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OiFuto Astro, Sun 4th December. Wall Street Clash with a mixed team chiefly English but also featuring some quality Japanese players, a couple of North Americans, stoutly skippered by a moustachioed 1920s throwback captain, Ian Wing Commander Webster, aren't doing too badly so far this season. Today a 3-3 draw meant they had not lost since their opening fixture. In a game against new boys to the league, Copel FC, who have earned some decent reviews, not even their own player manager expected them to get much. However, on a big, wet Oifuto surface they managed to take the lead three times against their fitter and more technically gifted opponents and hold it at halftime.
It was a game pitting a rigid English 4-4-2 played by generally slow lads (I use the word, lads, somewhat ironically) against a fit and fast smooth passing team playing an almost Italian style with a smidgeon of Dutch total football. They liked the occasional cynical foul, some histrionics and they gesticulated a lot. The raised finger to the lips still not one of my personal favourites. They also switched positions and seemed to aman to be able to control the abll and stroke it around. It was though the Clash who took the lead after a measured cross from a sober-this-week Andy Drought found an immaculate placed finish from the fleet footed left winger Yasu. Yes, there is one sprinter in the team! It was not long after though that Copel FC found their way through a flat footed Clash back four. The foibles of the favoured English defensive system exposed by a ball over the top and a quick sure footed striker.
While Copel played the ball around nicely across their back four and into midfield at times they didn't often find a way through and especially not over the tall Norwegian and Englishman playing as central defenders. They were harried in midfield and their defenders occasionally caught in possession by the Clash front two. They didn't like it and resorted to some silly, gratuitous and naughty challenges. Then a typical slice of first half action led to the Clash's second goal. A masterpiece if you were to ask the scorer. A half decent piece of opportunism and a good finish according to this reporter. A breakaway saw Besty push onto the defence from right midfield and manage a header over a defender to allow Sid to nod the ball quite neatly into space away from the keeper so that it was able to be 'hammered it into the nearby top right hand corner' to quote the grey haired striker himself.
Unfortunately, that goal was followed rather swiftly by a very similar goal to Copel's first. After some nice play in midfield a ball through the middle saw their striker streaking away and finishing easily. The Clash heads did not though like those of a German sex tourist in Thailand go down after a couple of tickles. Some vocal encouragement from the moustache wearing captain and some hard work kept the Clash in it and they were rewarded with a cracking goal by Phil Stroud from the right wing when he looped a sweet shot from distance over a stranded Copel keeper to nestle into the net. The Premier League maybe being accused of being boring due to defensive mindedness but here were some entertainers. On both sides!
Half time was prolonged by the lack of a Copel linesman and ours being on the wrong side and in the wrong half. Once things were underway Copel started much the brighter and played the ball around effortlessly with some nice touches and flicks but to no real purpose. The Clash defended like their beer money depended on it and looked like holding out for a not entirely deserved but hard fought 3 points. Twas not to be though for the boys in yellow. 5 minutes remaining on the clock showed when a nice centre from a Copel left winger with too much time and space plopped on to the head of a Copel player who had appeared between the two Clash centre halves and dropped over the Clash keeper. English endeavour 3 Japanese-Dutch-Italian style 3.
If Copel can ally strength and well directed aggression to their undoubted talent they will do well in the Tokyo Metropolis League this season and in the future one hopes. I for one like the way they play the game. The Clash are happy with their present form and who knows might gain some respectability this season too. Maybe they should all grow moustaches!
Report – Chris Arnott
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