Dalat Falcons vs Ztec Griffins
Date: 3rd March 2009 (Tuesday)
Face-off Time: 7.45pm
Venue: Dalat International School
Both teams are in the bottom half of the table with identical points overall, whoever wins this match will position themselves above the other.
Ah, can you smell the hunger to win?
Falcons who recently conceded a walk-over to Contact Bullets are now facing the consequence, dropping down to the bottom half while at the same time, giving Contact Bullets an extra 5 goal difference advantage. Moreover, the Falcons haven't had a good run this season. Losing in the match against Phoenix prior to the walk-over definitely have dampened the spirit of the Falcons in one way or another. Their task ahead seems like a steep climb uphill and knowing the Griffins, they sure won't let the Falcons flying around freely.
Griffins themselves are pretty much in the same boat. Having played 3 games, they only manage to come up with a win so far while losing the other two. Lady luck hasn't been on their side really. Overall in terms of gameplay, Griffins have been somewhat unfortunate for their lack of a good finishing. Generally, they do take shots at goal but somehow the ball just seemed a little bias towards the goal, stubbornly avoiding the net. Surely frustration must be knocking on each of the players' door.
Who will have the charisma to win this match?
It's hard to say really.
Dalat may seem like a decent contender but with their current form in the league, it's really hard to tell. Moreover, with a new keeper at goal, they have proven to be rather vulnerable at the back. Having said that, he (the keeper) has shown tremendous improvement. It's never easy tackling the role of a goalkeeper. Bravo! Notwithstanding the new keeper and the vulnerability of their goal, the Falcons do have a very strong and solid line of defense. Thus far, their veteran number 19, Kerry Mohoney, has proven that age is not a factor.
Griffins, on the other hand, haven't gotten their Midas touch to work. As mentioned earlier, their finishing is one of their main problems that needs to be rectified if they really want to get out of the bottom half. Good news is that Griffins will be glad to have the retun of their captain and first-choice keeper, Leo Nard. His presence is definitely vital for the team. With that in place, Amos, who played keeper in the previous match, can fall back into his former position, playing up front to get the goals running. Defensively, Griffins should be able to withhold the attacking force of the Falcons.
Key Player:
Dalat Falcons:
Kerry Mohoney has shown in every game that he played a pivotal role. Whether they win or lose, Kerry's ability to backboned his team, both in defense and attacking, is a crucial asset for his team. His experience has granted him the poise that he needs to anchor his team professionally.
Ztec Griffins:
The return of their captain will be the key link. Leo Nard's absence in their previous match against 300 was greatly missed by his team mates. Not only will he be guarding the two post that will determine the outcome of the match, but greater still is the task of commanding his team to play their hearts out before it is all too late.
Predictions:
Bendy:
Falcons is an unexpected guest in the bottom half as they were hailed as title contenders from the start of the league but a series of unfortunate events and some reshuffling in their squad have gotten to their disadvantage. Nothing much can be done about that I guess.
Griffins on the other hand, must be cursing their luck as well. The 2 games they lost were much down to luck and for the most part, their woeful finishing. Much credit for their effort but I guess practise really makes a difference.
Both teams are terribly torn apart by luck, who will be the less unlucky one this time around?
Well, rather than leaving it to uncertainty, we might as well look at how they can turn things around with their own hands!
Falcons, other than the goalie, they still have a solid team, blended with speed and experience. Drew and co. upfront is definitely raring to go after missing out against Bullets while Kerry and gang will be count upon to hold firm the last line of defense, protecting the rather vulnarable Daniel Kim.
Griffins will most definitely be happy to welcome back their Captain and goalie Leo Nard. The question is:
Can he maintain his form after missing a match? Or will he need time to gradually recharge for the upcoming match? We shall see.
On court, Gim Hoong and Amos Lim will be relieve to revert back in their position after some major reshuffling due to Leo Nard's absence. This time there will be no excuse of playing out of position as they need to perform in order to register a win against a wounded Falcon.
As for the outcome, I will be rooting for Griffin to win. Both have a strong first line, weak squad depth and pacey in attack. However, Griffins topped Falcons in the Goalie department and I foresee Falcons to concede some sloppy goals again. Plus if the main defenders are playing, they should be able to cope with Drew and Co.
The decider will be how long can the first timers last on court;
How both teams' substitutes will perform; and
Whose side lady luck will be this time.
All things go well, a slim win for Griffins.
Spritzer:
Dalat as a team will display better movement on court. With tireless runners at the forefront of the attacking line and a solid defensive line at the back, Falcons seem to be in good shape. However, with the come back of Griffins' keeper, Leo Nard, the Falcons will surely have a tough time cracking this guy down at goal.
Griffins will need to brush up on their finishing if they want to win. The advantage that they have is the fact that Falcons' goal is very Very shaky. They MUST take that achilles' heel to their advantage.
I'll go with Griffins bagging a win. Should be a very close and tight match though.
Jose:
I'm shocked at Bendy's prediction to go for a Griffins win. Seriously, is that possible?
My prediction is for Dalat Falcons to run away winners by at least 4 goals, if not more. Here is my take on this match, Dalat with the likes of Drew and Riley should cause Ztec Griffins loads of problems. Both teams have speedy forwards, but i just feel that the Dalat Falcons forwards are sharper and more lethal at goal compared to the forwards from Ztec Griffins.
Defensively, Dalat has 2 strong pilars in Kerry and Brian who are big, strong and experienced. While the Ztec Griffins forwards are no where near their height or size. I seriously cannot see how they will be able to get pass these defenders. Speed maybe, but the Griffins in my opinion is way 'new' to challenge these experience defenders. I don't see Dalat's defenders being troubled by the likes of Amos and co.
However, the only thing that Ztec Griffins have that Dalat Falcons don't, is an experience goalkeeper. Leo Nard vs Daniel Kim, interesting. Leo Nard (and Amos) has been very important for keeping the scores respectable for Griffins. I foresee Dalat constantly pressing Griffins to their own half. Probably Griffins hitting back with a few counter attacks trying to take advantage of some shaky goalkeeping.
All the best Leo Nard! It is going to be a busy night.
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