Contact Bullets vs Dalat Falcon.
The game was never played.
Why?
To answer this question, we've managed to get hold of Dalat Falcon's Coach, Jason Selva, to give us some insights on what happened.
Find out more below:
BBF: Borak Borak Floorball
JS: Jason Selva - Dalat Falcons' Coach
BBF: We heard that you're conceding a walk-over in your upcoming match, is that true? Why?
JS: Yes, we are conceding a walk-over for the match between Dalat and Contact.
Dalat comes up with their school semester calendar right when we get back from the holidays. It's rather difficult for us to pre-plan games dates and PFA has done an excellent job scheduling all the Div 2 games.
Unfortunately, for us it just so happens that week is the beginning of our Missions Emphasis Program and all the Dalat teachers and students will be involved in that.
Contact Floorball Club very graciously tried to accommodate us by trying several alternative dates but it we couldn't work out the shortage of players for both teams.
After trying several times, we finally decided it was easier to concede the game and work hard at the rest of the games we had coming up.
BBF: Dalat has been noted from the start as one of the top teams to beat, how do you think this walk-over will affect your campaign in this league?
JS: Dalat has a great team and we've always tried to put together a team that can work together fairly well.
Due to the scheduling of the Division 1 and 2 games for the year in light of APAC it ha worked to Dalat's disadvantage.
All our players who are meant to be in the Div 1 league will not be around when June rolls around because they all leave for their respective countries for the summer vacations. So we've had to put them all in Div 2 for 2 years running which has been demoralizing, even though they made it through to Div 1 after the last PFA League.
So to balance the team out a little and make it more challenging, I put in a brand new goalkeeper. Our goalie has been playing as long as the 2009 Div 2 league has been going on for.
BBF: How will this affect the morale of your players?
JS: As for the effects of the walk-over, I think it's affected me more than it has the players. I seem to feel that I'm always at the losing end of things when it comes to fighting this battle for Dalat Floorball.
It will affect us in the long run because we have a brand new goalie but I also know that our Dalat players will do their best no matter what. So, it really doesn't matter now.
We'll play our best and give it our all and who knows what the outcome will be. Maybe we might still have a chance at the top positions.
BBF: If the game were to be played, who do you think would have won? And why?
JS: I think that if we had played we would have had a chance to win, but I say that cautiously because again it comes back to our goalie.
Our first game against Frontliners we had our full team playing and although we allowed 2 goals I think in the first half, we still came back and won the game.
However for our second game we were playing with a group of defenders as most of our forwards were away in Kuala Lumpur for a soccer tournament that weekend and we lost to ZTEC Phoenix 4-1. I must say that they did play an excellent game, very meticulous and persistent. So, I guess that's as vague an answer as it gets.
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As it's BorakBorak protocol/tradition, our very own "experts" also generously contributed their 2 cents worth on the walkover and how it will affect the league as a whole:
Bendy:
What a waste. It was one of the more anticipated matches in my books as both are genuine medal contenders.
Both teams have strength and weakness to counter each other. Contact with shooters everywhere which I feel they would have gotten a few goals agains Dalat's inexperience goalie. But their physique will be much capitalised by the Dalat's attackers, they too will be able to power through some goals. It would have been a tight match.
Now, with the walkover, Bullets are getting away easy with 2 points and 5 clean goals, positioning them in second with a healty goal difference.
Phoenix is currently leading the pack and looking untouchable, second spot is now wide open and is up for grab. With Falcons facing relatively weaker opponents in their final two matches whereas 300 and Bullets still pending a match agianst the league leaders, it may boil down to internal goal differences between the 3 teams to decide who gets a medal. Interesting stuffs.
This is all on paper though, and anything can happen on court. Don't written off the others so soon as well, they might have a trick or two up their sleeves. Focus people!
Jose:
It is really sad that this match had to end as a walkover, because the players from Dalat could not make it on that particular Tuesday. And as a result of this walkover, the title race for the Division 2 crown is now wide open. For me personally, i think that the walkover between Contact vs Dalat has blew the top 3 spots up for grabs. The 3 horse race has now become a 4 horse race.
It is high time for all the 4 medal contenders (Ztec Phoenix, Contact Bullets, Frontliners 300 and Dalat Falcons) to get all fired up as we are coming to the end of the Div 2 season. Where these teams finish at the end of the season will all come down to these remaining fixtures. All 4 medal contenders cannot afford any slip-ups at such a crucial point of the season. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season unfolds. Best of luck people!
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