Summer 7’s Start with a Bang – Literally

Sunday August 1st 2010 – YCAC.
It was Hibs and YCFC who battled humid conditions to wrap up their group qualifying in style to move onto the finals on August 22nd.
 
Baking conditions were pleasantly alleviated by a cooling bay breeze that couldn’t have been timed better as 6 teams convened at YCAC for the first of 2 group stages yesterday evening. 
The ever present and courageous boys from Shane FC braved the Hanabi packed trains on their mission from Saitama, as did the Tokyo based teams Hibs, Sarugaku FC and Swiss.  The boys from Yokota are still on their way, having signed out the bus at 2.30pm only to succumb to the vast crowds of the Yokohama Hanabi festival…or something.  YCFC, a predominantly YCAC based crew and Charity 7’s holders playing on their home turf were ready in numbers and keen to build on there impressive tournament win back in March.
 A tailored format of 2 groups of 3 with teams playing each other twice and the top team from each group moving through the knock out stage was implemented. 
This meant one unlucky team would have to play their matches back to back with little time for rest in-between.  The evening kicked off with the home team YCFC playing Sarugaku FC, a team also new to the FJ tournament scene but already making noise.  However, it was the physical style of the YCFC team who were too much for Sarugaku in this first match which ended 2-1.  Across the way, Hibs commenced their evening with a sweeping victory over Shane FC 5 – 0, a game which certainly gave the Shane a fine pre-season work out. 
Both Hibs and YCFC remained on the pitch for their next challengers in the form of Swiss and the Swiss Yokota’s respectively. 
Now in their stride, YCFC shifted a gear and stuck 4 past the Swiss who could only reply with 2.  Meanwhile Hibs were able to net twice against the Swiss Yokota’s whilst keeping a second clean sheet – not bad considering keeper responsibilities had to be shared amongst the team.
 
With the tempo set, it was for the seeded teams to lose and for the challengers to re-organise and threaten as we moved into the second round of matches.  Dusk fell and the backdrop for the contests in the middle took the form of a spectacular fireworks display in Yokohama, a treat for the spectators – of little importance to the men in the middle.  Shane were unable to resist the quality of Hibs for the second time but were able triumph against the Swiss Yokota’s with a stylish 2 – 1 victory, revenge for the early defeat. 
However It was the Swiss Yokota’s who were able to break the Hibs clean sheet record as they went down 5 – 1 in yet another technically fine display by the TML champions.  With pitch B sewn up by the men in green, it was over to Pitch A for the evening’s conclusion.  A fine battle between Swiss Kickers and Sarugaku developed throughout the evening, some heated exchanges comprising mainly hot air and the odd wreckless tackle were witnessed but it was the competitive nature and quality of finishing which marked these matches as the pick of the bunch.  Both teams winning 1 a piece with a flurry of goals concluded the story of the evening.  Both teams were unable to break the dominance of the YCFC team who once again earned victory on both encounters sealing their passage through to the finals on the 22nd.
 
A big thank you to the 3 officials on the evening Vladimir, Aaron and FJ debutant Stephen and to the tournament hosts YCAC.
 
The second round of matches will be held same time same place on Sunday 15th August..

The Yokohama fireworks caused delays but they were very pretty ;-).

By FJ.