B-Grade Football are Champions
The FIS school football team is in Division 2 of the HKSSF competition, and after five wins in a row, the FIS B-Grade team marched to Po Tsui Park eager to bring silverware back to Blue Pool Road for the first time since 2016. The German Swiss International School (GSIS) would be the opponent in the final.
With the final being held during half-term, several key players were absent, thus forcing management to build on the squad and recruit some new talent.
The boys in blue came out of the starting blocks aggressively as they pinned the opposition deep in their half. Despite hitting the crossbar from a corner, GSIS was unable to equal the energy, desire, and technical ability of FIS. Eli and Alessandro came close to opening the deadlock, but the GSIS keeper did superbly in keeping his side in the game.
FIS finished the 1st half on the happier side, convinced that the opener was coming.
The deadlock was finally broken 5 minutes after the interval when Pau Angalda’s in-swinging corner found the head of Alessandro Ippolito, who finished with composure.
FIS doubled the lead 7 minutes later thanks to some outstanding individual work from Pau Angalda. After beating not 1, 2, 3, but 4 players on the left, he unselfishly squared the ball to Enric Zhu, who put the ball in the bottom corner to send the FIS camp into elation.
As the half resumed, FIS continued to assert its dominance through outstanding work from Louis Guchet and Unai in the middle of the park. GSIS rarely threatened, thanks to the defensive leadership of Alessandro and Darren, who won every ball in the air.
Suddenly, against the run of play, a GSIS winger cut inside and finished tidily under Erwann to give the German and Swiss outfit some hope of sending the game to penalties.
GSIS’s aspirations for a comeback were short-lived, as FIS scored a 3rd goal in the 45th minute. Captain Darren Fung sent an inch-perfect through-ball to Enzo Levaire, who rounded the goalkeeper and put the ball in the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
A convincing 3 – 1 win brought the Division 2 League trophy back to Blue Pool Road. The squad celebrated with the numerous students, faculty, and parents present. They have stayed unbeaten all season, scoring 31 goals whilst only conceding 5.
What is moving about this game is the B-grade coach and ex-FIS student Remi Dujardin. Ten years ago, Remi Dujardin was the captain of the FIS football team, and he experienced the same competition and led his team to victory. Now, back as a coach, he guided the players to win the competition, first as a player and now as a coach.
