SF Celtic v Club Marin 9/9/01
Celtic, despite numerous great performances recently, haven't won a game in 4 weeks and even that was only against lowly El Salvador. In fact Celtic's only other victory all year came against basement team Morelos. All in all, Celtic's failure to defeat any of the teams above them in the league is what has them fighting for their Major Division survival. With only 7 games left, today was a day that Celtic needed to grab a full 3 points. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the same old story, with Celtic throwing away an early lead and having to settle for only 1 point.
Celtic, playing without the influential Colin D, Dave H (who has returned to "Ingerland") and Mike P amongst others, had their work cut out for them but they did welcome Ken R who made his debut in midfield. This was also the last game for Paddy O' H, a sad day for Celtic for sure.
The game started brilliantly for Celtic. Eric W stormed down the right side on a mazy dribble, hit a low cross in which Dustin S met on the volley but was denied by a great tackle. Simon D, showing true striker instinct, anticipated the rebound to slide it home from 2 yards. Celtic 1 - 0 Club Marin.
Club Marin, who were 3rd in the table going into this game, were shocked at Celtic's level of intensity and skill. They certainly weren't expecting 3rd from bottom Celtic to be totally outclassing them in every area of the field. Eric W was majestic at right full and Ken R and Matt B were dominating in the middle. Matt even went on a surging run from midfield, beating 3 or 4 Marin players in the process but eventually had his cross knocked out for a corner. Celtic's fluid passing always seems to come to an abrupt halt when Fergal C gets on the ball but this time, his long ball clearance came good. As the ball floated over the heads of the Marin defense, Dustin S controlled it beautifully and laid it of to Simon D who was quickly up in support. Simon took one touch at the top corner of the box and then guided the ball over the keeper for a goal that will live long in the memory of those who yelled at Simon for his bad cross!! Either way...You Fu*king Beauty!! Celtic 2 - 0 Club Marin.
Shell-shocked Marin threw everything they had at Celtic and admittedly came close on a few occasions. A wonder save by in-form Kiran G in goal, palming out a header from 4 yards out, denied Marin a certain goal. A cheeky backheel flick went just wide and and great tackle from Jon M at the back kept Celtic's clean sheet intact for the 1st half at least. Actually Celtic should have made it 3-0 when Dustin S unselfishly passed the ball to Baru who uncharacteristically blasted the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy. Both sides were justifiably upset with the scoreline at the half.
In all too regular Celtic fashion, the steam went out of them later in the 2nd half. Content on sitting on their two goal lead, Celtic sat back and tried to absorb all of the Marin pressure for a full 45 minutes. The plan looked like it might have worked until, with only 20 minutes left on the clock, a great shot from outside the box was brilliantly kept out by a full length save from Kiran G, but the rebound was followed in by a Marin forward, leaving the unfortunate Kiran with no chance. Celtic 2 - 1 Marin.
Marin, with their tails up, now set siege on the Celtic goal. Celtic were on the back foot and could do little to stop the onslaught. Celtic were riding their luck as a combination of woeful shooting, brilliant goalkeeping and some last ditch Mike B and John Mc tackles, kept Marin at bay. Life was so desperate for Celtic that even striker Paddy O' H cleared a ball from inside his own six yard box. A rare break away chance for Celtic fell Simon D's way but he was denied his hat-trick with a fine save from the Marin keeper. It wasn't long before Marin came storming back. The resolve of the Celtic die-hards was finally broken when a ball bouncing in the box was met with a looping volley over hapless Kiran G's head for a deserved equalizer. Celtic 2 - 2 Marin.
However just when you thought Marin were sure to come down and get a winner, Celtic resembling embattled Russian soldiers from 1944, seemingly facing certain defeat, stood tall and beat down on Marin for the final 10 minutes. Paddy O' H was immense and with help from all over the park especially from Ken R and Matt B, Celtic were back to their best. The goal they deserved wouldn't come and the Marin keeper can be very pleased with probably the best 10 minute display he's ever shown. However, this is a game of survival for Celtic and 1 point is infinitely better than nothing. We'll take it.
Full Time: Celtic 2-2 Marin
(Celtic 4-4-2)
Kiran G, Eric W, John Mc, Fergal C, Mike B, Matt B, Simon D, Ken R, Dale W, Paddy O' H, Dustin S (Subs Used) Baru
SF Celtic v Tepatitlan 08/26/01
Inspiration to write these reports is becoming increasingly difficult for this anonymous reporter when it seems week after week someone is sticking a dagger up the ass of a Celtic Voodo doll, as near morale boosting, runaway victories are suddenly transformed into soul searching defeats or loss of 2 points. Especially this one, as it left all the Celtic players totally confused and flabbergasted as they scratched their heads pondering what just transpired. Simon D proclaimed he hasn't been this confused since last week, when he had figure out how many apples @$0.40ea he could buy with $5, all without his calculator. Yes, explaining the outcome of this game was truly of Einsteinian proportions.
Let's get back to the game. Celtic started the game lethargically almost as if a win was inevitable. Dave H, in his farewell game for Celtic, saved his worst performance for this game. The back four looked shaky and Fergal C, as stand-in keeper for injured Kiran, wasn't exactly brimming with confidence. In fact let's call a spade a spade: Celtic were rubbish and each player would admit that themselves. Out of nowhere though, Baru H, up from the reserves, found a yard of space after good work from Rock Danaher, and BOOM - blasted a rocket into the net. The fans erupted. Chants of "Baruuuuuuuuuuu", will become common if the super Turk keeps scoring goals like that. Celtic 1 - 0 Tepatitlan.
That goal seemed to spur Celtic into action. The tackles finally started to appear, the will to win was evident, the desire to be a winner was burning and Tepatitlan probably had a shepherd's pie in their pants at this stage. Dave H started to play, Ross N also playing his final game for SF Celtic began to get stuck in and Dunk R at right-full was a tower of strength. Just before the interval the onslaught paid dividend. Paddy "JC" O' Hanlon beat the right-full to the ball, cut inside the center half, and was tripped. He himself stepped up to neatly slot home the penalty. Celtic 2 - 0 Tepatitlan.
Coach Sean Mc, deservedly berated Celtic's display as crap. I thought he was being nice. However, the difference is that we were 2-0 up. Usually we play great and end up 2-0 down. Anyway, again it acted like a good stimulant as Celtic came out with all guns blazing in the second half. A quick interchange of passing by Dave H and Dunc on the right side saw Dave in one on one. A quick drop of the shoulder committed the defender into a clumsy tackle. A second penalty for Celtic. Paddy O' H stood up again and slotted home his 16th in 16 games to give Celtic a 3-0 lead.
The skies were blue, the sun was shining, kids played joyfully, the birds were singing, Celtic were oozing poetic soccer, everything was pretty much perfect. Then some prick up there somewhere, decided this was all too good and inverted everything that was beautiful. The sea blue skies turn dark, the joyous kids cried, the singing birds shat on my car (I swear I had 3 different shits on my car after that game), majestic Celtic turned to stone (the arrival of Dave H's girl from the night before was merely coincidentally) and f'ing Tepatitlan scored 3 goals in 5 minutes. I've seen some weird shit in my time, but that took the biscuit!!
Their first was a goalmouth scramble, which some dude just managed to poke at the goal and it went it. Their second, just 1 minute later, came about when the mentally ill referee saw a foul committed by Dunk R, that one no else saw and awarded a penalty. 3-2. Panic kicked in and then almost inevitably, TepaSHITlan equalized, when keeper Fergal C's indecision left him stranded and ball looped over his head into the net. 3-3! Celtic held on after that and the evil spirits were defied. They could only help Tepatitlan to a 3-3 draw.
Let us not let this occasion go by without mentioning the great contributions of Adilson, Davey H and Rossi N to the club. Guys: it was great meeting and playing with you and we thank you sincerely for your efforts and wish you all the best in the future. Hopefully we'll see you all in the green and white again next year.
Finally, a message to the first team: next week's game against Club Marin is Paddy's last game for us. Let's pick ourselves up - the team needs a win and above all, we should send Paddy home safe in the knowledge that his immense contribution will not be wasted, as we look to help solidify our Major Division status with three points against Marin.
Final Score: SF Celtic 3 - 3 Tepatitlan
(Celtic 4-4-2) Fergal C, Dunc R, Mike B, John Mc, Ross N, Matt B, Paddy O'H, Simon D, Dave H, Adilison, Baru H. (Subs) Colin D (late arrival)
S.F.Celtic v Union de Tula 08/19/01
Yet another game slipped through Celtic's grasp as they somehow again managed to come away with 0 points from a game they totally dominated. Hopefully this will put a lid on a bad week for Celtic as those 2 narrow defeats don't help their increasingly worrying position near the foot of the Major Division. Good performances as they were, count for nothing when the points are being added up. Lady luck, as if being chatted up by Eric W, turned her back and totally abandoned us. Celtic: get one of the smooth Irish guys to chat her up and she'll be back, on her back, ready to give ye all the luck you want.
It looked like Celtic were still in a shock from the horrific crime the dickhead Glens performed on them, when they robbed all the points a couple of days earlier, as Union de Tula opening the scoring within 3 minutes of the start. Their striker was left totally open inside the box and had half a day to turn, looked up and placed it in the top corner. This hasn't happened since the same team beat Celtic 8-0 a few months back, so I put that f*%$ up down to a culmination of the collective shock from Thursday, a new center defense pairing of Mike B and Sean W and a new keeper in Fergal C. I'm glad to say it gave the team the kick in the ass it deserved and spurred them into action. Giveaway goals like that are not acceptable these days at Celtic. Bigger and better things are expected of each of you. Celtic 0 - 1 Union de Tula
It didn't take long for Celtic to "get their grove on" and when they did they were awesome. Adilison was spectaculer at going forward with lightening speed every time he got the ball. Himself and Dustin S started their first game together but looked liked they had been playing together for years. In fact it was Dustin who put Adi through on goal only for the UdT keeper to deny a certain goal with a great save. This was not the only fine save their keeper made and apparently a statue has been erected for him in UdT circles after this miraculous performance. At this stage Celtic were totally dominating the game and should have equalized on more than one occasion. Dustin S had a couple of headers that went just over; Simon D had a long shot go over; Adi had a couple of half chances and a host of goalmouth scrambles went a begging for Celtic.
A shockingly disappointing first half for Celtic was capped off when Dave H missed a penalty a minute before the break, following a foul on Adi. It was well hit but too close to the keeper's right, and he saved comfortably. There was a weird eerie feeling when the referee brought the 1st half to an end. No one could fathom how UdT were still 1-0 up. It was almost like something out of the twilight zone.
The second half began brightly for Celtic, with Sean W and Mike B forming a solid partnership at the back and with Jon Mc and Eric W attacking down the wings, Celtic were really piling the pressure on. Fergal C in goals still hadn't touched the ball since he picked it out of the net after the first 3 minutes. The UdT keeper on the other hand was still performing heroics, preventing Celtic from opening up the flood gates. A great save from a Colin D effort and a magnificent one on one save from Adilison were straight out of the top drawer. However as time was running out for Celtic, Eric W came storming forward and got on the end of a beautiful precision pass from Dustin S and took one touch and placed a low drive into the corner of the net. No keeper would have saved that.. Celtic 1 - 1 Union de Tula
However, just as Celtic were expecting to bag the winner, diaster struck again for Celtic. A rare long ball into the Celtic half turned the Celtic defense and despite bravely clearing the ball, Sean W pulled up with what looked like a hamstring tear. His departure was to prove to be a crucial blow for Celtic but that's not a reflection on new kid, John's performance. UdT noticed that Celtic were unsettled and now temporarily disorganized at the back - vulnerable to a counter attack. With 2 minutes to go that's just what happened. A mix up at the back resulted in an uncleared ball, the new cardinal sin amongst the Celtic back 4, and one of those little UdT f*cks got right in and stole the game with a shot that went between onrushing keeper Fergal's legs. Disaster !.
Final Score: S.F Celtic 1 - 2 Union de Tula
(Celtic 4-4-2) Fergal C, Eric W, Mike B, John Mc, Sean W, Matt B, Colin D, Simon D, Dave H, Adilison, Dustin S. (Subs) John X
S.F.Celtic v SF Glens 08/16/01
A 1 in 10 chance shot caught on the volley from a corner, mid way through the 2nd half, was the heartbreak that gallant Celtic had to endure last night as they went down 1-0 to the Glens. A slight momentary lapse in concentration left an unmarked Glens player free on the edge of the box. The corner was played directly to him and he hit it first time on the volley into the corner of the net leaving brilliant Ethan in goal with no chance. A superb goal admittedly, but it had to be to breakdown Celtic's stalwart defense.
This was a great battle between two teams who are the pinnacle of soccer in San Francisco. The passion, commitment, excitement and overall skill level of this game was as good an advert for the SFSFL as they could wish for. Oh as I look back on it and lament on those chances Celtic had, I can only imagine what could have (should have) been. The Glens know they got out of jail in this game especially as Dave H's header bounced of the bottom of the post and out, only for his rebound to hit back off the post and out again. This was just one of the many chances Celtic had but that they failed to put away.
The 1st five minutes of the game were like five pints of beer before going to a bar; a mouthwatering opening in anticipation of what's to come!. The Rock was doing a man-marking job on the much (self) proclaimed Glens' ex MLS striker and after the 2nd bone crunching tackle went in, that dude might as well not being there. The only time he got a kick was when one of the Celts followed through after winning the ball. Sean W and Fergal C put a boot or head on ball and man every time the Glens dared enter Celtic's half and with the brilliant performances of Eric W and Jon Mac, Celtic defense was like an Irish man: totally inpenetratable !!
At half time the scoreline read 0-0. A fair scoreline seeing as good chances fell to both sides. Eric W saved Celtic on one occasion with a goalline clearance and Ethan in goal made one of his customary amazing saves. At the other end, Paddy O'H was a constant thorn in the side of the Glens defense and himself and Dustin had a couple of half chances that went wide. Celtic's best chance in the first half came from a corner when Fergal C rising at the front post, towered above everyone, and glanced a header against the keeper's outstretched fists and out for a corner. A lucky escape for the Glens.
The second half starting in the same thunderous fashion as the first. Tempers began to fly and the tackles followed suit. This was a X-rated game, not for the faint hearted. After the Glens broke the deadlock, Celtic pushed forward with greater purpose in search of the equalizer. Great work by Shane O'D sent Paddy O'H through on goal but his toe poke past the keeper somehow went the wrong side of the post and wide. Another great chance came Celtic's way when Dave H capitalized on some hesitation from the Glens defense but his missed header has already been documented as one of the luckiest moments in Glens history. More chances came Celtic's way and a few too for the Glens. Ethan was outstanding in goal and Celtic's defense have never played better.
A sly, cheap kick in the back of Colin D as he was on the ground, from one of the Glens accurately summed up their sorry attitude and portrayed them as the proverbial pretenders they are. A near mass brawl ensued and Paddy O'H was unfortunate to be the only player shown the red card. This was near the end of the game and effectively put paid to Celtic's comeback hopes. On this occasion the Glens won, but they surely can't rely on the same luck again next time these two sides meet.
On a personal note, this was a truly an honest battling performance from Celtic. This is further evidence that Celtic can not only compete with the best, but outplay them. They've already dominated league leaders Mezcala and any other team who believes they can walk over Celtic. If this side stays together, if the passion stays there, then this team can win the Majors next year. I honestly believe that as I'm sure each player does too. First however, we have a huge matter of gaining more league points to avoid relegation.
Final Score: S.F. Celtic 0 - 1 SF Glens
(Celtic 4-4-2) E, Eric W, Fergal C, John Mc, Sean W, Matt B, Colin D, Shane O'D , Dave H, Paddy O'H, Dustin S.
Subs: Simon D, Adi, Mike B
S.F. Celtic v El Salvador 08/12/01
Triumphant cup winners SF Celtic returned to their, to date, troubled league campaign, to face fellow Major Division endangered species El Salvador. Three precious points were up for grabs and with both teams desperate for victory, this was always going to be a battle royale. The team with the superior skill, ingenuity and dashing good looks would be the difference between the two teams at the end. And naturally enough, despite Dustin S playing for them, Celtic emerged comfortable winners and took home the much needed three points. In a few months time, Celtic could well look back at this result as the one that cemented their Major Division status. Although beware Celts, a good start is only half the job. The rest of the league now fear the formidable Celtic force, so your element of surprise is now gone.
Right from the opening 5 minutes, Celtic eclipsed El Salvador with speed and technique that is almost alien to the Major Division. El Salvador, who defeated Celtic 1-0 earlier in the year, were dumbfounded at the amount of improvement Celtic have made since that sorry season opening game. A credit to returning coach Sean Mc and the staff of Celtic. I tend to repeat myself on this topic, but it can never be over emphasized.
Celtic, making little of the absence of injured Rob T (great to see you up and about at the game Rob), Adi, Ross (both of whom tried to lift the 2nd's to victory) and Mike B, took the lead through the in-form Dustin S. Matt B, after just missing the initial cross, collected the ball, cut in past one defender and laid the ball in Dustin's path, who did what he does best and finished from 6 yrds out. Celtic 1-0 El Salvador
Once again Celtic's rock solid defense, aided by the return of Sean W, continued to shut out the opposition. The ship was sailing smoothly until keeper Kiran G went over on his ankle and proceeded to cry like a girl. One was left wondering if it was serious or whether Kiran had simply seen a spider on his foot. Hmmm? Anyhow Mr Versatile, Fergal C, took over in goal and whether it was a coincidence or not, Celtic's out field play immediately improved. Paddy O'H then turned Celtic's dominance into hard currency when he cut in along the by line and simply blasted a bullet of a shot into the roof of the net. Celtic 2-0 El Salvador.
It wasn't until the 2nd half that Celtic increased their lead. This time is was a contender for goal of the season, and even more surprising than the fact that Paddy O'H was not involved, was that fact that Dave H was. After being put clean through on goal just inside the El Salvador half, you would have expected him to advance towards the goal to finish his one on one. Cheekily, he decided to take a quick look up, spotted the keeper off his line and chipped him from a clear 40 yards. Absolutely magnificent ! Celtic 3-0 El Salvador.
The game was not finished however as El Salvador pulled a goal back with twenty minutes to go. Celtic's defense was uncommonly split open and the El Salvadorian striker clinically finished past Fergal C in goal. Celtic 3-1 El Salvador.
El Salvador pushed hard to get back into the game. They had a couple of chances to pull another goal back and that would have made it all too close for the half-asleep Celtic. Against better teams, Celtic will be caught out if they lose concentration like that again. However, tigerish play by Dustin S won him the ball off one of the defenders. He looked likely to score only for the fact that the keeper pulled him down - penalty. The ultra reliable Paddy O'H stood up, and in typical Shane O'D fashion, missed the penalty. That terrible miss got his blood boiling though and on the next play, won the ball off a short throw in, breezed past one defender, brushed aside another and hammered a cannonball shot into the corner of the net from the edge of the box. Celtic 4 - 1 El Salvador.
To summarize: this was a vital game for Celtic and they won convincingly. However, it is with great pity that this game was Shane O' D's last Sunday game for Celtic. He leaves for Ireland on Friday morning but has still committed to play the Glens on Thursday in Celtic's biggest game of the year to date. It personifies the passion which the Celtic players have for the team and long may it continue. Shane: we wish you all the best, and want to thank for your efforts during the summer. We hope we can send you on your way with a win. Lets see a monster performance from you and from everyone else and we will "annihilate" the cursed Glens.
Final Score: S.F Celtic 4 - 1 El Salvador
(Celtic 4-4-2) Kiran G, Mike P, Fergal C, John Mc, Sean W, Matt B, Colin D, Shane O'D , Dave H, Paddy O'H, Dustin S .
(Subs) Eric W, Simon D
S.F.Celtic v S.F. Vikings (Copa Final) 08/05/01
S.F Celtic's seven year long wait for silverware finally ended on Sunday with a magnificent 4-0 demolition of S.F Vikings in the Copa Jnr final at Boxer Stadium. Celtic were a team possessed on the day and set about achieving their goal in an almost scary fashion right from the kick-off. In a pulsating opening 10 minutes, the Vikings, feeling that they had been teleported back to Nazi Germany in 1945, were peppered with Celtic's version of carpet bomb attacking. They bombarded the Vikings with shot after shot and hit after hit. In the first 10 minutes alone, Celtic had 5 shots that were either miraculously saved or went narrowly wide. The pressure had to tell, and it did shortly after that frantic opening. Paddy O' Hanlon was particularly outstanding in this opening period.
What had Celtic so fired up and exploding from the start, like a fat man on hearing krispy kreme are having a happy hour ? It was probably a culmination of their passion and will to win, the lure of free drink at Molly's later on and possibly Fergal's frightening, incoherent battlecry before kickoff. Whatever it was, bring that same commitment into every game and you'll finish in the top half of the league table. Let it also be said, all of this was achieved without the Rock, Eric W, Jon Mc and the unfortunate Rob T, who severely hurt his back in training. Rob T: get well soon and best wishes from all of the team.
The near capacity crowd erupted with joyous cheers when Celtic's 1st goal came about. It was a classic moment of textbook Celtic soccer. Great work down the right by Paddy O'H, skipping in and out of tackles and providing a pinpoint cross over the keeper out stretched arm, where Dustin Sellers met it with a spectacular diving header. The crowd were already thinking that their entrance fee was money well spent. Celtic 1-0 Vikings
Celtic continued to dominate the game. Paddy O'H was still buzzing around all over the place, Dave H was still tormenting the left full and Ross N at the back was totally dominant. It should have been 2 for Celtic after a sweet cross from Allan B was volleyed just over the bar by Shane O'D. Credit to the Vikings as they refused to cave in despite being outclassed by their Major Division opponents. However the killer blow came when Dustin S was taken down inside the box for a penalty kick. Paddy O'H stood and slotted it home to make it Celtic 2-0 Vikings, at half time.
Soccer is often referred to as a, "game of two halves", meaning that whatever happened in the first, might not have any bearing on the second. In this game, that proverb, "a game of two halves" adopted its own meaning here. It was a 1st half and 2nd half of total Celtic dominance. The icing on the cake was applied by the exciting Brazilian striker Adilison, who came on as a sub and played with the flair and imagination that is associated with his native country. Receiving the ball just inside the Vikings half, he headed straight for goal. He beat the last defender with lightening speed and coolly chipped the on rushing keeper for a great goal. Celtic 3-0 Vikings
The game was over as a contest at this stage but Dave H felt that one last nail in the coffin was required. A free kick at the edge of the box, had "top corner" written all over it. The keeper seemed to be taken by surprise, not expecting Celtic to allow Dave H to take the free kick. Dave H answered his doubters when he curled the ball over the wall and into that gaping top corner. Celtic 4-0 Vikings
Congratulations Celtic on a great victory. After leaving early from the bar on Sunday, I heard the celebrations went on well into the night and the prize money was well spent. Great stuff ! There were about 8 or 9 valid nominations for man of the match, but finally it was split between Ross N and Adi. It could also have been given to Paddy O'H, Dustin S or Mike P plus others.
Final Score : S.F Celtic 4 - 0 SF Vikings
(Celtic 4-4-2) Kiran G, Mike P, Fergal C, Ross N, Mike B, Matt B, Alan B, Shane O'D , Dave H, Paddy O'H, Dustin S.
(Subs) Adi, Jim H, Dunk R
S.F. Celtic v El Tapatio (Copa Semi-Final) 07/29/01
Pigs to the slaughter would be a fitting metaphor for this game, only
that the word "pigs" is too complementary to El Tapatio. Note to any El
Tapatio readers: your team disgraced your club yesterday. They were an
embarrassment to yourselves, your supporters and the SFSFL, not to
mention a complete waste of time for the magnificent SF Celtic. The
three rodents who were ejected should be banned from playing for some
time. This game only highlighted the honor and grace of Celtic as they
carried out their execution of these minnows in such a clean, clinical
and professional manner.
Unfortunately, from a journalistic perspective, there is not much source
for events to report in this game and I'm not going to waste any more
time on the gutter rats. This is was as much a one sided game as you
will find, which was beautifully reflected in Jon McNally's response to
what he thought of the game:
"At times I guess it was boring but there was some highlights. I mean we
were 3-0 up and I just started picking my nose and out came this long
guey bugger. I mean totally unflickable. So I bent down (at this point I
told Mike B to get his mind back on the game) and picked up some dirt.
Mixed it in with the bugger, rolled it up, good and solid and got a
great flick on it, which just missed Fergal's head by an inch !. I was
gutted - so close!".
It is plain to see that Celtic's defense had little to do all day and
that Jon Mc is a classy guy.
But this was a semi-final, so at least the midfield and attack had some
work to do. 15 minutes into the game, a break down the right by J.C.
himself, Paddy O' H, ended up with Dave H in the box with an golden
opportunity to score. Luckily for Celtic, he was taking down for a
penalty and it was left to J.C. to slot home from the spot.
That was Celtic's only goal in the first half but don't be fooled by the
scoreline. The rats, reminding me of Mike P on a night out, didn't have
a hope of scoring.
Celtic's second goal was symbol of metamorphosis in motion. A
disgraceful, ugly cross from Dave H which bounced of the cross bar was
transformed into a beautifully taken goal by Eric W, surprisingly!
Celtic 2-0 El Tapatio.
A third goal was added by J.C., as he won two 50-50 tackles in a row
outside the box, stormed free into a one on one with the keeper and
coolly slotted it home. 11 goals in 12 games. Yawn Yawn. Celtic 3-0 El
Tapatio.
Celtic then rang the changes. Off came J.C., The Rock, Mikey B and Eric
W for Ross N, Rob T, Dustin S and Adi. This alone is an indication of
how strong Celtic is as a club. To be able to bring on four players of
that quality is a luxury few teams can boast. Strength in depth and
fierce competition for places are the essential ingredients for a
successful team. Well it didn't take long for Adi to get involved. A
signature dive in the box from the Brazilian brought Celtic their second
penalty. Shane O' D stood up and hit it with all his power. However the
El Tapatio keeper was too good for Shane and saved it with ease. The
game was subsequently stopped for five minutes as the El Tapatio keeper
had to be treated, after laughing so hard at Shane.
"It was tough shot. I was on my own about 12 yrds out and there was a
keeper in the goal and there were defenders close by ! It wasn't easy. I
always score when there is no keeper", Shane explained with pride after
his fine effort.
At this stage, El Tapatio were down to 8 players or so. I kinda lost
interest myself and went down to chat up some of Adi's chica bonito lady
friends who were sitting below us. They were cool! I'm in with a chance
there I reckon. Oh yeah, Adi skinned the right full and fired a cross to
Dustin who made it 4-0 and Dave H added a fifth with admittedly, a super
finish.
I apologize for the poor reporting of the game but unfortunately the
game was ruined by a pathetic bunch of El Tapatio players. It was too
easy for Celtic from start to finish...no contest. Celtic will now go to
the final and face a much more solid opponent in SF Vikings. This
promises to be the occasion that this game wasn't. SF Celtic, you are a
great team and have been talking about winning this Copa for some time.
Is that carved in stone or are you just scratching the sand ? Answer
next week !
PS, the Irish guys told me that all victory speeches have to be in
Irish. Shouldn't be a problem for Matt B though, as noone ever
understands him anyway.
Final Score : S.F Celtic 5 - 0 El Tapatio
(Celtic 4-4-2) Kiran G, Mike P, John Mc, Fergal C, Mike B, Matt B, Colin
D, Eric W, Dave H, Paddy O' H, Shane O' D. (Subs) Ross N, Dustin S, Adi,
Rob T
S.F. Celtic v Jalisco 07/22/01
A fascinating game that encapsulated the true beauty of soccer into 90
minutes of pure adrenalin-pumping, thrilling soccer that can only be
compared to shooting your load all over the hot girls in O'Farrell
theatre, after 10 pints, a few tequillas and a fat reefer for good
measure. Absolutely amazing!! This show had everything. Spectacular
goals, shots of the crossbar, goal mouth scrambles, cat-like saves,
crazy referee decisions, last second penalties, penalty shoot-outs, huge
support, crowd violence, horrific 'brown your pants' tackles (with Colin
"The Rock" Danaher at the heart of it), massive celebrations and a
disgracefully drunk president to mention but a few of the events that
transpired on this pulsating day.
You have probably deduced already that it was S.F.Celtic who emerged
victorious and will now advance to the Copa semi finals. This is a
credit to the club, its members, the players and especially the entire
board and management who have transformed this team around since the 8-0
thrashing they received in March (the day after St. Paddy's Day!) to now
Copa Jnr favorites, in a matter of weeks. If ever there was a game that
typified the team spirit and character that this team has, this was it.
Special mention to team Romeo, Fergal C, who announced his
unavailability for the game to go away on a romantic weekend on Saturday
for his girlfriend's birthday, but still managed to appear at 8:45 am on
Sunday morning for the game. Lucky girl !
Celtic started nervously. Playing in those 1st 30 minutes of the half
was probably they worst we've played for some time. Captain Matt B's
absence was telling and maybe Fergal C's to a lesser extent. Kiran G
made a string of fine saves to keep Celtic at 0-0. He really earned his
man-of-the-match performance. Jalisco peppered Celtic's goal with about
5 clear chances but they couldn't find a way past the inspired Kiran.
Really all Celtic had to show for the entire 1st half was a long range
shot from Dave H. However the defense had settled down and was now
looking solid.
The second half started in the same fashion. A breathtaking save again
from Kiran G, tipping a downward header around the post. Sensational!
"Usually I make a fancy dive to just look good..I never really feel I'm
going to save anything...I can't explain what happened today!!",
confessed a bemused Kiran G after the game. However the deadlock was
broken with about 20 minutes to go. A quick counter attack and some
slick passing left a Jalisco striker with a one on one which he
dispatched cooly past Kiran G.
Celtic with their backs against the wall had to try and find an
equalizer. Dunk, Al, Adi and Fergal had all made an appearance by this
stage. The game was in its crazy period right now. Over 50 supporters
were on the sideline, the referee having to constantly stop the game to
card numerous Jalisco team officials and keep their supporters on their
own half of the pitch. Unfortunately the Jalisco players lowered
themselves to also getting involved in these negative time wasting
tactics, with unnecessary diving and mid-castration like howls and cries
at every instance of contact. The referee brandished around 5 or 6
yellow cards during this period.
Celtic had great chances to level things up but incredulously the ball
wouldn't cross the line for Celtic. Allan B put Paddy O'H through on
goal who smashed a half volley against the bottom of the crossbar and
then bounced out off the post, only for Adi to knock back across the
goal with a spectacular overhead kick, which got cleared out as far as
Shane O'D who's drilled shot was just cleared off the line to another
Celtic player who hit it wide. Unbelievable!. Another great chance fell
to Shane O'D who again looked on in disbelief when his shot was cleared
off the line for a second time. Allan B also have a great chance but his
first time shot went over the bar.
With 4 minutes to go, Jalsico put what everyone thought was the icing on
the cake and scored following another quick counter to go 2-0 up. The
Jalisco supporters went wild and all seemed lost for Celtic. However
when 99% of other teams would hang their heads and give up in a French
army like way, Celtic got busy showing their die-hard attitude and
resolve. With literally 1 minute left, a kind refereeing decision gave
Celtic a free kick on the right (after Paddy had elbowed a dude in the
jaw and sent him srawling on the ground in agony) of the Jalisco box.
Mike P swung the ball in and Shane O'D rose in the middle to head home
for Celtic. A lifeline but surely still Celtic were clutching at
straws!!!
Jalisco restarted, came upfield, John Mc won the ball back, upending a
Jalisco striker in the process, and knocked it forward to midfield,
where some Celtic player was fouled. Mike B just launched a ball into
the box where Adi, in true Jalisco style, jumped in the air, threw his
arms about and screamed like a girl. PENALTY!!!! Adi, great stuff but
nobody touched you. Bitter sweet irony for Jalisco. Pitch invasions and
crowd violence almost erupted after the decision. That man Paddy O'H
stood up amid huge pressure and scored from the spot kick to level it
up. Then the referee blew the final whistle. Brilliant !!!
Full Time: SF Celtic 2-2 Jalisco
So it came down to a penalty shoot out to decide the winners. The 5
fearless men who opted to take a penalty were Shane O'D, Colin D, Dave
H, Allan B and Paddy O'H. They were put under slightly more pressure to
score after hearing that Fergal C was 6th penalty taker, if necessary.
And so it went, Shane O'D...goal, Jalisco...goal, Colin D...goal,
Jalisco...goal, Dave...goal, Jalisco..MISS, Allan B...goal,
Jalisco...goal, Paddy O'H...MISS, Jalisco...MISS.
Incredible...the celebrations started and didn't end till very late that
night. Celtic are in the semi-finals after a fairly easy, one sided
victory over Jalisco!!!
(Celtic 4-4-2) Kiran G, Mike P, John Mc, Rob T, Mike B, Ross N, Colin D,
Eric W, Dave H, Paddy O'H, Shane O'D. (Subs) Duncan, Allan B, Fergal C,
Adi, Jeff H
Spanish interpreter: Joey
Some Quotes:
Paddy :"Don't worry guys, ye can start celebrating"....as he goes up to
miss his penalty.
Joey :"I think midfield should play more in the middle".....Joey's
insightful thoughts into our tactics at halftime.
Mike P, Mike B, Ross N : "Fergal are u SURE you want to take the next
penalty ???"...All the guys showing great confidence in Fergal as the
6th penalty taker.
Colin D: "Thanks" .. as he bounces the ball of the Jalisco's defender's
head after Celtic's 1st goal.
S.F. Celtic v Tepatitlan 07/15/01
A cruel wonder strike from nothing, a lot of refereeing decisions and a
host of missed chances, put Celtic out of the Copa Senior and into the
last eight of the still prestigious Copa Junior. Celtic, who didn't
learn of their fate until late on in the week, went into this game
believing they had to win to stay alive in either cup. This may also
have been a telling factor in reasoning why they pushed forward in
search of a win in the dying moments of the game, which they ultimatly
lost. However, it would take far too long to describe the Copa rules in
this short passage but basically, based on Celtic's record this season
and their two Copa wins, they've qualified for the Copa Junior and a 1/4
final date with Jalisco.
It could have been all so different for Celtic however as they outplayed
Tep for the full 90 minutes. Having almost a full Copa squad to choose
from, (with the exception of Eric W and Jeff H), Celtic were very
confident going into this game. They tackled hard, passed accurately and
created some good chances but alas the ball just won't hit the back of
net for them. Celtic looked dangerous all over the pitch with wingers
Dave H and Shane O'D providing great width on the left and right. Both
players swung in some great crosses which Dustin S and Paddy O'H were
unlucky not to get on the end of them. Celtic had their chances, and a
thunderous shot from Colin D had goal written all over it until it
rebounded off one of the Celtic players and deflected wide. However the
best chance of the half came after Jon Mc went on a typically surging
overlapping run down the left side and somehow, hugging the left touch
line, whipped in a pinpoint cross to the back post, where Paddy O'H had
been screaming for it. Paddy O'H rose and met the cross with a downward
header that just went 1 inch the wrong side of the post. A let-off for
Tep. Meanwhile I think I have given a fair and accurate description of
Tep's total chances in the first half in the above paragraph.
The second half saw Celtic commiting more men forward in an attempt to
break the deadlock. Their majestic football and skillful percision
passing practically had the girls on the sidelines tossing their panties
on to the pitch. Shane O'D was disgusted at this and wanted Celtic
president Kavo to throw his boxers on so that everyone's interests were
looked after. Dull Tep on the other had no desire nor ability to match
Celtic in this display that HBO would gladly have aired at Premium
Pay-Per-View time. Their football was as welcome or admirable as a silly
far leftie socialist in a political debate. It has been said the great
GWB has tried mirroring his much publizied defence system on Celtic's
but perhaps this is the reason why people doubt the viability of a
national defence system....I mean how can u get a defense system to be
as solid as Celtic's ?...it's near impossible! The overall point being,
no good counter productive actions (Tep) force the more talented groups
into breaking their mould for the greater good and then suffer for it.
Celtic had further chances in the second half, Dave H had a typical one
on one miss and a great chance for Allan B at the dying moments went
only just wide. Full Time: Celtic 0-1 Tepatitlan
(Celtic 4-4-2) Kiran G, Rob T, John Mc, Fergal C, Mike B, Matt B, Shane
O'D, Colin D, Dave H, Paddy O'H, Dustin S. (Subs Used) Jim H, Duncan,
Allan B, Ross N, Adi
S.F. Celtic v Los Altenos 07/8/01
After two relatively easy opening Copa games, Celtic were left sitting
pretty on the top of the table with the rest of the elite 100% record
teams. The only problem here is that the time comes when you have to
back up your right to be considered in this group, by pitting yourself
against the other unbeaten sides.
This was always going to be a tough assignment for Celtic as Los Altenos
are currently in 2nd position in the Premier, a whole 22 league
positions above Celtic and are renowned as an exceptionally talented
team. To further stack the odds against brave Celtic, was the fact that
key players Dustin S, Paddy O' H and Colin D (to name a few amongst
others) were all missing for this game. On paper at least, Los Altenos
should have been looking at a comfortable victory.
The game started with Celtic adopting a 5-4-1 formation in an effort to
curtail the early anticipated storm from Los Altenos. New kid Mike B was
in charge of the back 5 which also saw Ross N make his outfield debut.
Both played admirably well and showed great skill and determination.
They both epitomize Celtic's passion and fighting spirit these days
which is in stark contrast to last year's Copa, for those of you who are
unfortunate enough to remember.
However with every new system that is introduced, there is always a
transition phase. That's what Rob T, John Mc and Fergal C were
experiencing as Celtic's back 5 looked out of shape. It only took Los
Altenos 5 minutes to take advantage of this and went 1-0 up albeit
virtue of a questionable offside that wasn't called. A short quick pass
in behind the Celtic defense left the Los Altenos striker with a tight
angle but a sweet strike gave keeper Kiran little chance. Celtic 0-1 Los
Altenos.
Celtic settled down not long after that, but a fantastic save by Kiran,
showing cat-like reactions, to tip a low pile driver shot around the
post, really kicked them into action. A great move down the right side,
by Mike P and Dave H resulted in a chance for Eric W. Eric hit a sweet
half volley first time, but the Los Altenos keeper plucked it out of the
sky before it dipped beneath the cross bar. At this stage Celtic had
come out of their shell and stopped admiring "Premier side" LA and
started to impose their game on them.
Another great move involving another debut kid, Shane O' Donaghue (who
has an extremely impressive resume btw) and Matt B, sent Eric W through
on goal with only the keeper to beat. A beautiful little chip from Eric
looked goal bound, only for the ball to bounce agonizingly too far to
the right of the post and wide. That was a good chance but there were
more to come shortly. LA had a few chances as well in between but who
wants to hear about that ? Suffice to say that Kiran G had a great game
in goal, perhaps one of his best for Celtic.
The game continued in its exciting end to end fashion. A lightening
break down the right wing by Fergal C came to nothing and a golden
opportunity for Ross N, who was set up by Matt B, was also squandered
after a great save from the keeper.
The second half produced much of the same flowing football as the first.
Celtic still pushing for the equalizer and Los Altenos happy to sit back
and hit on the counter attack. An early shot from 30 yards out brought
about a fine save from Kiran G, to keep it at 1-0. Celtic had their
chances too, but were lacking the necessary firepower up top, with Dave
H working tirelessly on his own. Celtic then rang the changes, in a
final roll of the dice to see if they could grab that equalizing goal.
Jim H came on for the injured Shane O' D, Andrew R came on for Matt B
and Ciaran T came on for Ross N, as Celtic changed to a 4-4-2. This
almost proved a master stroke as a series of quick short passes sent
Dave H through. However the Los Altenos keeper again saved the day for
LA , as he saved Dave's shot with his ass..lucky bastards!
Two minutes later, the game was over as a contest, as Celtic failed to
clear a ball in the corner. The LA winger floated a great cross to the
back post which was headed into the back of the net, leaving Kiran G
with no chance. Celtic 0-2 Los Altenos.
Celtic must now face Copa top scorers and fellow Major Division side
Tepatitlian and beat them, to secure their Copa lives. I fancy them to
do it.
Full Time: Celtic 0-2 Los Altenos
(Celtic 5-4-1) Kiran G, Rob T, John Mc, Fergal C, Ross N, Mike B, Matt
B, Shane O'D, Eric W, Mike P, Dave H. (Subs Used) Jim H, Andrew R,
Ciaran T
S.F. Celtic v South City FC 7/8/01
SF Celtic, riddled by injuries and absentees, came into this 2nd round
Copa game facing the underestimated South City FC from the 3rd
Division. South City had the misfortune of being pitted against SF
Celtic, undefeated since April, virtue of a walkover against Morales
in the 1st round. Celtic were missing Rob T, Tim S and Jeff H all
through injury and a whole list of players through unavailability;
Sean W, Eric W, Duncan R, Dale W, Simon D and Kiran G, to mention but
a few. They all mentioned something about marching in a Parade that
day...
As a result, and much thanks to Kevin Mc for his great efforts,
Celtic managed to sign up some very talented players in time for this
tricky game and hopefully the rest of the Copa. John Martin, who has
played over 100 games (including the UEFA Cup) for Irish Premier side
UCD, slotted in as sweeper. Ciaran Tighe, who plays for Irish 1st
Division side St Francis, played up front, and Ross Neville, from
Tallaght IT, debuted in goal. All performed admirably well
considering the obvious step up in class for them. Not one of them
looked THAT much out of their depth although I'm sure Cairan T
realizes that scoring goals when playing with the big boys, is harder
than what he's used to.
South City started the game more briskly than Celtic. With only 10
minutes gone on the clock, a magnificent curling cross from the right
side of the box invited the SC left midfielder onto the end of it, to
crash home a thumping header at the back post. This was a great goal,
a stereotypical Celtic goal, scored by the opposition on this
occasion however. Celtic 0-1 South City FC.
Celtic, still a little shocked at going 1-0 behind, stepped up the
tempo. Ciaran T, Fergal C and David H all had a couple of half
chances that came to nothing.
Just as Celtic were beginning to dominate, South City hit with a
quick counter attack. Their main and only threat up front broke free
and found himself in a one on one situation with keeper, Ross N. He
decided to lay the ball of to his left to his on-rushing striking
partner who cooly slotted it home. This would have put Celtic in huge
danger of losing their unbeaten run, had the referee not decided the
striker had run into an offside position before scoring the goal. A
questionable decision if you ask me, but you won't find me
complaining.
It didn't take Celtic long to realize they had a battle on their
hands and it was 4.5 liter engine man Colin D who got Celtic back in
the game. I'd like to describe the intricacy of passes that led up to
the goal but it was purely a goal out of nothing. Colin D picked up a
loose, half-cleared ball at the edge of the box, toe-poked past one,
two then three defenders and smashed it into the roof of the net.
It's goals out of nothing like this that Celtic missed at the start
of the season and it just goes to show what a little bit of
confidence can do for a team. Celtic 1-1 South City FC.
Celtic's fluid passing game got going, as they effortlessly stroked
the ball around at the back. South City, who 15 minutes earlier had
looked like world-beaters, were reduced to two year olds, haplessly
chasing butterflies. After 10 minutes of Celtic weaving their web of
passes, Dustin S snuck in behind a bamboozled South City defense, and
put the finishing touch to a great move to give Celtic the lead. I
counted at least 20 passes in the build up to that goal. Great stuff!
Celtic 2-1 South City FC.
South City were thrown a lifeline when disaster struck for Celtic.
Paddy O' H, their 6 goals in 2 games hero, limped off the field after
pulling his hamstring.
Were Celtic going to be able to cope with this loss ? Dustin S, who
was moved from the left wing to up front, was to prove to be the
answer. Dustin played brilliantly, held the ball up well and was
involved in every amazing trick Celtic performed, in what was now
resembling a magic show. Celtic should have increased their lead
before the break. Fergal C had a Batistuta-esqe header cleared off
the line and Ciaran T continued his comedy of errors with another
couple of squandered clear-cut chances.
It didn't take Celtic long to increase their lead after the break
with another breathtaking goal. Jon Mc played a ball into Colin D,
who cheekily back-heeled into the path of Jon's continued run. Jon
then played a one-two with Matt B, which set him free down the left
side. A quick look up and a sharp delivery into the box for Dustin S,
who cooly dispatched into the back of the net. My simple description
doesn't do this goal justice. Celtic 3-1 South City FC.
The Celtic symphony continued. After yet another great move, David H
got the ball out right, ghosted past the left full back, darted
inside and pinpointed a cross onto the literally high flying Dustin
S, who grabbed a fantastic hatrick with a super diving header. Dustin
S was the man who could do no wrong this day! Celtic 4-1 South City FC.
It's a pity Dustin's midas touch didn't rub off on his striking
partner Ciaran, who was as sharp as a spoon all day. Yet again Cairan
managed to miss chance after chance but the open goal he missed from
3 yards out, was the icing on the cake. Don't be surprised to see
Ciaran playing in the defense the next day.
Keeper Ross N, who had precious little to do all afternoon, wanted to
make the headlines too, for the wrong reasons though. A rare attack
from South City, saw Ross up-end their striker and concede an obvious
penalty. It was scored with ease to leave the final score, at full
time: Celtic 4-2 South City FC.
(Celtic 4-4-2) Ross N, Mike P, John M, Fergal C, Jon Mc, Matt B,
Colin D, David H, Jim H, Paddy O' H, Ciaran T. (Subs Used) Jim H
S.F. Celtic v Gallos FC 06/17/01
Having secured their first win for months last weekend with a "Who's
your Daddy ?" 6-0 spanking of lowly Morelos, Celtic came into this
game full of confidence. They had every right to, as they faced a 1st
round Copa tie verus Division 3B outfit Gallos FC. This was a great
occasion for Gallos, one that will live long in the memories of their
players and supporters and will surely be recounted to their children
on several occasions. I'm sure their young children, despite their
naievity and innocence, will still doubt the truth of their parent's
story, but it is in fact true. Gallos FC did play a competitive game
against the great SF Celtic.
Their numerous supporters, who turned out in droves to witness this
event, came baring Bibles, all of which were open on the passage
where David met Goliath. I believe this was in the fantasizing notion
that today at West Sunset park, that famous historical event could be
reenacted and that Gallos could slay the giant that is SF Celtic, in
the same fashion as little David did many thousands of years ago.
However, as much as I hate to be a dream breaker, E=MC^2. This is
fact - an unbreakable law of physics, much in the same way as SF
Celtic are a much superior force than Goliath ever was and won't
crumble to weaker opposition like Gallos FC, no matter how many sling
shots they throw.
It didn't take Celtic long, about 80 seconds actually, to crush any
silly pipe dream of a surprisingly arrogant, ringer packed, Gallos
team. Paddy "is there a better player in SF ?" O'Hanlon, got the ball
outside the corner of the box, looked up and quite brilliantly, yet
simply, slotted the ball over the keeper into the top corner. He is
playing at the top of his game right now. Celtic 1-0 Gallos.
Celtic, in their almost customary fashion these days, feel asleep for
10 minutes and Gallos equalized with a sweet half volley after an
uncleared corner. Fair play, it was a good goal and gave their
supporters something to cheer about, temporarily. Celtic 1-1 Gallos.
This woke Celtic up again and this time it was some great work by Jim
H out left, that set up Jefferson H for Celtic's 2nd goal. Great work
from 2 guys who were brought up from the 2nd team to play in the
Copa. Those 2 performed superbly all day, along with Duncan "just
call me Dunk" R who decided his day wasn't complete until he too had
his name on the score sheet...a little later. Celtic 2-1 Gallos.
Gallos, to their credit (about the only thing they did that was
creditworthy) still refused to cave in. An attacking move brought
about a strong shot from outside the box, hit the inside of the post
and bounced out. A lucky break for a overly complacent Celtic side.
It should have been 2-2, but Celtic held on to that slender 1 goal
lead.
"Enough is enough", said the immense Celtic midfielder Colin D to
himself. He got the ball out on left wing, cut inside, swerved one
way, glided past another defender and BANG! Outside of the left foot,
into the bottom corner of the net. Will you see a better goal ?
Celtic 3-1 Gallos.
The flood gates opened up following that wonder strike. Matt B, who
is playing his best football for Celtic, gave a great performance in
the middle. Eric W, who had a very tough job of stepping in for the
unavailable Sean W as sweeper, did a solid job too and kept his
fighting, hard hitting defenders in line. Celtic scored a 4th from a
penalty courtesy of another piece of magic from O'Hanlon. This
brought the first half to a close. Half Time: Celtic 4-1 Gallos.
The second half wasn't nearly as exciting as the first, as Celtic
cleverly slowed the tempo down and killed the game. It was still a
honor for Gallos to be out there, and they seemed to enjoy the soccer
lesson they received. It was about 10 minutes from time when big Dunk
came up with his debut goal for Celtic, neatly slotting home a
rebound from a well saved shot from Jeff H. Celtic 5-1 Gallos.
Celtic's final goal was a masterpiece. It was a fitting goal to cap
of Paddy O'H's second consecutive hat-trick. It was one of those run-
of-the-mill goals that Paddy seems to score. Great control, skip pass
a clueless defender, brush another aside, outside the box, blah,
blah, blah and curl it into the top corner while running at speed. I
taught him that one! Celtic 6-1 Gallos.
I believe I told you last week, that if I was a betting man, SF
Celtic was a good outside bet for this year's Copa . Well my man
Andrew Jackson is riding on Celtic and is looking good.
Next week, in the second round, when the opposition is most likely to
be a Premier or another Major team, we'll find out exactly how good
this Celtic side has progressed.
Full Time: Celtic 6-1 Gallos.
(Celtic 4-4-2) Kiran Gowda, Rob T, Eric W, Fergal C, John Mc, Mike P,
Matt B, Colin D, Jim H, Paddy O'H, Jeff H.
(Subs Used) David H, Duncan R
S.F. Celtic v Morelos 06/10/01
One of the Irish guys, during a regular ridiculously drunken state
sang this song in Molly Malone's one night, oblivious to the
discomfort of everyone present. His heart, as he incoherently rambled
on to me, is deeply embedded in a passion for Glasgow Celtic and
continued to tell me how he now has developed this same emotion for
his newly adopted sister club, San Fran Celtic.
His song went something like this:
"We don't care what the others might say
What the hell do they know
For all we know, there's gonna be a show
And the San Fran Celtic will be there
WO, WO, WO
Cel-lll-tic, La ,La ,la ala
Cel-lll-tic, La ,La ,la ala
I'd walk a million miles just for one of your goals
Ohh Cel-lll-tic"
Well I'm glad to say that this poor dude is set to walk 6 million
miles, as his beloved Celtic went on a rampage and hit whipping boys
Morelos for 6. An overdue victory for a sleeping giant who has
twisting and turning in his sleep for the last few weeks but finally
woke up this fine Sunday morning. This giant was set to unleash his
fury on whatever hapless victim that stood in his way. Before this
game I would have thought it more likely that Colin D would appear at
training, than to see SF Celtic win 6-0 !
The game was only 2 minutes old when Sean W played a superb ball
behind the Morelos back 4, to see on form Paddy O' H get on the end
of it, head straight for goal and lob the advancing keeper with a
sublime chip. There was more to come from Paddy later. Celtic 1-0
Morelos.
I'm am putting it down to the fact that this particular "giant" is a
lazy one, (and that's been kind) when trying to understand why it
would catch another hour's rest before finally performing to its true
ability.
The fact that the coach's (Sean Mc's) girlfriend Laura was probably
thinking, "Why does Sean bring his bedroom tactics on to the pitch,
ie a big 2 minute performance and then fall asleep", should not be
mentioned here. Laura, I'm sure he didn't intend it this way.
Well after the extra hour sleep, Celtic were again awoken but this
team by virtue of an outstanding top class save from the Celtic
keeper. A finger tip full length dive keeping Celtic 1 up. Within 2
minutes of that fine save, Paddy O' H fired in a great shot from an
acute angle, following some good work from Bjorn H. Celtic 2-0
Morelos.
A corner 10 minutes later was met by a solid back post header by Matt
B; the ball was blocked on the line by a Morelos defender, only for
the ball to fall to Colin D, who smashed it to the roof of the net.
The Morelos defender stood on the goalline with his arm in the air
claiming offside (???). Celtic 3-0 Morelos.
A great run and cross from Dustin out on the left wing brought about
the 4th goal. Bjorn H followed it in and cooly slotted it home for
Celtic's 4th. Celtic 4-0 Morelos.
The goal of the game came with only 5 minutes to go. Some good
passing by Celtic resulted in Paddy O' H getting the ball 40 yards
from goal. He advanced about 15 yards and smashed a shot in of the
inside of the post for his hat-rick and Celtic's 5th. I believe
that's Paddy's 5th goal in 3 games....impressive! Celtic 5-0 Morelos.
The final goal was a shock to one and all. Someone decided to put Jon
Mc up front. With only a few moments left in the game, Jon
beautifully controlled the ball, jinked inside and hammered a low
ball into the bottom corner of the net. Celtic 6-0 Morelos.
The question remains: can coach Sean Mc emulate Celtic and shoot for
5 more after an hour's rest ? Well done Celtic - great way to end the
1st half of the season. Good luck in the Copa.
Full Time : Celtic 6 - 0 Morelos
(Celtic 4-4-2 ) Kiran Ethan Gowda, Fergal C, Sean W, Rob T, John Mc,
Matt B, Colin D, Mike P, Eric W, Paddy O' H, Bjorn H. (Subs Used)
Dale W, David H, Dustin S
S.F. Celtic v Mezcala 06/03/01
Celtic, still seeking their first win of the season, weren't going to
have it handed to them here, as they faced top of the table Mezcala.
Mezcala, who had only given up 4 points (out of 24) before today's
game, must have felt that a victory was a certainty as Celtic are
languishing at the bottom of the table with only 2 points. However it
is a very well kept secret, as Mezcala were unfortunately to find
out, that this Celtic team has finally got their act together and are
now one of the hardest teams to beat in Majors. Another factor in
favour of Celtic, is that as long as I been watching Celtic games,
they always play to their true ability when they are up against the
so called "great teams".
Guys!, get into your heads, play like this every week, play with that
same skill, fight and passion and you'd win the Majors! What the hell
are you guys doing in the bottom 2 ?? Ask yourselves! But I do
honestly believe now, you are about to start kicking some serious ass!
The game started lively enough for Mezcala, with Celtic paying them a
lot of respect, very nervy and cautious to begin with. A great fresh
air clearance by center half Fergal C and some rushed clearances
typified this. However with Paddy O' H and Colin D playing some
outstanding soccer, Celtic soon realized that they were more than a
match for Mezcala. Celtic are now very solid at the back and this
instills confidence in the rest of the team. The back 4 of Sean W,
John Mc, Fergal C and Rob T, left keeper Kiran with nothing to do in
the entire first half. Matt B, who sits in front of the back 4 also
deserves special mention as he performed a mountain of work the whole
day.
Celtic went 1-0 up before the break after Dave H, made a great run
down the wing, gave a short pass to Paddy O' H, who turned on goal
and cleverly committed a defender into conceding a penalty kick.
Paddy O' H made no mistake from the spot kick. Celtic 1 -0 Mezcala
Celtic were unlucky not to be 2 or 3 up before the half. Matt B was
unlucky once or twice and Paddy O' H had a couple of chances that
went just wide. It was all Celtic, a joy to watch.
The second half saw Mezcala come more into the game. However the
Celtic defense remained tall and limited them to only one or two half
chances for the next 30 minutes. Celtic squandered a couple of
chances themselves. Colin D put one narrowly over and Paddy O' H
(there he is again...what a monster game!) was foiled by some great
saves from the keeper.
However as with all Latin teams, it's when you think they are down,
that they are at their most dangerous. A quick counter attack brought
about a one on one situation. Kiran came rushing off his line, covers
his angles well to make it more difficult for striker. His well hit
shot smashed of the post, rebounded to an onrushing Mezcala player,
who couldn't believe to see his shot blocked by a combination of Sean
W and Kiran, when the goal was at his mercy. Finally some good
fortune for Celtic !!! Wonders never cease.
Lady luck quickly turned her back on us however. Mezcala launched a
last minute desperate attack, brought about a penalty box scramble
with the ball ping ponging around dangerously between players. All
seemed to be fine, until a Mezcala player handled the ball and kicked
it in the net, while the rest of the Celtic players looked on in
disbelief. He might as well have picked up the ball, rugby style, and
kicked it out of his hands. It was so blatant. Somehow the referee
thought this was fine and allowed the goal to stand. Unbelievable!
Hand shakes, congratulations and rumor has it envelopes were all
passed on to the ref from the Mezcala players after the game. This
tells it's own story.
Full Time : Celtic 1 - 1 Mafiazcala
Celtic (4-4-2): Kiran G, Fergal C, Sean W, Rob T, John Mc, Matt B,
Colin D, Mike P, David H, Paddy O' H, Bjorn H. (Subs Used) Dale W,
Simon D, Dustin S
S.F. Celtic v Concordia Res 05/20/01
This was a game Celtic, felt they were going to, could have and should
been victorious in. If Celtic get relegated this season (which they most
certainly shouldn't be) they will look back at this game as the one that
got away. Concordia Res, should not be playing in the same Division as
Celtic as they simply are not a match for their fitness or individual
skill. However what Concordia had on this day, was a goalkeeper who
played magnificently well and a defense that consisted of between 8 to 9
outfield players. Until Celtic learn to put the ball in the net (6 goals
so far this season), they will struggle to get the 3 points they usually
deserve.
The game was 10 mins old when a great cross by Paddy O'Hanlon, found
Bjorn H, who rose at the back post, only to smash the ball against the
crossbar. A sign of things to come for Celtic.
Celtic owned the ball for the entire 1st half. So much so it resembled a
coaching video on how to, "knock the ball around", with the amount of
time the Celtic had on the ball. Celtic were to be out of luck again 10
minutes later, when Mike Pulliam, (who was rumored to have ran the Bay
to Breakers naked, in support of the "It's ok to have a small manhood"
foundation) crossed the ball from the right, to the young Dave Hunt.
Dave, got a head on it, but miraculously, the ball hit the inside of the
post, bounced along the goal line, hit the other post and bounced out !
Celtic kept peppering the Concordia goal, who at this stage must have
felt like they were blessed with divine inspiration. Shots from Mike P,
Paddy O' H again and a thunderous half volley from center half Fergal
Cleary, were all saved by God himself, who decided to come back to earth
and pose as a goal keeper for the day. If God lines out for Concordia
again next week, he can hardly hope to play better. . Half time : 0-0
The 2nd half was pretty much the same as the first, however Concordia,
did actually have a chance or 2 in this half (honestly). This game will
also be remembered for keeper Kiran's dose of diarrhea mid way through
the half. In a panic he rushed off to the nearest toilet and wasn't seen
for another 20 minutes. In the mean time, Fergal C took over
responsibilities in goal. Despite a shakey start in goal, he did the job
required of him. Kiran, who finally came back amid a chorus of laughter,
played solidly for the rest of the game despite the constant jeering and
heckling from onlookers. He also confirmed that "it was not running down
my leg" as the fans had been chanting.
Celtic kept battling in the 2nd half. Eric Wallace in particular played great stuff.
And it was Eric's through ball that put Simon D. into a one on one situation. However, was the
mere mortal Simon, going to beat God ? Not this time. Paddy O' H, also
had an opportunity to defy the higher authorities but being an avid
Christian, he decided to knock it over the bar. I could go on and on
about Celtic chances but I'll let you know, that on this holy day, God
played an outstanding game to keep the score at SF Celtic 0 Concordia
Res 0
(Celtic 4-4-2 ) Kiran G, Fergal C, Eric W, Rob T, John Mc, Matt B, Paddy
O' H,Mike P, Simon D, Dale W, Bjorn H. (Subs Used) David H, Sean W
S.F. Celtic v Sons of Italy 05/06/01
Underachieving Celtic faced a tough and well respected Sons of Italy
(4th in the league) on an extremely hot afternoon game. Sons were well
favored for this game, but Celtic knew their past results were no reflection on how this team was playing
and in general how this club as a whole is improving, on and off the
field. So much so, that you could tell this was going to be a good game
for Celtic by the positive vibes and confident looks on the Celtic
players.
The game started pretty evenly with no team having any clear cut
chances. After about 30 minutes, Sons of Italy had a free kick from
outside the box. It was well struck, and despite keeper Kiran's good
positioning, the ball slipped through his hands and into the back of the
net. Kiran will probably feel he should have done better there. Celtic 0
- 1 Sons Of Italy
However this time Celtic's heads didn't drop and after great hussling, Dale W, who played great all afternoon, set up Paddy O'H for his
first goal for Celtic. Celtic 1 - 1 Sons Of Italy
With only a couple of minutes remaining in the 1st half Sons went on a
quick break down the left wing, swung in a cross which was meet at the
back post and also immediately, Celtic were behind again. Celtic 1 - 2
Sons Of Italy
It took almost the entire 2nd half for Celtic to get back into the game.
Sons hit the crossbar and should probably have gone 3-1 if it wasn't for
some excellent saves by Kiran. Then a long ball from the back caught the
Sons' defenders napping and Dale W ran onto the ball and calmly lobbed
the keeper as he came rushing of his line - an exquisite lob. Celtic 2 - 2
Sons Of Italy.
In an almost carbon copy of Celtic's 2nd goal, Celtic could have taken
all 3 points. Paddy O' H was put through, but this time the Son's keeper
made a fine save to keep the game tied at 2 -2.
All in all, good display by Celtic, who finally seem to have kick
started their season. They will now surely continue to rack up the
points from here to the end of the season. If I was a betting man, a
score on Celtic to finish mid table wouldn't be a bad bet.
|
