SIFL: Week 9

SPORTS

SIFL: Week 9

Football - SIFL
Tuesday, 12 January 2010 09:01
Written by Tom Gurney

Back from a three week break, the SIFL kicked off once again on Saturday and teams took little time to dust of the Christmas cobwebs. Four trophies are up for grabs between now and June as well as two promotion spots from the first division. Bragging rights can be won every weekend, however. Goals were aplenty on Saturday in both divisions. To find out who ate all the Christmas pies and who are the runners and riders for the trophies this season, read on below.

The Shooters marked their intentions for 2010 in some style as they overturned a strong Krauts side 3:0. One up at half time, the Shooters extended their lead thanks to a fine display from MoM Roland Broughton. Broughton grabbed his eighth of the season and goals from Ayrton Viera, who now has 4 in 4, and a first strike of the season by Andrew Evans sealed the points. Olaf Phillip put up some fierce resistance for the Krauts, picking up not just the MoM award but also two yellow cards and thus he will need to sit out this week’s encounter with the high-flying Azzuri.

If their start to 2010 is a sign of things to come, Japan’s games will certainly be worth a watch this year. Nine goals on Saturday in an action-packed game that eventually saw Japan run out 6-3 winners against a bottom of the league Vikings side who had been 3-1 up at half time. Yusuke Moriya was at the heart of all things Japan as his performance inspired the second half turn around with a hat-trick, a MoM and even a yellow card. Katsuya Ito, Kazuhisa Okawa and Kichiro Takeuchi scored the other three goals for Japan. Francesco Ammirata and Kristian Krushår (2) had given the Vikings thoughts of an unlikely three points with their first half goals

The Azzuri’s new year’s game plan may have baffled the Beaver but is not hard to work out. Goals, goals, goals! Victory in 2010 seems to be the new year’s resolution having been the SIFL’s nearly men for the last few seasons. 10 goals the Azzuri netted on Saturday as they demolished the Beaver 10-0. The gauntlet has well and truly been laid down to the Shooters, the Puxi Lions and Japan. Guillaume Leclercq (3, MoM), Leandro Walace (2), Souza Romilson (2), Adam Kluger, Andrea Vanini and Gianmaria Delfino were the heroes on Saturday night.

In the first division the Anzacs (pictured) began the year where they finished 2009, in fine form. They raced home 5-0 winners against an overwhelmed Long Tang team despite heroics from keep Jeff Wu who netted his third MoM award of the season. Ian Lee added two more to this year’s account whilst Stuart Willy also knocked two in. Ian Mote got the final in a result that saw the Anzacs take advantage of Reunited’s week off to close the gap to just one point. The two play this Saturday at 10am.

A much improved Crazy Turks side were somehow denied the points on Saturday against an underwhelming Voodoo who somehow scored a 3-2 victory. Ned Kelly’s second hat trick of the season somehow secured the Voodoo three points but the result should wake the Voodoo up to the fact that the task of winning promotion is a long way from being completed. Kelly will be hoping Jon Levitt has better days than he did on Saturday before he moves in the Chinese New Year, Turkish MoM Mehment Soylemez ran rings around Levitt on Saturday and netted the Turks first. Ekin Altun scored the other for the Turks who now languish second from bottom.

The Voodoo Child have a history of starting slowly and this year may be no different. Finalists for the last two years at the end of season tournament, the Child jumped two places up to seventh on Saturday thanks to a 3:1 victory of the Coreans 3-1. Steve Miranda bagged a brace for the Child whilst Mark Suchy netted the third, proving he is better at poaching goals than pushing bouncers. Carsten Arntz got the Corean consolation (although it didn't seem it at the time, coming only 30 seconds into the game he is challenging anybody to beat him as the fastest over SIFL goalscorer?) as Pyo Kim received the MoM. Miranda picked up the honours for the Child.

The battle for fourth spot showed no signs of being resolved as the Krauts Die-Zweite and Shanghai 2000 shared the spoils on Saturday with a 2:2 draw. Shanghai 2000 were one up at half time thanks to Jackie Chen who also picked up the MoM award. Wang Zuo netted a second for the Century Park outfit but the Sauerkrauts were no push-overs, Nicolas Anders slotted two home after the break and also took home the MoM award for the Germans.

January 9 Results

Premiership

Beaver 0-10 (ten) Azzuri

Vikings 3–6 Japan

Shooters 3-0 Krauts

First Division

Anzacs 5-0 Long Tang

Corea 1–3 Voodoo Child

Crazy Turks 2–3 Voodoo

Shanghai Krauts Die Zweite 2–2 Shanghai 2000

January 16 Fixtures

Premiership