Score 6-3 win
Summary:
Another successive win for White Salamis who once again started off very slowly but then towards the middle of the first managed to get themselves together and play some lovely one touch decisive football. This led to our Man of the match (MOTM) scoring and impressive SIX!!! Goals. Defensively and in the midfield we lost a bit of concentration towards the end which allowed Maccabi a chance to score two more goals. A very good performance by white Salamis who should all be proud of their individual and team performance
Game Positives:
Sam: Another superhuman performance by Sam who is a joy to watch when he has the ball at his feet. Out of the SIX GOALS he scored the third was one of my favourites where he ran through the opposition team to score the goal. At many times during that passage of play both myself and coach T were screaming for him to use the team for assistance but in all honesty, on this occasion he didn’t need them and squeezed the ball in from the tightest of angles to bag himself a goal. The team played really well and there were some standout individual efforts but Sam was by far the best player on the pitch. Outstanding Sam, well done!!!
Sam.D: Started off very slow and was lacking his usual energy on the pitch but then suddenly out of nowhere Sam sparked into life in the middle of the first half. Sam was everywhere with some lovely one touch football and deadly through balls to Sam not to mention his tenacious and dogged tackling. Sam along with Mo help set the tempo for the rest of the team.
Mohamed (Mo the Magician): Started of slower than usual for Mo and then really started to pick up during the second half. Mo was able to work his magic with his close control and skills to assist the team and amaze the audience. Both he and Sam provide support for each other in that midfield partnership to help the team. No surprise we conceded two goals once Mo came off injured, hopefully it is not too serious. An outstanding performance by Mo well done.
Muzzammil (Muz): One of the most technical and consistent players in the team Muz had another outstanding performance and was definitely a MOTM contender. Muz was strong in the challenge and rarely lost the ball. Not to mention his great link up play with Ronnie and Ola. Muz has cemented himself as a first team regular.
Michal: Had a very difficult job covering the left side of the wing but stuck to his task and put in a dogged performance. Michal tired towards the end as he put in one hell of a shift, Well played Michal keep up the good work!!!
Ronnie: Another great performance by Ronnie who was a much need outlet for the defence and for the team. Ronnie was able to hold the ball up and link play with the midfield defence and forward line to assist the team. The next goal for Ronnie will be to get himself more goal scoring opportunities and to be more clinical in goal. Keep up the good work!!
Max: Help set the right tempo for the rest of the team as usual. I had been playing Max as a centre forward in the past, Max does however, excel in the midfield. Max not only battled hard to gain and keep possession but also composed himself during possession to not lose the ball and make the pass. Well done Max keep up the good work.
Game Issues:
Another slow start for the Whites where once gain they have conceded an early goal. The Whites need to make sure they keep their stamina and concentration for the full 90 minutes. It was no surprise we conceded two late goals due to a lack of both of those attributes. However there were many positives to take from this game especially the way we moved the ball in periods, hopefully those periods will become more sustained.
Room For Improvement:
Walid: Had a good game and made many important saves during the game. However, he conceded the first goal due to bad positioning inside his goal area. Walid needs to ensure he improves on his positioning to stop long range shots and crosses.
Notes:
Team needs to be more focused during the pre-match preparation. The team will also need to utilise the training sessions to work on stamina and technique that way they will be more capable to execute during the game. The team all need to be more vocal with their communication and take ownership of their responsibilities on the pitch there is no point in telling someone to mark someone when the individual has not taken the responsibility to mark someone themselves. The narrative should be ‘I have A go and mark B’.