Sungai Siput 9 a side

We came to know about this veteran tournament since last year but couldn't make it due to timing. However, this year we decided to try it out. It is a 2-day tourney seeing 24 teams from the country participated. Mind you, 11 are from Kelantan.
The manager for this team is Big Loong while Stanley was elected as the team coach. With nearly 100 years between them, believe me, it is certainly a lot of football experience that we are talking about. The contingent of 14 players, 3 officers and 1 supporter departed in a convoy of 3 vehicles and reaching Ipoh for teh tarik and bear at 12am Saturday.
The squad this time are: Rawang Ong, Waynaldo, Bullet, Wai Chai, Swee D, Boss, Gary, Cikgu, Misai choi, Najib Ang, Jeffrey Yap, Chan Kok Heng and ah Keong. Pai Kuat
chuen is our kit man/physio/water boy.
First day of tournament we went there at 9am and getting all prepared to play only told that our fist game is at 2:30pm. Alamak, what to do? We decided to drive back to Ipoh for white coffee at Kok Heng's sister's shop. After another meal, we went back to Sg Siput ready to play our fist game. Not long after warming up and was about to play, we were told that we received a walkover and qualified to the knock out round. The remaining game with Laila FC from Kelantan was just a formality as both have qualified. What the f#$*? We played loh..Win lost also no meaning one mah. The game was played under extremely hot weather and both were lucky to survive. We won the match via penalty kick to decide the group winner. Rawang Ong was our hero. Should we call his ADA ONG?
The night at Ipoh was well spent on getting us all relax with food and foot massage. Pak Kuat Chun was having a great night! Watching EPL matches at the pub with your buddies was even greater! We called it a night after downing several basket of German Pauliner beers.
The next day was knock out round, and our first hurdle was against Port Tamilans of Selangor.The match produced many chances for KL Weds but we just failed to finished them off. It turn the tide against us when Gary was deemed to have foul their player inside the D. We protested vehemently to no avail. They scored. We showed great fighting spirit and team work to equalized the game with a well place header by ah Keong courtesy of a great pass from Najib Ang. It ended 1-1 and in the ensuing penalty kicks all our kickers scored it went to sudden death penalty. Kok Heng and Ah Keong scored as well. ADA Ong save their 7th kick and it was left to Waynaldo to do the job. Scored he did. We won and proceed to Quarter final against rivals from KL.
Quarter final match was against the team that beat us in the IFC finals. This team have many ex-national players with them, Jayakanthan, Reman Ragunathan, Somasundram, manuel George etc. It was a match that saw us taking great revenge by really outplaying them. The only thing was we couldn't score. It went into penalty kicks again. This time we managed to win it 3-2.
All good things must come to an end and this is our story in the semi finals. We played well again. But this is not enough as our opponent scored with a fine header to knock us out. Playing 3/4 placing match became meaningless & we chose to take penalty kicks to decide the winner (prize money equally divided between the two teams). We lost and finished 4th. No big deal. We were happy to finish in the top 4.

In summary, all of us deserved a pat for giving their best. 1)Bullet Lee must be named as our no.1 penalty kickers. I have not seen him missed one kick from the MPKJ, IFC, Penang Intl 7s tourney. In future, he must take part in all penalty kick. Others will have to wait.2)Rawang Ong should be called ONG MALI. 2)Boss erased his KK nightmare by scoring in the penalty against JPS. 3)Gary proved to be another super fit player like Misai Choi. 4) Wai chai will need to adapt to playing at 9 a side. Give him chance and he shall play better.5)Stanley should be made as our team coach. The team will be match better with him plotting the strategy rather than having him play. 6) Pai Kuat Chun must stay as our physio/water boy. And finally, this is what Pai Kuat asked me to write: 7) We could have enter final if ah Bao and Gaga Sia didn't come and watch us play. But Gaga said, If Leiyu play ,we could have lost in the quarter final.