RMM 1 Chinese Blue Boys 0

With our regular million ringgit team coach in the workshop, RMM players were forced to make their own way to the venue. Given the fact that RMM players are notoriously bad in listening to instructions, it was no surprise that several players ended up in the wrong Maktab in Cheras.

However, this is Malaysia and everyone operates on Malaysian timing. This meant that even after the last of the RMM players finally found the venue, the opponents and the match officials were nowhere in sight.

During the excessively long warm up, President For Life, Guvnor was seen having a quiet word with top top RMMer Batigol. It was felt by many that Batigol, no matter how important he was to the future of RMM, had over stepped the boundary last week with his tantrum. RMMs superstar then issued a public apology to his teammates before kick off (very much like Ronaldo’s apology to kit man Albert @ ManYoo)

For the first time in weeks, RMM had 13 players available for selection and Foo, still recovering from an ankle injury and last week’s horror show in goal, decided to once again volunteer to keep goal. Given that the weather was quite decent, no one argued.

Once the game started, it was very evident that the Chinese Blue Boys were not on the same level with RMM. RMM dictated play early on but made no headway in the final third. Again, RMM were unable to play their sleek passing game as the hard playing surface made zipping the ball around impossible. All the players had problems controlling the ball that bounced all over the place. Foo had to content himself with butterfly watching much of the first half where the only highlight was Snake’s sudden burst of speed saw him go between the opponent and the ball leaving both behind.

The second half followed much of the same pattern as RMM dominated play and came close several times from set pieces (excluding Speedy’s direct freekick that hit the player on the wall’s shins). Giggys then got himself in the spotlight with his potential miss of the season, clearing the ball wide from right under it. There were many, many chances for RMM as the Chinese Blue Boy’s defending were even more comical than RMMs own. Almost every corner resulted in a pinball game right in the Chinese Blue Boy’s penalty box but RMM were unable to capitalize.

The deadlock was finally broken when Snake had another surge and this time, he found himself in the box before crossing in a mid height to Batigol from the left byline. In the ensuing melee, a Chinese Blue Boy defender was seen smashing the ball high into the roof of his own net. The Dodgy Goal Panel later awarded the goal to Batigol by the virtue of his apology to his teammates before the game.

Ironically, the goal also triggered a Batigol like meltdown in the Chinese Blue Boy's ranks. Their keeper was incensed by a imaginary insult by an imaginary teammate and proceeded to strip off his kit before walking off the pitch, screaming and shouting much to the amazement of friend and foe alike.

Snake’s virtuoso performance was likened to Franz Beckenbaeur in his heydays and it perfectly illustrated the gulf of class between both teams.

RMM tried their best to double that advantage but the game finally ended the way it started. With the ball bouncing all over the place.

Overall, it was decent performance but RMM lacked the cutting edge this week.