Long Opening Day for WFC

Wankas FC had an inauspicious beginning to their Fall 2009 campaign as they dropped their season opener at their new Kuntz home field 5-1. And truth be told, were it not for the acrobatics of Jeff Graham the scoreline could have been far worse. Much of the game was played in the WFC end, and their overall performance was reflected in the margin of the loss.

WFC were on the back foot from the opening kick, mustering only a few early-game forays into the ISC Falcons half. A surprising number of absences contributed greatly to the outcome, but a failure to communicate and mark among the midfield and defence was the real culprit. Midfielders failed to track runs, and defenders were beaten too easily on the dribble. At the other end, what few chances were created were not taken with sharpness and poise. This was a team loss, with only the goalkeeper able to claim the high ground.

The WFC goal did come through some good movement. Coming at 3-0, it provided a little life to a team looking devoid of creativity. A short throw on the left sideline came back to Aaron Gordon, who served an in-swinger that was nicely brought under control by Jan Krueger. Jan rounded the goalie only to see his shot carom off the post. However, it came straight back to Jan who showed further poise in settling and picking out a pass to Andy Hughes who side-footed home.

A return of several players should go a long way toward giving WFC a more balanced side, as well as some breathers for a team that did indeed work hard for little return on their new, big pitch. WFC were second best for the majority of the game, but they have proven resilient in the past and have 7 more games to look forward to.

Game 2 is next Sunday (9/20) at ISC/German Park, versus AmaBhubesi at 2pm.

Scoring: Andy Hughes (Krueger)