FC77 Rangers 4, Azzurri 1

Scorers:  (Ntini 20', 41' and Muralt 44', 60')

Rangers did the double over the Azzurri for the first time ever with another convincing 4-1 victory at the Montessori Earth School on Match Day Eight of the O-30 Third Division Rose City fall season.  Honestly, the outcome was never really in doubt and unlike previous matches, there really wasn't a whole lot for me to get worked up about.  No psychotic referees.  No shortened match because they couldn't find their player cards.  No traitorous FC77 players scoring for the opposition.  Just a straight forward, all-around, comprehensive arse kicking. We partied with these Italians Visigoth-style circa August 24, 410! (Please refer to this delightful Wikipedia reference for a complete description of the Sacking of Rome in 410. I get dibs on Alaric I!)

Anachronistic 15th century miniature depiction of the Sacking of Rome

I think Bauman is the guy on the horse in the lower left corner

Despite a steady pre-match drizzle and a new noon kick-off, twelve Rangers made it the pitch in time for the Azzurri replay.  The starting XI consisted of Calkins in goal; Pullen, Fahrbach, Bauman and Ingersoll playing stopper; Foubister, Radigan, Muralt, and Burden in the midfield, and McConnachie and Ntini up front with Ron King waiting on the sidelines as the third striker.  Despite some delays in putting up the nets, the Azzurri managed ten by the time the whistled started the match and may have had a full side by the twentieth minute.  The twentieth minute was also about the same time Ntini broke through the back line and opened the scoring for the Yellow and Black.  He took a long pass from the midfield (Burden?) and sprinted straight into the heart of the defensive line, isolated the keeper and buried the shot in the corner.  His second goal, twenty minutes later, was a pop from maybe ten yards out that deflected off the defender and caught the goalie flatfooted as it skittered across the wet turf and inside the near post.   

Not content to go into half-time up just 2-0, Foubister made a right side foray into the box and got tripped up just inside the keeper's area.  As he toppled to the ground, I believe he started pleading for the penalty, but the referee waved play on.  Muralt screamed "Leave it!  Leave it!" as the ball rolled from out under Foubister and the center halfback hit the ball with a monster shot about six inches from Gary's head.  From my perspective, it looked like there was a 50/50 chance the Scot winger was going to end up with a concussion, but fortunately for all of us, Muralt got all ball and no skull, so 'Gers went up 3-0 at the break.

Comfortably ahead and not seriously challenged in the first half, the second half began with the FC77 side a little disjointed.  The kick-off was lost and several Azzurri attacks into the Powell Street End put the Pullen-Bauman-Ingersoll-Fahrbach line into action.  The Italian's shots were generally not immediately threatening and were often wide of frame, but the lack of sustained possession for the first fifteen minutes was disheartening for the 'Gers side that so totally dominated the first half. An Azzurri free kick was retaken when the shot slammed into the referee before he was clear of the play and while that was aggravating, the follow-up shot was nowhere near close to scoring.  Muralt picked up his double on the hour mark when he took the keeper's bobbled collection in front of the post and went around him to score--straight up hustle and second effort get the assist for that goal.  

The Azzurri got their goal maybe ten minutes after that on a play that was, well, unfortunate.  We'll just leave it at that.  Ahem.  With good movement on the wings--credit to Foubister, Burden, King and McConnachie for staying wide and drawing the defenders out for a lot of the match--and the middle well-secured with Muralt, Radigan and Ntini, there was little for Calkins to do except take goal kicks and marshal the rear line when confronted.

That's it, really.  I can't even get myself all worked up into an irrational furor about this match anymore and believe me, I tried.  Perhaps that is a reflection of just how far our squad has come in the last two years.  In 2007 I would have surrendered a non-vital organ to beat this team.  Now, eh...  Three straight wins leads me to declare that, like the first Roman Empire which fell (according to historians) on September 4, 476, this Italian legacy is also done.

Azzurri

0-30 Third Division

2006 AD - November 1, 2008 AD

Sileo in pacis

[Editor's note:  Can you imagine how pissed they would be if they saw this?!  Ha!  "I drink your milkshake!"  Or, in Latin, "Ego imbibo vestri milkshake!"]

Next match:

FC77 Rangers v. No Subs

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Montessori Earth School

12:00 p.m. KO