runningaroundkickingabal turned the tables after Junior Cyr took on a great leap from his goalkeeper to steal away a ball that was going out and knocked the ball into the net to reduce the deficit. The manager was screaming as his players fell asleep on that play, but great credit to the lad for making the run that made the goal. After that, runningaroundkickingabal were playing their style. The manager put on Allan Beam for Brady Richey to put some fresh feet on the pitch, but it proved difficult to break the forward runs by runningaroundkickingabal. It proved one defensive lapse gifted Donny Stuart the ball, who started a counterattack, and against the run of play, Rolland Cloud received the ball in space, beat his marker, beat the keeper, and restored the two goal lead over the opponents. This goal basically killed the opponent's morale, and it was a simple match to play afterward, with the home crowd cheering on loudly and the players holding on for a crucial home win.

Unfortunately, with other results not going their way, the team is still in the second box from the bottom of the table, which can only mean that we're going to have to play in some relegation playoff, hopefully against the bottom feeding clubs. But it may mean one more match to decide our fortunes in the season to come. In the meantime, we'll be holding our heads high. It wasn't a memorable season, but the way we've finished it is all the more encouraging for our future prospects.

SUFC PressKorps

---

---