Entries from November 2008 ↓

After several weeks where we could not catch a break, everything bounced our way in Week 6. Two solid victories, 3-1 against France and 4-0 against Devils, give us 16 points from 12 matches. With Tacataca at 3 points (and apparently not even showing up in the final weeks) and Devils at 9 points, we will avoid regulation and remain in Division 2 for the first season of 2009 next spring. Well done, boys! Let’s grab another 6 next week and finish the season on a high note.

Lineup: Andrey, Aubrey, Bujar, Dave, Dirk, Jemal, Keith

Week 4 was a disaster. First up was Afrika Reds. A fast-paced first half ended with the score tied 3-3, but we couldn’t keep up in the second half and let them run up the score for a final of 10-4. After that was Russia, and a similar scenario played out: tied 2-2 at halftime, but we were too tired to run back on defense in the second half. Final score was 8-2.

In Week 5 we were down to sixth place and faced the top two teams in division, Azzurri and Afrika Reds. In the Azzurri match we scored first and went in to halftime tied at 1-1, then pulled away in the second half and held on for the 4-2 victory. In our rematch against Afrika Reds, we played much better than in our previous meeting but simply couldn’t keep up with their fast pace. Final score 6-2, with most of the damage again coming in the second half.

After a tough two weeks we find ourselves at the top of the bottom half of the division, a good 11 points behind fourth-place Azzurri but just one point above sixth-place France. In our final four matches we will face all three teams below us in the table, so at least we control our own fate. And our lineup has gotten stronger every week, with Tony from the All-Stars’ 11s side debuting in Week 4 and Dirk returning after a six-month absence in Week 5. Let’s go Barbars!

Week 4 lineup: Adam, Andrey, Bujar, Dave, Jemal, Sean, Tony

Week 5 lineup: Andrey, Bujar, Dave, Jemal, Keith, Spiros, Dirk

Only one point in Week 3, after a 4-2 loss to Sporting de Mahou and a tough 2-2 tie against Russia, but it was our best performance of the season by far. If we keep playing at this level, the goals and the points will come. Keith was out for a week, and Spiros did a great job filling in as goalkeeper.

This week was notable for the diversity of players. We had seven men from seven different countries: Albania, England, Germany, Greece (by way of Belgium), Lybia, Russia, and the United States. The Beijing Barbarians–truly “The United Nations of Football” in Beijing!

Lineup: Adam, Andrey, Bujar, Dave, Jemal, Spiros, Tobias