Cavalier are 2009-10 KSAFA Super league Champions

Cavalier FC 2009/2010 KSAFA Claro Super League Champion

The Fat Lady Sings

It was down to the wire for Cavalier football who were crowned the 2009/2010 KSAFA Claro Super League Champion on Saturday at the Barbican Sports Complex. In an exciting 2-0 display, the Champion made sure that the fat lady sings even though she did so right on the wire.

The Setting

Match: Final round of KSAFA Claro Super League Barbican FC Vs Cavalier FC
Venue and date: Barbican Sports Club, Saturday, February 27, 2010- 3:30pm
Weather: Sunny& windy. Field: Grass with pockets of bare areas in both half, loose sand in southern Goal area, unpredictable bounce, dry condition
Coaches: Alrick Clarke- Barbican FC; Lamar Morgan - Cavalier FC
Formation: Barbican FC 4 - 4 -2; Cavalier 3-4-3
Scores: Barbican FC- 0 Cavalier FC 2 (O’Neil Morrison 76 min, Loxley Thompson 91 min)

Pre match

“A match without any pressure for the youngsters,” this was how Barbican Coach Alrick Clarke expressed himself when asked about his team for the game, “Since the last ten games we have been putting some youngsters in the team, with the hope of giving them exposure for the next season, the average age of this team is about 20 so you can see that they need experience and this is just a continuation of what we started a long time ago”. Meanwhile, Cavalier Lamar Morgan said “We just come to play some good football today”

Warm Up

The now widely acceptable dynamic warm up seemed to be the new thing for clubs and this writer wholeheartedly applaud all the coaches and players who were obviously keeping pace with the new trend in world athletic developments and recognize that with just a few small changes or adjustments in what they do can bring significant difference in the overall results they get.
The movement was slow in the beginning and increase moderately in tempo, with multidirectional movements, jogs, sprints and small side passing games to get the players ready for the encounter.

Cavalier started confidently.

The match in which the Fat Lady sings saw early favorite Cavalier starting confidently and looking like they were now ready to play big-time football. During the first minute of play, they were content on putting a string of passes together and ensuring that all their teammates got an early feel of the leather. Playing with 3 strikers, the visitors wanted to score goals and early at that. The homesters on the other hand, were looking to get as even as they could get to their more experienced guests and provide the fair size crowd with matching entertainment, making it known that they were not about to lay down and die nor surrender before the contest.

Pound for Pound

Both teams took pot shots at each other goal on a regular basis but these presented no real danger given the fact that the passes were not very piercing and penetration far and few. This however made the Cavalier's bench a little agitated and they began to urge their teammates to move the ball forward towards the opponents goal. This was met with very stiff resistance from the Barbican team. Both teams were prepared to use the flanks to supply their middle and as a result canceled out each other tactically.

The use of the width on the pitch was good for both teams; their compactness seemed to be improving with time; more importantly is the need for some improvements in off the ball movements. Support and covering in defense, if done well these teams can match pound for pound on any given day any Premier League team in the country at the moment. Cavalier’s desire to win and probably early, was thwarted by the youngsters resistance and some acrobatic goal keeping from Barbican’s Custodian Donavan Walker. The first half ended 0-0

The Intensity Grows in the second half

As the game progressed and when a draw seemed to be in the air ,both teams began to draw on the resources they had on the bench. They rang out the changes and continued the end to end exchanges with only the occasional long searching ball which Cavalier used to good effect in the second half. Despite the faulty shooting and spirited defending, Cavalier went ahead in the 78th minute when central midfielder O’Neil Morrison powered home a cross from Loxley Thompson.

The goal brought some life to the quiet Cavalier bench which was keeping a tab on the Bell Chung proceedings . Both teams however continued making gallant efforts to play a more spectators pleasing game as the ball did much more work in this game than any other I watched during this season,.

A rare no cards game reflected the spirit in which the majority of the match was played, save the disagreement during time added on when Cavalier leading marks man Loxley Thompson raced past the Barbican defenders to lob home a long ball from the deep over the head of the advancing Donavan Walker in the Barbican’s goal making it 2-0.At this point the referee was truly tested when the Barbican players protested the goal, pointed to the hole in the net and that the ball went over the crossbar and fell into the goal, After the protest, the referee upheld the decision and the goal stood. The fat lady sings for Cavalier-they are the 2009/10 KSAFA Super League Champions.

Lamar Morgan the winning coach said that his team did not play as well as he intended even though they are the winner, the passing he said was a little off “but we kept our composure and we did it in the end” further he said that it was a hard season and everyone played their part to make them champion

There was jubilation among the Cavalier’s team and supporters who were filled with excitement as they celebrated with champagne and other barrage in the spirit of winning. The presentation which followed provided a fitting end to a well run competition and a quality improvements as the league progressed. With that said, expectation for next season must be very high due to the overall improvements in aspect of the teams approach to the game.

My two cents will be presented in the next Unbridled Views, so in the meantime be good and be guided by sound judgment. To all, hearty thank You for reminding me that ‘Truth Will Win’.