By Michael Christie

On a smooth, dry Taiwanese riverside surface, two tough expat teams faced each other in the season opener.TaipeiCitywas the favorite to win, but Rogue had a new team and was looking for an upset. Wily manager Ross Conlon opted for a 4-4-1-1 formation to start. As usual, Dale was in goal. The back four, from right-back stretching to left-back, was Ricardo Abrego, Tom Clarke, Karim Cham and “Dapper” Daniel Wilkinson. The midfield, from right stretching to left, was Danny Weir, Brian McGuinness, Michael Christie and Ross Conlon. Alex Ramirez filled the hole behind beefy target-man Dan Calvert.

The opening ten minutes were critical for both teams.TaipeiCityhad more urgency and worked hard to close down space. Working hard helpedTaipeiCityplay at a tempo that was slightly too quick for Rogue.

As the game wore on, City managed to dominate possession. The City forwards and midfield put pressure on Rogue and forced Rogue on the back foot. However, though Rogue was organized in defense they never pushed up enough to make life uncomfortable for the City midfielders and defenders. City could always pass back safely to Ricardo, Tom, Karim or Dapper at the back.

The new-look Rogue was often clever in possession and threaded some nice passes together, but they were unable to sustain anything for very long. City always had a good outlet, especially on the flanks where Ross Conlon and Danny Weir made themselves available.

Rogue defended stoutly and withstood a lot of pressure but ultimately found the City forwards hard to manage. The breakthrough first goal came when Alex Ramirez found Danny Weir in the channel down the right flank. Weir crossed low for Calvert who beat the defender (ex-City stalwart Alex Daly) to the near post and hooked a fine half-volley with his right foot into the far corner. Later, Dan Calvert scored a less memorable but just as effective goal from sustained City pressure.

2-0 up at half-time, City had worked hard but could not claim to be brilliant. During the break, Stoyan Todorov came on for Abrego at right-back and Luis Mayorga came on for Dapper Dan Wilkinson. Ross Conlon dropped back to left-back, Brian McGuinness moved to left-midfield and Alex Ramirez came into central midfield. Luis Mayorga slotted into the “hole” behind Calvert, of course. After the break, the game picked up where it had left off with more City possession. After ten minutes, the spent Christie was replaced by Gustavo Maffio. Maffio came in at right-midfield and Brian McGuinness moved back into central midfield with Danny Weir, who was electric all day switching to the left flank to terrorise the Rogue right full back for a while.

A number of other City players had very strong games, including Karim Chan, Alex Ramirez and Brian McGuinness. Brian McGuinness deservedly got on the score-sheet with an opportunistic strike to make the score 3-0. He later made way for Matt Wharton, who gave a good cameo performance. Then, the last twenty minutes were all City. Having acquitted themselves well for over an hour, the Rogue players were exhausted by the end of the game and couldn’t raise themselves for a final push. City continued to probe for holes in the defense and found them. Dan Calvert completed his hat-trick with a well-taken first touch, turn and left-foot shot into the far corner after good build-up play and Alex Ramirez fittingly made it 5-0 with a fine shot finding the corner of the net from distance.

This was a good job on the day. For their part, Rogue are sure to improve. City will also naturally look to improve as the season progresses. City looks set for a good season so there is everything to play for.

TaipeiCity FC 5 – 0 Rogue FC

The British Deaflympic men’s soccer team beat Businessman’s League champions Taipei City FC 3-0 in a warmup match in Tianmu yesterday. A 4:30pm kick off on a pitch half covered in shadow with a gentle breeze blowing were about as ideal conditions as the teams could have wished for considering the recent heat.

Photograph by Ashton Jean-Pierre on behalf of the BSLBT

Taipei City, a team consisting of expats living and working in Taiwan, started the brighter and had the best of the early chances. Steve Raymond went close after 15 minutes with a shot from the right wing that beat Great Britain keeper Craig Rathey but went just wide of the post. Raymond again rocked the generally solid British defense five minutes later with a well-hit strike from a corner that again whistled past the post.

Great Britain were getting more into the game and Jon Evans went close a minute later with a shot from the edge of the penalty area. The deadlock was broken in the 27th minute when the visitor’s Peter Wood scored with a shot from 25m.

Tim Murphy went close for City from a corner, but his header went just wide. Then Eddie Painter produced a good save from Rathey to leave Great Britain 1-0 up at halftime.

Britain’s Daniel Hogan started the second half with a bang, when his shot rebounded off the bar in the first minute, as the Brits pushed forward.

Photograph by Ashton Jean-Pierre on behalf of the BSLBT

City got no joy from the tight British defense, although substitute Dan Calvert caused some problems, sending a shot just over the bar after 60 minutes.

Five minutes later Britain scored again, Evans finishing the counterattack in style.

There was a fright for the six-time Deaflympic champions after 75 minutes when a heavy challenge caused some consternation but they ended the game with a bang scoring their third three minutes from time.

The final score was hard on City but it was a good workout for Great Britain, looking to retain their title in the Deaflympics soccer tournament starting on Friday at Yingfeng in Taipei.

Date: Friday 26th June 8pm

Starting Line-up: Dale Neal, Tim Murphy, Lar Kenny, Kyle Painter, Steven Reymond, Eddie Painter, Ebrima Njie, Badou Njie, Alex Ramirez, Dan Calvert, Gustavo Lopez

Subs: Dawda Fatty for Eddie Painter.

How best to describe the man with the double barreled name Neil O’Maonaigh-Lennon? Enthusiastic, passionate, mad . . . call it what you will but one thing you can’t deny is the mark he made on this island of ours in the year or so he spent here. The Shane FC man’s swan song was 30 marathons in 30 days round the circumference of the island. In his spare time when he wasn’t running, leading the Mighty Shane or keeping the bars of Taipei in business, Taipei City FC were lucky enough to have him between the sticks for their championship winning season. Ah yes, its characters like him that they’ve struggled to replace.

Neil and Chris getting ready.

So it was no surprise to anyone  involved in Taiwan football that in the space of a year in Japan, Neil had managed to put together a group of English teachers from the greater Tokyo area to compete in the Tokyo Metropolis League and carry on the work he had done for the Shane franchise in Taipei.

The match itself proved to be a very tough test for the Shane boys who were happy to see a small set of five-a-side goals wheeled out before kick-off. The game started at a steady pace with City controlling it in every area of the field. Some lovely interchanges between the defence and midfield made for a nice game to watch, with City sticking to the game plan of short passing and ball retention in every area of the field.

The first real chance came from a nice exchange between Lar Kenny and Steven Reymond on the right wing, with a header from Dan Calvert going very close from the resulting cross. The continued pressure finally paid off when an excellent slide rule pass from Badou Njie was coolly put away by Calvert leaving Chris Anderson in the Shane goals with no chance. Shortly after Calvert went close again but this time Anderson was up to the job.

The Taipei City centre midfield pair of Ebrima and Badou Njie were firmly in control now and starting to toy with the Shane boys a little. An excellent one two down the left wing between Alex Ramirez and new boy Eddie Painter was crossed in beautifully to the oncoming Steven Reymond who narrowly missed with his header.

At the beginning of the second half Shane threw everything into getting an equalizer and ten minutes in City’s new keeper Dale Neal was adjudicated to have picked up a back pass that set up a short free and a great opportunity for the boys from Japan to get back on level terms. However a nice shot through the wall from Sam Aynsley was cleverly saved by Neal to keep his team ahead.

Taipei City continued to control the tempo of the game with every Shane attack being successfully snuffed out by their two debuting centre halves Lar Kenny and the young Kyle Painter under the guidance and leadership of the unfaltering sweeper Tim Murphy. Their ball retention and hard work allowed the team to set up attack after attack and wear the Shane boys down.

The play started to open up a little and a fast break set up Calvert again who this time shot over the bar. Calvert continued to link up well City’s array of potent attacking midfielders. This constant pressure finally paid off with Badou getting on the end of a fine worked passing move to make it 2-0. The Shane boys were looking a little jaded by now, obviously the shell shock of a night in the Brass Monkey with Neil followed by the King of Pop’s death was starting to take its toll. The pressure continued with a lovely lay off from Calvert to Dawda whose shot went close to making it three. A similar effort from Ramirez also went close with the Anderson saving smartly to his right this time.

The game ended 2-0 with the City boys happy to get back playing together after a few months off over the summer. The Shane boys were delighted to get a run out against the former BML champions; however the main focus of their trip would be their game the following morning with Taipei Shane in the inaugural Shane Cup.