Hi my fellow Schwarzians,

                                                        with 2009 coming to a close in the next 20 minutes , we have experienced tears,laughter and joy together as a team.2009 is a year which will always be remembered for occasions such as when SSFC Team Captain(Taufiq) and Team Vice Captain(Farhan) were appointed by a democratic voting process. The surprise visit of Mr Terry Pathamanthan(Ex Singapore National Captain) and Schwarz Star’s participation in the Equatorial Footall League.

With 2010 fast approaching, we will once again be experiencing an exciting and challenging year ahead.

We will definitely face obstacles which will challenge and test our resolve in the coming year, as long we stay united together as a team, we can and will emerge stronger from all these adversities.

I will like to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful committee members and also not forgeting all the fellow Schwarzians whom have worked so hard to ensure Schwarz Star FC continues to perform on and off the field.

I would like to wish everyone and their families a Happy 2010 New Year ahead, happy holidays and to live life to the fullest.

Best wishes

Brandon Sng

Team Manager

Schwarz Star FC

On top of the birthday wishes from the team to Coach Kenneth and Team Manager Brandon, the team would also like to express their wishes to these players who are celebrating their birthday this month.

Gerald, Dennis, Afian, Kok Hui and Yen

The team wishes them good health and may all their wishes come true in the New Year.

In view of the upcoming Christmas, there will be no training on 27 December 2009.

Training will resume on 3 January 2010, and the year will be kicked start by an internal game on that day at the Ang Mo Kio Secondary field.

Taking this opportunity, the committee would also like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Schwarz Star FC battled hard to seal a solid 1-0 win over RP Staff Team in a 35 minutes game.

With a confusion between the organisers from the RP Staff Team, 3 teams were present at kick-off. Arrangements were made to allow a fair share of playing time for each team and it was decided that each game would last 35 minutes. The three teams were also to play each team once, and Schwarz Star were now up against 2 teams instead of 1.

The Schwarzians were set to face RP Staff Team first and duly took to the field.  Just 5 minutes into the game, the first chance presented itself for the Falcons. Leslie’s attempted cross was blocked on the first try and his second try took a deflection and fell for Leon, who attempted to chip the ball over the on-rushing goalkeeper but failed.

RP Staff Team pushed forward repeatedly to seek a breakthrough, but their efforts were marred by Schwarz Star’s defenders, who were completely in sync due to great communication. As the game progressed, the Falcons were starting to threaten the defense of the RP Staff Team, with wingers Leslie and Helmi making runs down the flanks.

With time on the ball, Leon played a through ball for Leslie to run into, which he duly did and the latter released Melvin as he made a run into the box. The effort was cut out just as Melvin was about to receive the ball.

However, the breakthrough came for the team in red as Leslie latched onto a pass and brought in down the left flank. He played the ball towards Leon, who turn back to pick up the pass behind him and turned once again to face the goal. With the opponents closing him down, he went for the shot and the ball flew just out of the keeper’s reach and into the top corner. Leon wasted no time to celebrate his first goal since his return and right after scoring, he was substituted with Siva taking his place and Ishak, Jason, Yen and Wesley replacing Eugene, Brandon, Melvin and Helmi respectively.

The game kicked off and the pressure was felt by the Falcons as the RP Staff Team consistently threatened the defense with passes and crosses. Rio was called into action on numerous occasions to prevent the opponents from breaching his goal and the team had a few scary moments as shots from the opponents whizzed past the post.

Siva was presented with a chance late on in the game when he was released by a through ball and was up against the goalkeeper. Seeing the keeper at the edge of his box, he opted for a delicate chip over the keeper but he got it wrong as he ended up sending the ball rolling into the keeper’s grateful hands.

With the team doing a splendid job in their own half, the opponents were restricted to taking long-range attempts which went wide of goal. However, the game was not over as the Falcons were giving away possession easily in their half, thus applying unnecessary pressure on themselves. They survived the last waves of attack from the opponents and the referee’s full time whistle would have been a melody in the players’ ears.

The victory was welcomed by the team as they were rewarded for a performance that was certainly a notch up from the usual performance the team displayed.

The second game against the Unknown Team followed and the Falcons with presented with a glorious opportunity to score halfway into the game as an initial shot from Wesley was blocked and the rebound fell for Remi, who decided to test the keeper with a shot from the outside of his boot, but was denied once again.

Maverick, after making his first appearance in the St Andrew’s 6-a-side tournament, took up the position between the posts and he certainly made an impression. A shot from range by the opponent was goal bound, but only before Maverick made an intervention by getting a touch on the ball. The ball then rocketed off the underside of the crossbar and back into the 6-yard box. The defenders wasted no time in getting the ball away from the box and the danger was over. At the end of the game, Maverick made another crucial save as he went full stretch to clutch the ball and protect the team’s clean sheet. The referee blew for full time right after that and the match ended goalless.

The draw was not what the team would have hoped for, after a win in the previous match. However, the team would be satisfied with the two clean sheets they have kept today, especially after a particularly pleasing performance by the two keepers, Rio and Maverick between the posts.

EFL Qualifying Division
SSFC 1 – 1 Happy Feet
12th Dec, 445 pm @ AR-JAS Field

Schwarz Star was denied a win against respected rivals, Happy Feet FC, with a penalty conceded in the 88th minute in a closely contested game that ended 1-1. A spot kick in the dying minutes gifted the Penguins a share of the spoils.

Both teams had early chances in either halves to score but failed to make them count. Ivan Yip came the closest with his first shot on goal but the ball dropped wide of the top-right. That was his last contribution, as the accompanying tackle got him injured. Winger, Leslie Lee had an encouraging start but could not make a breakthrough on his league debut.

SSFC had taken the lead courtesy of attacker, M. Noorazmy. The winger was the first to react to a freekick, launched into the six yard by M. Farhan. Picking up the flight of the ball, Razmy pushed it beyond the onrushing keeper, only to see it bounce back off the post. But he made no mistake with the 2nd attempt, prodding in the rebound in the 39th minute.

The goal sparked off a frenzied celebration as teammates swarmed to him. But the celebrations were short-lived as the leveler came after the sending off of a SSFC player.

Happy Feet’s cross in was not dealt with and the loose ball fell nicely for their striker who then beat SSFC’s keeper in a one-on-one. The shot into the open goal was desperately swiped at by a SSFC player on the goal-line, resulting in a sending off and a spot kick awarded against the Falcons.

It gradually became a scrappy effort as the match went on. The eventual scoreline was a fair reflection of the hard work put in by these rival teams in what could be loosely considered a derby fixture, with both teams adopting similar playing and off-field organisation styles.

Many would have wished for a better result but the team work on display was heartening to say the least. With this draw, Schwarz Star FC drops one spot to fifth in the league as they enter the New Year.

With 2009 screeching to a halt, the team committee looks forward to 2010 and plans are made to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the first time on 3 Jan 2010. This AGM would be one of the most crucial meetings as the team’s admission into the  Registrar of Society (ROS) would be discussed and details would be ironed out, along with the team’s mission and vision.

Team manager, Mr Brandon Sng, was interviewed by schwarzstarfc.com with regards to the AGM and this was his response.

“This will be another first in the history of Schwarz Star FC, and this Annual General Meeting would be of high importance as the team’s admission into the Registrar of Society will be one of the many issues to discuss. I am certain that the various committees would be able to provide valuable inputs throughout the discussion and make this meeting a huge success.”

With just weeks away from the meeting, team manager Brandon, assistant manager Leonie and coach Kenneth are in the midst of preparing the meeting’s agenda to facilitate the discussion during the meeting.

EFL Qualifying Division
SSFC  5 – 1  J-Heat
6th Dec, 430 pm @ Ar-JAS Field

Schwarz Star FC continued their climb up the Qualifying Division of EFL, with a 5 – 1 drubbing of J-Heat at the AR-JAS field. This contest for fourth position, which was a match which SSFC had been eagerly anticipating, turned out to be a major anti-climax. Still, it was a rewarding affair for 4 players as they notched their debut goals.

Mightily short of players, with only 9 men at kick-off, an unfamiliar looking J-Heat was in shambles as SSFC took advantage of their numerical advantage, scoring 2 goals in five minutes. Bursting in from the wings, M. Noorazmy grabbed his first goal in the 3rd while MP R. Thavakumaran followed suit, 2 minutes later.

Not since the Cup Tournament against Dongshin, a team that is now officially out of EFL, have the Falcons taken the lead that early. But lulled into a false sense of victory, SSFC decided to ‘count their chickens before they hatch’. At the sidelines, Coach Jason was losing patience as his charges on the field lost their shape.

Yet, J-Heat were not going to sink without a trace. Rallying around the few regular players that started, the Japanese launched quick attacks into the gaping holes in front and over SSFC’s back four. Their resilience paid off, closing the lead in just 10 minutes, as a J-Heat player was clean through from a well-placed penetrating pass.

An exasperated Coach Jason made major changes with the substitutes having just received strongly-worded instructions to stem the rot. And it was 2 substitutes who got themselves on the score sheet, Andy Ong in the 38th minute and Ivan Yip in the 43rd minute. The last goal was a good counter attack from the flanks, with Azri’s smart pass for Fii to blitz down the left before setting up Ivan for his 3rd EFL goal.

But not before the energetic Mr Double-A, Azam Amir, belted his first league goal after some hardwork mucking through the sodden right flank in the 23rd minute. There was a good chance of the Falcons racking up their goal difference if not for the match being abandoned at half-time, with the opponents having only 7 men left and their captain conceding a walk-over.

*According to the EFL website, Sunday’s result will stand and J-heat is slapped with a 2-point deduction for their abrupt walk off.

EFL Qualifying Division
SSFC 3 – 0 British Club 2nd XI
28th Nov, 430 pm @ Bukit Timah Field

Schwarz Star put in a confident display to earn them a 3-0 victory over British Club Second XI on a mucky pitch, with Ivan Yip scoring before and after M. Farhan’s adroit set piece goal.

An hour before kick off and the heavens unleashed a dreadful deluge – thankfully, there was no repeat of the flash floods seen last week although there was no halting the goal surge from SSFC.

Coach Jason introduced some steel and pace in the fresh block, with Afian and Fiee making it to the starting line-up while Norman waited at the sidelines. Captain ‘toughie’ Taufiq was a unyielding shield in a new role, patrolling in front of the statuesque Afian who was eagerly repelling away the Brits’ aerial assault.

After an early round of absorbing play, SSFC made a tactical reshuffle. Early forays down either wing, saw many encouraging crosses sent in but the opponents’ towering defence stood firm. But instead of being daunted by the height disadvantage, SSFC players held their own – an attribute which earned SSFC their 1st goal.

In the 22 minute, SSFC won a hard-fought battle in the middle of the park, allowing the ball to spread to the flank where Razmy launched a deep cross in. Defying odds, the onrushing Azam jumped highest at the back post, nodding it on for Ivan to head the ball in.

The precious one-goal lead was robustly defended as the 2nd half began. The reassuring Norman imposing himself on the game, contributing a cast-iron performance although his stout play earned him a yellow card.

SSFC goalkeeper, Yun, was called on several times to preserve a clean sheet, denying many well-placed long-range efforts. Every set piece by the Brits were a worrying threat. Hefty sweeps, crunching block tackles, last-gasp toe-pokes and even the slightest of deflections were needed to fend off their knock-downs and flick-ons.

The 2-goal cushion came only at the 63rd minute in a manner that was in sharp contrast to the brawny nature of the game. A quick-thinking Farhan opted to immediately strike the free kick, from just outside the box, with the ball sailing into an unguarded net. The victory was ensured 15 minutes later. Remi pushed a slide-rule pass for Ivan to dash pass the defence and placed it into the corner for his 1st goal in the EFL.

In the dying moments, a corner to the opponents almost ruined the clean sheet. Perhaps sensing that his keeper was wrongfooted by the swerve, Afian threw himself backwards for a goal-line clearance, narrowly heading the goal-bound ball out. The inswinger was heading in from the underside of the cross bar until the brave defender’s intervention.

The win pushes SSFC up to 5th position in the league as November, a month of mixed results for the Falcons, comes to a close.