2011 is over with a last win...

And we’re done with 2011 games!

This Sunday 18th, Akita was playing his 6th and last game of 2011 at Shek Kip Mei. After meeting in the MTR, we decided to trust Wan’s shortcut one more time (despite our first bad experience at the same place few months ago) and found the sports centre without any problem!

We get changed and waited for our last players, Fabien coming from Thailand to play for Akita (to prove that we are a renown international team) and Blaise who probably would like to attract attention on him for his last game by arriving late (but he’s also French, so his late attitude has an excuse). We then started warming up, and had to note that Joakim, who usually run with us, was warming up on the other side of the pitch, right in front of his family. We let you find the conclusion of this.

And unlike all our previous games, we had almost 5 minutes to shoot and warm up our goalies!

We started the game in defense, definitely fully motivated to nail this game, and show our incredible power. Due to a very offensive defense from our opponents, we created some very nice combinations and nice moves which made us lead 7-3 after the first 10 minutes. But then, the Akita’s usual strong defense started to had some relaxing time, leaving more space and freedom to the opponent’s attack, and without a good Felix and their lack of success in shoots, they could have came back. At the same time, our attack had the same kind of problem, missing some easy shoots and penalties. The half time was welcome on the score of 13-10, to let us take a deep breath, and concentrate again on the second half.

Unfortunately, the second half was kind of similar as the end of the first one. A defense not really focus and the quickness of our opponents helped the score to grow quickly on both side. They then tried a 1-on-1 defense, expecting that it would break our combinations but at the opposite, and thanks to our fast players, we used this lap of time to increase our advance. They understood after 5 minutes that it was not a good operation and came back to a more normal defense. But with a 6 goals difference 10 minutes before end of the game, they were probably not expecting much. We finally reached the end of the game on a flattering score of 27-21, which doesn’t really show that our defense had really a tough time against such quick players. Some good points though, we saw some very inventive and nice combinations with the line players, our 5-1 defense still interesting with Fabien playing the “1”.

Our main problem will be now, as the last season, the lack of 9 meters players. As Blaise is leaving us by January, our contingent of back players stills not enough and we are really looking for some new players.

Talking about new player, we would like to welcome Arnaud, French guy, who will join us as line player (another one!!). Hope you’ll have a great time with us (and don’t mind Joakim, he’s barking but he’s a nice guy).

The next game would be held on January 8th, against Phoenix, 7.10pm at Choi Hung.

We don’t know yet if we’ll keep having a pitch to train in 2012, but keep tuned, and we’ll updated as soon as we know!

And 4 in a row!

This Sunday 11^th of December, Akita’s team was attending its 5^th game at Choi Hung.

Blaise and Jens B. were still drunk of our Friday night gathering, and didn’t really remember how they get to the pitch from the club! After teasing them on their lack of alcohol resistance, we started to warm up under the sunlight (good point of playing in the early afternoon).

We then dressed up with our wonderful blue jerseys and start training the keeper for the usual 37 seconds before to start the game.

Despite the oversight of our war scream, we were fully motivated and started the game on a very nice attacked. Unfortunately, after the first shoot and goal of Stefan, one of the opponents broke his middle finger. After a few minutes to take care of him, the game started again.

Akita’s showed a very strong defense, which brings the opponents to the attack limit time on few different attacks. After 10 minutes in the first half, we were leading 7-2.

We reached the half time on a large score of 14-4 for Akita. Our attack, which is usually our weak part, was seductive and efficient, realizing some very nice combinations, especially with our wing guys who scored 50% of the goals in the first half.

After the official 5 minutes break, we were back on the pitch, ready to nail this game. Probably a bit too confident due to our 10 goals advance, our defense calmed down and let them score few goals in a short lap of time. But as usual, it was only our 10 minutes relaxing (every game has it, it’s like a tradition now) and after 15 minutes in the second half, we were leading 21-10. The last 10 minutes were just a formality for us, to finally end on the large score of 26-11.

We have to notice that the opponents did not have any substitution player, and that would have probably helped us to get such a big goals difference. But we can also notice that our regular trainings start showing results, with a very strong defense, nice coordination between the player and our attack, becoming more and more efficient game after game, with less and less waste in the shoots.

We then shared a victory beer (I mean, each person had a beer, of course), while two German were taking a shower (no one know what happened).

Some special awards and highlights: Yannick, thanks for coming during your work time to play the first half.

Wan and Felix, our amazing keepers, who show every game that they may be some of the best goal keepers in Hong Kong.

And last but not least, Tyler, the lost American, who played the second half as right wing, and for who it was his first handball experience, and a very positive one!

We now date you this Tuesday, for our last training session before Christmas, and Sunday 18^th, for our last game in 2011, at Shek Kip Mei at 19.00 ish!

See you all there!