Football Update...

UPDATED: The Khaleej Times article on the match...

2nd Group Match:

Modern: 2
Aaron - 6'
Anish - 18'

Our Own English High School, Al Warqaa: 3
Isaq - 11'
Isaq - 27'
Naveed - 30'

Today, we lost. With a 2-1 lead at half time, we failed to hold on. Our 1st goal was a good finish from Aaron. I threaded a through ball, and Aaron took the goal quite brilliantly, like a true striker. They hit back with a typical cross-in-from-right-then-tap-in. We were then lucky to go up 2-1. I shot, frankly what was a shit shot, and it bounced off a rough patch in the goal area, and defied the goalkeeper. Then, we thought God had indeed blessed us.

But things changed in the second half. 2 quick goals in the from Al Warqaa settled the fray. However we went down fighting. While we were 3-2 down, we had numerous chances to equalize, however we lacked composure and luck when it came to the finishing. I missed 2 chances that I could have, should have taken. In one of the chances I was clean through, but I didn't completely realize that, and I shot feebly. But the best chance to equalize came in the last few seconds when I ran down the right flank, past a couple of defenders, and floated a ball into the center. Aaron came running forward, and jumped up for a header. His technique was perfect. He was 2 feet up in the air, in full momentum, ready to slot his header home. His head connected sweetly with the ball. The ball flew towards the goal, half of us thought it was in, and were on the brink of celebration, but it flew agonizingly off the bar. Damn. That was our story all morning. Our coach said we played poorly and lacked toughness. He said that we needed to make hard tackles, and prevent ourselves from making first-time tackles, for which I was personally to blame.

Anyway, all is not lost. We still have a very good chance of going through if we win tomorrow's match against SIS. NIMS, Dubai, who we beat 2-0, beat SIS 4-2. So technically we still have a very good chance of going through. And even if we fail to win tomorrow, we can move into the quarterfinals on a better goal difference depending on how other matches go. But we don't want to depend on anyone else. Let's hope we win convincingly tomorrow. We just have too.