By Les Tan
Muhd Khairil glances in the winning goal for VJC in second half stoppage time to ensure a 3-2 victory. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Jalan Besar Stadium, Monday, May 25, 2009 – Victoria Junior College scored a stoppage time goal to eke out a 3-2 victory over Meridian Junior College.
The 3pm start time under the scorching sun plus the adrenaline of a national football final meant fitness would come into play in this game. Added to that the heart-pounding and ear-splitting cheering from supporters of both schools – the loudest cheering you’ll hear at a football game on this island – the stage was set for an exciting game.
A blistering start saw VJC take an early 1-0. Alex (#10) found some space on the left flank and his cross was met by Asyraf who placed his header over Edmund Wong in the (#32) in the MJC goal. 1-0 to VJC.
But MJC came right back. Their constant pressure yielded them a free-kick from 30m out. Up stepped their captain Fazli Hisham (#7) who hit it straight at the VJC keeper Ifwat Wafiy. It was not a hard shot and everyone expected the keeper to pluck it safely from the air. To his and the collective horror of the VJC crowd, it squirmed from his outstretched hands and bounced over the line. 1-1 and the MJC crowd roared their approval.
Man for man, MJC had the measure of the VJC team, nullifying any attack, while their constant probing left VJC fans with the gnawing dread of another MJC goal.
Alex (VJC #10) then missed a one-on-one situation to leave the score unchanged and the miss would haunt VJC.
VJC’s Jasper gave away another free-kick to MJC and this time Attah Joseph (#21) stepped up. Of all the people in the VJC wall, Joseph’s blast chose to take a wicked deflection off the head of Jasper and the ball hit the back of the net while VJC keeper Ifwat was left flat footed. VJC, and Jasper, were feeling particularly unlucky by now.
With MJC holding their first lead of the game at 2-1, VJC did not look likely to score. But an individual piece of finishing by Alex changed the scoreline. VJC keeper Ifwat’s kick upfield was met by the head of Anders Aplin (VJC #9). Another teammate met Anders’ header with another flick on and the ball landed nicely in the path of Alex who bore down on the right side of the MJC penalty box.
VJC fans wondered: Was he going to shoot? His answer was instantaneous – a blast with his right leg that arrowed across the diving body of MJC keeper Edmund Wong to nestle in the far corner of the net. A predator’s goal and the score was now 2-2. Game on.
After the excitement of the first half with four goals and lots of action, the second half was an anti-climax. The 3pm start was taking its toll as players from both teams started going down with cramps. The most pained sufferer was Attah Joseph (MJC #21) whose cramp was so severe that his bulging thigh muscles were rigid with cramp and he had to be carried off the pitch.
With the injuries, the game was going nowhere as a spectacle but with the passing minutes, the tension ratcheted up. A goal at this late juncture would surely spell the winner.
MJC had two golden chances to score through Joseph Tai (MJC #23), the second of which was a header that was headed for goal but Ifwat pulled off a stupendous save to make up for his first half error.
The miss of the game though, was by Alex (VJC #10), this year’s top scorer with 16 goals.
A blistering shot by Anders (VJC #9) from outside the box was not held by MJC keeper Edmund. The ball spilled loose and bounced up nicely into the path of the onrushing Alex. However, from less than 2m from the goal line and with the whole goal gaping before him, he somehow contrived to put the ball over the bar.
Even though the ball fell to his weaker left leg, he pounded the ground in extreme frustration while the VJC bench saw coach Tan Yew Hwee sprawl to the ground like he had been shot. The VJC bench must have thought this was going to be a repeat of the 2008 final where Alex also missed chances that cost them the championship title.
By this time, everyone was expecting extra-time but the final act was yet to be played out. In the second minute of extra time, a throw in by Cephas Ong was headed on by Anders Aplin. In the middle was the waiting Muhammad Khairil (VJC #5). Rising with him were two MJ defenders but Khairil got his head to the ball first.
It was not a hard header but the ball’s bounce fooled MJC keeper Edmund and went in to send the VJC crowd into delirium. 3-2 to VJC was how it finished, and VJC put to bed their 1-2 loss to MJC in last year’s final.
In an on-field incident witnessed by many and sure to be discussed for days on end, the MJC taunt to VJC to “go fly kite” got the better of VJC’s Khairil and he made a mocking gesture – putting his thumb on his nose and wiggling his fingers – to the MJC crowd in return after teammate Alex scored the second VJC goal.
After getting scolded by coach Tan Yew Hwee immediately after the incident, Khairil was marched to the MJC principal after the game by his coach and made to apologise.
“That kind of game, heart attack!” said VJC coach Tan Yew Hwee. “The chances they missed!”
The winning goal was unexpected.
“The goal was a soft goal,” he said.
For MJC, this was their fifth A Division final appearance in a row.
“That’s football,” said MJC coach Fabio Fanticelle Da Silva. “It was a loss of concentration in the last two minutes.”
“It was a very good save by the VJC keeper,” said coach Fabio, referring to the save from Joseph Tai (MJC #23) in the dying moments of the second half.
“Last year was our year, this year is their time. Our boys worked very hard and we have very good support from the principal and teachers.”
MJC are also well placed for A Division football honours next year.
“Seven of the players will be back next year,” coach Fabio confirmed.
“It’s really honourable to score in the final on such a big stage,” said Muhd Khairil, the scorer of the winning goal and who also bagged the man-of-the-match award. “Lucky the ball went in. We had many chances to score but we threw it away.”
Khairil finished the season with four goals, but that last one will live long in the memory for him and VJC.
“lack of sportsmanship” still helped MJ got 2nd placing, above ACJC.
For a sports reporter, this surely seem like a biased article. Focus on the actions on the ground, not on the supporters. And “taunting” wasn’t the aim against VJ, it was an encouragement for the MJ team.
I would appreciated of you all can stop fighting over this matter.
I have already apologize, on behalf of MJC, to VJC.
Is that really not enough?
As for Les, I think that a reporter, or even correspondent, they should not be to personalized or emotionalized in their report, as if like writing your own personal diary. The word used must be in a neutral stand. Your harsh and unjust word would generate lot of unrest and tension among the two group of people in your report. Hope you can change your word used in the report.
– MJC loyal supporter
anyone noes if i can get the full video of vj vs mj?i missed the finals..
well….not as though acjc’s sportsmanship is good. they are way worse. and btw, all schools or at least most schools have that cheer. so you just cant blame one school. and the players are the ones playing and they should be able to address the crowd well no matter what. that is called true sportsmanship. not taunting them back. then how diff is the vj player from the mj crowd? so both parties are in the wrong.
Thank you to all the readers, presumably from MJC, who have clarified that what they sang is “All the rest can go fly kite”. I have amended the post to reflect that.
From what I understand, #5’s action – putting his thumb on his nose and wiggling his fingers – was in reaction to the song. The action of course is inexcusable because reacting to the crowd is just making the situation worse.
So the post explained the reason for his mocking action.
MJC readers are particularly unhappy with the word “taunt”.
The word however best describes the line “All the rest can go fly kite”. This contrasts with the line “MJ boleh”, which is a cheer. So the taunt is wrapped in a cheer.
Similarly, I have described Khairil’s action as a “mocking gesture”. No VJC reader has disputed that because that is also an accurate description.
For all of you having dark thoughts about me being biased against MJC, there is no basis for your suspicion.
I set up this site so that Singapore sports, particularly school sports, gets its day in the sun. Sometimes, I come across slightly negative events. Sometimes I write about it, but most of the time, I just ignore it and focus on the game.
I chose to write about this one because I was particularly intrigued as to why the VJC coach marched his player Khairil right across to the MJC side to apologise. I’ve not seen that happen before. I’ve seen players taunting crowds – that seems to happen a lot in football – but I’ve never seen a player having to apologise to the principal of another school in full view of the whole stadium.
Whether this is a biased story, well, I have always said, there is no such thing as an objective sports story. I still stand by that.
Anyway, as I’ve also always said, you are also free to share your own version of events. Your comments have all come through uncensored, even those that are attacking me. So feel free to keep writing if you disagree with the post.
If you have a game story to share, please do so: http://redsports.sg/tell-your-story/
You send it, we post it.
hey people, from a nuetral point of view, mj crowds are really too rowdy. If you all have attend all the matches in MJC field, you will have known what I meant. They are really not sporting enough, i hope A div organiser can take this into point and make venues to matches to be a nuetral ground, instead of having MJC play in MJC field, it is dumb. In such ways, it will be more fair towards all A div teams. And to no. 5 of vj, i don’t think what he had did is wrong. the MJC crowds deserves it (:
“All the rest can go fly kite” ?
Ain’t all the rest referring to VJ in this context? Perhaps its the nature of the cheer thats flawed. A cheer = lowering the morale of the opponents? Talk about sportsmanship.
chill sia..i personally dun think the cheer is offensive in anyway, but lets face it, no nid to play ard wif words, be it a taunt or cheer, wen u say all the rest can go fly kite..basically in that stadium, dere were only mjc n vjc. im sure mjc wun be asking mjc to go fly kite rite..so kinda obvious that the “rest” = vjc right?
as for the little incident sparked by vjc #5, i cant say anything cuz i think i missed that moment. in fact, wen i see vjc coach tapping his face i tot the coach is trying to ask #5 to focus. ahahahz
I think those who never play on the pitch should just keep quiet and enjoy the game! Both teams play well and show sportsmanship throughout. At least they did for the most of time. Don’t let the “talking” spoilt the match.
Come on chill everybody!
Everyone has his own opinion over some matter due to different education background and family backgrounds.
As for Les, he thinks that MJC cheer is rather ‘taunting’, and he chose a rather harsh and unjust word as according to what he said, “MJC taunt to VJC to “go fly kite ” .
As long we know that we did not mean what he was arguing, it’s okay, i think!
Sincere apologize from MJC to VJC if we really hurt VJC player or supporter feelings.
However, i feel that there should be no reason VJ#5 did that” mocking gesture” to MJC supporters.
However, his apologize was really appreciated and accepted.
Today, MJ and VJ had a good game. Waiting for next year….
– MJC loyal supporter
mj are known for their lack of sportsmanship and tts why they lost to acjc too
Khairil apologized after all..
Meaning of go fly kite = F*** off..
Sigh 17 and 18 year olds but don’t know a simple meaning of a taunt
You guys can cover up all you want but the fact was that it IS a taunt and VJC won the game after all
Haha prima-donna… Budding footballers, especially one getting quality education in a junior college, should know better than to follow the examples of their more illustrious but none-the-wiser counterparts in the top leagues such as Ronaldo and Drogba.
Is sportsmanship a fast-forgotten art in the beauty of sports? I play football myself and am an avid follower of the Beautiful Game but it seems that football is one sport where unsporting behaviour is perpetuated more than in others. Fortunately for Khairil and hopefully as well for others, he has a coach who does not forget his duty to educate. Kudos to Mr Tan Yew Hwee.
On a sports website like this, I feel it is a good opportunity for people to reflect on not only one’s comportment as an athlete when dealing with competitors and opposing fans but also how to be a gracious supporter of your own team without disrespecting the opposition. =)
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THE FUNDAMENTAL FLAW OF THIS ARTICLE?
the cheer goes, all the rest can go fly kite.
NOT VJ CAN GO FLY KITE?!?!?!
This will only worsen the problem.
To Spectator:
I feel bad for no.5 from VJ, but he just has to live it true as a result for what he did, and as nature would take its path, no one would forget that moment in a hurry.
Also, there was a variety of cheers being cheered THROUGHOUT the whole match. If you happen to see it as something that was done deliberately, then I can’t comment any further.
And lets face it, even though VJ was through and through deservedly the winner in this match, his whole action has disgraced the school itself, even though he has taken courage and apologized.
Error: VJ’s Keeper name is Ifwat Wafiy.
Just two corrections Les:
The VJ keeper is Ifwat Wafiy
MJ scored the second goal first by Attah Joseph, and VJC’s Alex equalised to make it 2-2
And while the VJ #5 shouldn’t have done what he did, the fact remains that the MJ supporters were harsh in their display of support for their school,and their taunts of “VJ go fly kite” and boo-s whenever a VJ player got the ball could be heard throughout the stadium — a frustrating situation for any player on the pitch.
That was perhaps the reason why #5 lost his cool in the heat of the moment and I’m sure he meant no malice. I guess it was an impulsive gesture carried out in the exhuberance of the equaliser. Futhermore, I’m sure the whole stadium saw him being admonished for it, and he duly apologised to the MJ principal and officials after that. Let’s not forget that he is but seventeen, and to face up to authority like that in front of all his peers took a certain amount of courage. I would say that for that alone, he’s been punished enough and we should let the matter rest.
Let’s focus on the fact that both teams played their hearts out today and put on an excellent display of football under the scorching sun. It could have gone either ways at any one point of the game and I thoroughly salute MJC for valiantly trying their best and VJC for capturing the title after so many years of faltering at the final.
Thankyou Les, for covering the match 🙂
Thanks for the correction, spectator, minh.
I didn’t check my notes properly in my rush to get something out first.
That’s what happens when I shoot pictures AND write the story.
No need to threaten me, Jack.
Spectator has confirmed the taunt.
As for “go fly kite”, it IS a taunt.
Why don’t you try saying it to your own principal or teacher when they ask you to do something? If they don’t like it, just say, “Hey, it’s a cheer.”
definition of cheer: to encourage someone
definition of taunt: to provoke someone
Ifwat Wafiy, not Ifwan Mafwi is Vj’s goalie. Joseph’s freekick was deflected by a head in the wall. Also, Joseph scored before Alex. VJ were lucky that their keeper somehow made up for his error in the early stages of the game with a magnificent save from a well aimed header destined for the corner of the net in the dying minutes of the game. Overall, both teams fought well and did their schools immensely proud. Kudos to VJC for the win..
it was a “ALL THE REST CAN GO FLY KITE” cheer.
Not a taunt, but a cheer.
AND!
Others have it as a cheer as well.
Please correct this.
VICTORIA ALL THE WAY!
hey wrong chronological order, MJC scored the 2-1 first and then VJC equalized by alex.
hey les watch waht you write here
when did mj say vj go fly kite
hear pproperly first.
yes this will probably be removed
just watch ur words