Tuesday, January 22, 2013

[B Div] [Friendly] Post Match Reflections SST V NUS High @ 21 Jan

These are just guiding questions and are meant to be non-exhaustive

1. Comment on your individual performance
2. What have you learnt?
3. Comment on the team's performance
4. How can you as an individual help the team? 
5. How do you think the team can improve together?
6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today? What made them stand out?
7. How does it feel like winning our first game? ;) 

17 comments:

  1. 1. I would say that I was underperforming, as I didn't really make full use of my opportunities unlike my previous matches.
    2. I have learnt that counter-attacking is important as it can make the difference between trashing and getting trashed. I also learned how to manipulate opponent players, especially defenders who doesn't know the offside rule.
    3. The team did great. Partly because we played the first team and only substituted when needed, unlike the previous friendlies where we let everyone play.
    4. I could help by moving into space so that I can receive the ball quickly and start attacking the goal.
    5. The team really needs to work on defending and gaining possession in the midfield area. Many times I've seen their attackers having enough space to move the ball around.
    6. Wen Kai. He was able to play two different positions and score the winning goal for the team. He was also able to bring the ball down through the flank.
    7. Good, but we've got to keep in mind that this is our first victory in 4 years, against one of the weakest teams of the west zone.

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  2. 1. Comment on your individual performance

    I think i have not performed up to my standards as my ball control was not good. Although i had a few shots on goal, i still did not have much of the confidence to take a shot.

    2. What have you learnt?

    I have learnt that passing and moving and supporting each other is very important as you need to support each other in order to move forwards as a team without losing possession.

    3. Comment on the team's performance

    The team performed well especially for the strikers the 2nd half as they were pressuring on the attack and taking the opportunities to score a goal.

    4. How can you as an individual help the team?

    I should improve on my ball control so that when i get the ball i would be able to control the ball well enough so that i do not lose possession of the ball.

    5. How do you think the team can improve together?

    The team should communicate with each other more often as if we did not communicate with each other we would not know what the others are thinking and what they want to do next.

    6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today? What made them stand out?

    I think darius is the man of the match as he added alot of strength on the defense and he could still make his presence in the attack to help out and still cover his position when the ball is lost.

    7. How does it feel like winning our first game?

    Great.

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  3. I personally think I did rather well in the game, I was beaten less easily and didn't commit myself to tackling during the game. Having come on as a substitute, I could tell that our back four are rather reliant on each other. Without either one of us, we don't have the strength that we usually do. As a result, NUS penetrated our defense quite a bit in the earlier part of the game. I don't think it was an issue on individual defending skills, but more of our ability to gel and adapt to a new teammate and for some, a new position.

    After I came on, I think I managed to bring in a little more composure and assurance in the back (honestly speaking) and we were more solid defensively. Towards the end of the first half, we dominated possession and more or less pinned NUS in their own half, like we were during past tournaments. In the second half, we took a little while to get back our form from the first half, and soon we were back at NUS again. I was very impressed with our improvement as a team, to be able to string more passes together (For the seniors, remember that game against Bukit Batok where our highest number of passes put together was 4). Having developed from there, I was very proud and relieved that our time spent during the holidays training had finally paid off.

    From here, we can continue to build on this performance and do better in tournament. As long as we can replicate the performance against NUS, we definitely stand a chance against the rest. But having said that, some of our basics are still lacking. Our basic first touches, control of high ball, even passing, are lacking. These basics are important if we want to win big, so these are the things we need to work on.

    Personally speaking, I was rather proud of a small interplay between ODS, Matthias and myself in the first half, where we simply passed our way to goal until Matthias tried his luck from outside. I find that it was rather unlucky not to have gone in, and if we can replicate such play through the game, and amongst the entire team, we can move on to many more wins for SST.

    As for MOTM, even though I was very proud of everyone's performance and felt that everyone did well, I would like to specially comment Bryan and Bernard. I'm certain NUS had identified our left side as our weakest, and they seemed to focus their attacks down our left in the second half. Because of that, Bryan was put under a lot of pressure, but I felt that he handled it well. He was very impressive defensively, tirelessly chasing down every player, and even pitched in to help the attack at times. He more than made up for giving away the penalty in the first half with that performance. Bernard came on towards the end to replace Bryan, and was unbeaten for the rest of the game up till the end. Bernard is one of those players who have improved tremendously since he started playing soccer with us, and I hope that he can build on this performance and continue to do well.

    Finally, I would like to congratulate everyone on our first win for SST. Everyone played a part in this win, even the subs and the players not selected for tournament. We've grown a lot together and are more bonded as a team than before. Let's continue this performance and improvement, and leave SST playing the best soccer we have in our four years here (For the seniors)!

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  4. 1. Comment on your individual performance
    I think that I did alright today. Although I had some chances today, even a clear shot at the goal, i pretty much wasted the chance. Meanwhile I think that on defense, I had made too much errors and a lot of crosses were sent in. Also, I lost the ball in midfield a couple of times and due to bad dribbling skills.

    2. What have you learnt?
    I have learnt that it is important not to be an opponent shadow. There were many times where I had no choice but to pass to the center but the center guy is already marked, therefore, being pressured, I passed it. Resulting in a few counter attacks. Also, I have learnt that possession seem to be like an insurance in soccer. But I have let that go many times already ><

    3. Comment on the team's performance
    I think that the team performed well today, also, the other team didn't seem to have the excitement nor commitment to play. But this match has boosted the team's morale, hence, its good i guess~

    4. How can you as an individual help the team?
    I will start training on passing and shooting at my side. Also, learn/build confidence in some skills to dribble past opponents that can be applied in the match itself.

    5. How do you think the team can improve together?
    I think that the team can improve on set pieces to help us on our midfield. Its just that we have been focusing on offense recently and defense before, but only passing in the midfield.

    6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today? What made them stand out?
    Motm had to be johanan i guess. after coming in the second half, most of the ariel balls (throw in) belonged to our team after it was thrown.

    7. Okay i guess :O no special feelings

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  5. 1) I would rate myself 4.8 during the first 15 mins and 6.3 after I scored. Take away the goal and assist and this was probably my worst match for SST. I was caught off possession a lot of time, lunging in unnecessarily and almost got a yellow card for multiple tugging of an opponent. My playmaking was limited to a few through passes to Adil and Wen Kai but my link up with Matthew on the left still needs work. I feel that I was more of a burden than help for the first 15 mins, not fitting into the team right away.

    2) I've learnt that adaptability during the game is very important. This match, I tried rotating the 3 midfielders behind the striker and it worked to a certain extent. Communication is key while doing so. Also, my fitness and commitment to make the forward runs after a through pass is still lacking and I need to work on that in order to assist the striker. I've also learnt that the game is not over until it's over. Towards the end of the game, I tried my best to keep hold of possession in the flanks to run down the clock as the game is not over until it's over. We shouldn't just stay back and soak the pressure every time the opponent have possession but instead press on high for the ball and maybe even create goal scoring opportunities.

    3/4/5) I felt that the team did pretty well while I was observing the final few minutes of the first half. The defence in the second was brilliant, with Darius and Niklaus providing protection for Kang Xiong and ODS being almost unbeatable as a defender. Bryan was making crucial interceptions and passes down the left flank, linking well with Matthew who did extremely well terrorising their full back and covering for Bryan. Wen Kai held the ball up front well and encouraged everyone verbally with Adil always looking to pounce on the opposition defence. This is the kind of commitment and the willingness to win that we should always have every time we play. We cannot rely on Mitchel and Tobias to be sitting in front of the back four all the time and providing cover for them. Remember: defend as one, and attack as one.

    6) I feel that the MOTM should go to Johanan. His confidence grew this match and he was a super sub, filling into Mitchel's boots immediately, not to mention he almost scored on 2 occasions while tracking back to protect the back four. Darius, Matthew and Wen Kai all deserve shout outs too for being outstanding during our first win (:

    ~Jia Le

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  6. Contrary to what coach mentioned, I felt that this game I had done well due to me having the fitness to last the near full match I played. While I was huffing and puffing at times from running from our end of the field to the opponents' end to support the attack down the flanks, I managed to return back always in time, once our team lost possession. I did not lose the ball or fail to win the ball due to my problems with my fitness and thus, I feel I did well in that area.

    However, again, there are times when I misjudged the ball, I failed to remove the threat that the opponent had on our target a couple of time, while that did not lead to goals, it would be essential that this was done in future matches where we would be playing against tougher opponents.

    I think this match has actually displayed how the gap between the stronger and weaker players are decreasing [i.e. Standard Deviation in mathematical terms]. While we did not have Darius and Jia Le for the first 15 mins, we were quick to utilise chances, keep possession and start counter attacks that gave us an advantage to score the 2 goals

    mentioning that, some players especially the defense had to play in unfamiliar positions, niklaus playing more on the right and wilbur playing as a defender. While this happened, the defender managed to keep good communication with not only each other but the rest of the team as well. Informing us of any lurking attackers and to watch our positioning, were small little things that were crucial in getting our first win.

    Furthermore, one thing that was different this time was how people had the hunger to win. We supported our team mates, we went into every tackle, not afraid of the opponent and of course encouraged each other in the match.

    This is a performance that we must keep up and improve on, and we have to be consistent, it doesn't matter how good our opponents are, as long as we keep the standard deviation low. It's a good result, and i commend everyone including the teachers and students who were part of this. We're all in this together and may we achieve great results in time to come.

    All the best! :)

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  7. 1. Comment on your individual performance
    Personally I felt that I have played quite badly throughout the whole time I was on the pitch. Whether the ball came in low or high, I was hindered by my size and most of the time, fumbled the ball. As a goalkeeper, this is definitely not acceptable.

    2. What have you learnt?
    I learnt that as a goalkeeper, I must always be on a lookout for open players not only down the flanks, but also past the mid-field point when I have possession of the ball. Many a times, I found myself pumping the ball to our midfielders and strikers who hung around the opponent's defensive line. This really helped to contain NUS High within their own half. Furthermore, I also learnt that I need to be more dominant within the penalty box as I realised that I did not really move forward to cover the angle during 1v1 situations.

    3. Comment on the team's performance
    The team definitely played extremely well. For the first time ever, we were able to utilise our midfielders and strikers to their maximum potential. They managed to put constant pressure on the NUS High players and effectively kept them to their own half. Even when we lost possession of the ball, the defence communicated well with each other and covered each other. We also had plenty of shots on goal which definitely put a lot of pressure on NUS High's goalkeeper.

    4. How can you as an individual help the team?
    The biggest way that I can actually help the team is to improve on my fitness and stamina. Even though I am able to play the ball to my teammates to start an attack or what not, my biggest objective is to prevent any goals from being conceded. If I manage to keep a clean sheet, my teammates will not have to worry so much about me not being able to fulfil my duties as a goalkeeper.

    5. How do you think the team can improve together?
    Overall, I think the team can now start improving on our communication and play making. If we are able to effectively play long balls to switch sides and create chances for fast breaks, I believe that we will be able to find ourselves attacking and taking chances at the goal more often as a ball travels faster than a person can run.

    6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today? What made them stand out?
    From a goalkeeper's point of view, everyone played equally well. The defenders were able to play the ball back up the field after winning possession in our own half. Our midfielders and strikers provided great support and took many chances on goal. We applied constant pressure on the opponent and pretty much managed to contain and dominate them within their own half for most of the game. Even when the opponent counterattacks, it was very clear that our defensive line worked very hard to back up and cover the gaps in the defence. All in all, this has got to be our best performance yet.

    7. How does it feel like winning our first game? ;)
    *Tears of joy* ;-;

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  8. I personally felt that i did not do exactly very well. I did many mistakes such as my first touch control and accuracy in high balls and controlling of high balls. But i personally felt that my physical has definitely improve a lot. In the past, i couldn't last long in a game. Now i feel that i can do more runs than before. I have also learnt that when approaching and defending an opponent, we must feel confident and not be afraid. The moment we have a sense of panic. The opponent will take an opportunity at that and beat you and have one extra opportunity at scoring. That would be one aspect i would be needing to work on. Not be afraid and have a bold challenge. Show the opponent that you are not afraid of him and tell him that you want the ball. As a team, we would be needing to communicate more and trust each other more. I believe that Niklaus did a good job as he commanded the defence well.

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  9. ** In a spectator point of view **

    For the forwards, good position, except that they should make sure to say more on-site, as most of our forwards have the tendency of going offside at crucial moments.

    For the mids, IMO this game was quite okay, the midfield was putting good pressure on the opponent as there was much fewer times, compared to other matches, that they reached the defensive line.

    For the defense, they did well in positioning such that was few openings for 1v1. However, I feel that they need to watch the sides more. More often then not there's always a leaking running man in the middle as well.

    PS: Goal kicks GG.

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  10. 1. Comment on your individual performance
    I think my performance in the first half was very disappointing. I wasn't able to be agile enough to stop the strikers from getting past me. Eventually, it did become better, but i was rubbish at my ball handing, which caused the my balls to be lost to the opponent.
    2. What have you learnt?
    I learnt to be more on my toes and make sure that the strikers are not able to get past me regardless. I will have to pass to the midfielders and strikers earlier so they can dribble the ball down.
    3. Comment on the team's performance
    The team performance compared to last year was definitely better in terms of passing and attacking. The defences i felt did communicated to each other so as to prevent the strikers from the opponents to get past us.
    4. How can you as an individual help the team?
    I can help by keeping up with the encouragement to the team.
    5. How do you think the team can improve together?
    I reckon the team can improve if we have better stamina to last throughout the game. We must also back our team mates not only when we have the ball, but also when we do not.
    6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today? What made them stand out?
    I thought Wen Kai was outstanding as he communicated during the game and did some good shots and crosses.
    7. How does it feel like winning our first game? ;)
    Indescribable.

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  11. 1. Comment on your individual performance
    I felt that I did rather well in this match as I managed to hold up my defense and also attacked when I had the opportunity.

    2. What have you learnt?
    I learnt that as a midfielder it is important to track back and help the defenders by containing the opponents and not allowing them space to dribble or shoot.

    3. Comment on the team's performance
    As Mr Tan said, I agree that our team's performance have greatly improved since last year.

    4. How can you as an individual help the team? 
    I can help the team by being more aggressive and become faster as I was not able to stop a couple of through passes as I was not agile enough.

    5. How do you think the team can improve together?
    I think that the team can improve on our communication. Due to the space the opponents gave us, we could pass successfully. However, we should improve by learning to pass repeatedly to quickly counter the opponents.

    6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today?
    What made them stand out?
    In my opinion I think that as a team we did well and should be all commemorated for our win.

    7. How does it feel like winning our first game? ;) 
    It's a positive start to the tournament and hopefully we can continue this.

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  12. 1. Comment on your individual performance

    Personally, I felt that my performance in this game was good, but this is only because the opposing team was rather weak.

    2. What have you learnt?

    I have learnt to be more confident as I seem to be able to go for the ball and play the ball down to the flanks better than I usually have.

    3. Comment on the team's performance

    The team did extremely well and i feel that our performance has increased tremendously.

    4. How can you as an individual help the team?

    I need to work on my reflexes as they are not exactly up to standards. Also, although I can safely say that I have become more confident, it still needa to improve.

    5. How do you think the team can improve together?

    I think we need to work on our discipline. As mentioned by coach, many of our players were not properly attired and could very well bring the team down if they were not allowed to play.

    6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today? What made them stand out?

    I felt that everyone did equally well, with some obviously more than the others. However, it was the communication between our attackers that allowed us to get our first win.

    7. How does it feel like winning our first game? ;)

    It felt great, obviously

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  13. 1. Comment on your individual performance
    I think that I did quite well in the later part of the first half of the match as I managed to attack and took a shot.
    .
    2. What have you learnt?
    I learnt that I need to improve a lot more on my fitness if i want to perform well and consistantly through out the game.

    3. Comment on the team's performance
    We improved and some of us was even able to did some nice plays with teamwork.

    4. How can you as an individual help the team?
    I can help the team by being more aggressive and being able to run through most of the match.I got tired after a while and this shows my low stamina.

    5. How do you think the team can improve together?
    I think that the team can improve on how to stop attacks better as a team.Such as not closing down the same player and leaving another player open for a through pass.

    6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today?
    What made them stand out?
    I think wenkai and Adil did quite well.Wenkai was able to hold the ball and get some shots. There was a nice header from Adil that unfornately went over the bar. I felt that that was a nice cross from wenkai and a nice header from Adil but the contact was too high.

    7. How does it feel like winning our first game? ;)
    It is a good start(finally) to let me improve on our game and culture a winning mentality.Now that we got our the first win, its time for the rest:)

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  14. 1. Comment on your individual performance
    For this match I think I did well, as I put in more effort to pressure the opponent strikers more and also went for the ball more often than usual, however I think it would be because I came in the last few minutes well rested while the opponents were tired already. I also managed to control my ball slightly better than usual too.

    2. What have you learnt?
    I was reminded again that fitness plays an vital role in a match. I also learnt that I should be more aware of my surroundings and have a spring in my feet, ready to chase after the ball whenever it comes in our zone
    .
    3. Comment on the team's performance
    I feel that the second half of the game was much better played than the first. Some problems were that after the first goal our defenders started to clump together, so many times the strikers of the opposing team were given space to take a shot at the goal. More communication could have been given between the defenders and the midfielders. DEspite that, there were some good plays that reflected upon the drills that we done during practice. Our control also improve, but can still be better.

    4. How can you as an individual help the team?
    I should work on my fitness more so I am able to play longer and more effectively in a game, also I should learn to control the ball better so I am able to hold it longer and bring it up to the field to pass to the midfielders/strikers

    5. How do you think the team can improve together?
    Firstly, we all need to improve on fitness. Our defense should also learn to better move into position when a opponent has come into our zone. We also need to communicate more in the game. We should also give a bit practice to our strikers to they able to take shots in the goal when the opportunity presents itself.

    6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today? What made them stand out?
    Overall, I think the team did great, although not our best performance, the attitude of the team was the best out of all the games we have played, thus I think that greatly contributed to our win. However, there were some players who made some fantastic plays too. For example, ODS did great as a defender, zoning out the opponents wonderfully, thus there were not frequent attacks from the right side. There was also good players on the left flank, when bryan and abiyyu played a good one-two.

    7. How does it feel like winning our first game? ;)
    It was spectacular, after being on the team for Sec 1 till now it was great to finally taste victory. However, this is only a first. We will face better teams in the tournament, so we have to put in even more effort from now on to be able to win even more games :D

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  15. Overall, I felt that I was pretty average today even though I scored a goal. I say this as I felt that I lacked quite a few components today. They are fitness and one on one situations. Firstly, fitness. As coach had talked to me about. I greatly lacked fitness throughout the match. I may argue that its my first time playing the whole 80 minutes. In the match, I failed to track back after losing the ball when attacking. This left the left (PUN) back in a 2 on 1 situation. This is a bad situation for the left back as it meant that it allowed the opposition to attack the flank much easily. Therefore, fitness is one aspect I should improve on. Next is one on one situations. In the match, I had a few one on one situations with their right back and I failed to get past him in most of the occasions. Anyone that watches football knows that an one on one situation is as easy as one can get in a match. Therefore, I should take more of these chances to get past the defender and run down the flank.

    I felt that the team did well in some areas in the first half but not some in the second half. Like for example, receiving aerial balls. As shown after the match, our receiving of aerial balls greatly increased from the first to the second half. I also felt that the defense was very solid today. They did not allow the opponent pass the back line at all times, with the exception of aerial balls. Overall, I felt that the team did very well today.

    One player that I felt did well was Niklaus. He worked well with Darius today and was able to make the right decisions, like whether to go out to intercept the ball or stay back and contain, in the match. Other than that, he also made forward runs which was somewhat amusing to me. In the end, the whole team did well and we finally achieved our first win so SST FTW. :D

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  16. 1. Comment on your individual performance
    I am not performing up to my expectations throughout the short amount of time I had not the field as I my ball control failed me at times.

    2. What have you learnt?
    When on the field you have to be confident with yourself, this will boost your mentality and help you commit less mistakes.

    3. Comment on the team's performance.
    The team is beginning to chain passes together and attempting to take shots at goal. This is an incredibly large improvement compared to previous years' performance.

    4. How can you as an individual help the team?
    Despite being on the bench, we, as substitutes, still can be with the team in spirit. We can also give them active feedback and encouragement throughout the duration of the match. This will be very beneficial to the team.

    5. How do you think the team can improve together?
    Offensive players should be more aware of their surroundings and move to open spaces where they can aid their teammates in the attack. Defensive players should contain the opponents and only tackle when they are certain of taking possession.

    6. Who do you think were outstanding in their performance today? What made them stand out?
    Most of the offensive players were demonstrating pretty outstanding performances as they are confident enough to takes many shots at goal. Despite that, they would not have gained possession if it wasn't for the rest of the team. Hence, I think the entire team deserves the credit.

    7. How does it feel like winning our first game? ;)
    Sensational. Although, we can be too overconfident with ourselves as I find that the NUS High team is less challenge as compared to the team we play against last year.

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  17. 1. Comment on your individual performance
    I think I did great in drawing fouls, which lead to the first goal and quite a couple of free kicks later on in the game. This skill if developed properly could be useful as it will turn nothing into something. I also communicated a lot, since the first half was practically all my shouting. I though feel that I should have more composure. The goal that I scored was so so so similar to two chances I had at this exact fixture, except I was off target the previous times but on the mark this time around with slightly a bit more luck.

    As a striker/CAM I feel that my shot rate was quite good. Turned around a couple of times and shot, but my finishing still needs a lot of work because I just put my final touch into the back of the net. I should have looked up at the goal and looked to the ball before I shoot as many of my shots were slightly wide. I also managed to distribute through balls, albeit a few, and dribbled past players without getting dis-possessed, but then again I take too much time to decide on what to do so I have to work on looking around and finding out my objective before the ball arrive at my feet.

    As a left mid tho, I can't seem to outrun or outwit opposing defenders surprisingly. I had confidence from the riverside match that I would be able to waltz past them with ease but not proved today really. My crossing was relatively good as I whipped in a honestly speaking, perfect, ball for Adil to head but he jumped too early according to him. Overall I need to work on my composure and vision to know where to pass and the tricks I'm going to be using to.

    2. Comment on the team's performance
    I feel that our defence could be tighter at times. There were a couple of times when opposing attackers were left unmark and free to shoot from distance. After the defensive midfielders were beaten no one seemed to come out and guard the attackers. The fullbacks also need to know when to release the ball instead of taking heavy touches and trying to sprint pass all the opposing wingers.

    There were also times when I called for the ball but my teamates decide to take another touch or still go on on their own. I feel that as a striker when there is an opportunity to run and get a through ball the midfielder or whoever's holding on onto the ball have to pass immediately, esp. when you're getting close down on by 3 defenders down left right.

    Other than that we did okay, as long as we stay in position for the next few matches i think we would be able to get decent results.

    3. How can you as an individual help the team?
    I should release the ball more as a midfielder when I see an opening. I should have more composure when taking shots or dribbling past the last defender for a potential 1 on 1 opportunity. I also have to look up at the goal before taking a shot to make it accurate and on target.

    4. How do you think the team can improve together?
    Communication and fitness. Because the weather wasn't really devilish and the NUS players weren't exactly fit, this match doesn't highlight our fitness frailties, but it was obvious in some players that their speed decline as the match progresses. And there were also some cases where our own players abandon 60-40 challenges even tho the opposing player challenging for the ball is so much smaller. We ought to move towards and approach the balls during goalkicks or when receiving passes.

    5. It felt great winning the first match, but putting everything into perspective, it just wasn't NUS's day.

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