Trojans G4: Losing but Winning

Losing's never a sweet thing. A big, fat goal deficiency is like rubbing salt on the wound. Nevertheless, it still demands a report.

With experienced captain Serene Tan still absent, this time Trojan goalkeeper Felicia Yeow stepped up to the plate. Nareenthiran was also missing. The Trojans welcomed a new face, Bryan Koh, football goalkeeper turned first-time floorball keeper. Though he still has a long, long way to go, with commitment at the top of the list.

A loss and two thrashings behind them, the Trojans stepped into the court on Sunday evening to face off against Dalat Eagles. Frankly, nothing was expected. The prospect of not getting another thrashing was bleak. Besides, of course, the ever energetically optimistic Team Manager Jason Chan, who firmly believed in the Trojans.

First half. The Trojans had 20 minutes to prove themselves and their opponents wrong and make history, but it didn't go exactly as planned. Far from it, really. The defense went limp when pitted against the Eagles, who had the clear advantage when it came to size, strength, stamina, speed, skills and sheer teamwork.
Frustration, tiredness and that stark difference between the two teams eventually got the better of the Trojans. But that wasn't to stop Jason and coach Kuan Yang from bursting their lungs:
"That's your man!"
"Mark that guy!"
"Follow him!"
"That's the way!"
And so, several gaping mistakes and valiant efforts later, 0-9 to Dalat. First half only, mind you.

Half-time. The return of Nareen. Kuan Yang voiced out and explained a list of mistakes to the fatigued and down Trojans. A much-needed spirit-lifter was provided by Jason, who stated that the score didn't matter no more and pushed the players for a goal. Just one goal.

Second half. The Trojans returned to the battlefield, weapons drawn but unsure of what to expect. As always, the Eagles kept the ball in their grip and constantly swooped towards the goal, often with success. For them, of course. Minutes into the game, a frustrated Felicia was replaced by a raw but fresh Bryan, whose football goalkeeping instincts kicked in, often diving down for the ball as opposed to grabbing it.
Still, luck was not on the Trojans' side and they failed to deliver that one miraculous goal. Final score: 0-17. Painful, but no pain, no gain.

Admittedly, it's been a losing streak for the Trojans so far, with only two matches left and a 42-goal deficit. Still, the experience is all that matters in this stage, and the Trojans have a long way to go with this league as a launching pad to greater heights.

"That's what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we've changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning." - Richard Bach, American writer.