In terms of the Panda Cup, Futsal (small-sided football played on non-grassy terrain) has always been a very popular event – both for those playing and watching alike. So on the 21st of August 2014, it was no surprise the masses flocked down to the new, yet-already-legendary, multi-purpose court. A.k.a. MPC, a.k.a. ‘Da Concrete Jungle’, a.k.a trickshot haven, a.k.a. bring your freedom fries, sound the eagle and roar into the sky with fervor because it’s time for the US…the futsal court.
Despite the alarming history of injuries (sprained/twisted ankles, a ripped open cheek, a split eyebrow, broken glasses, a cracked toenail etc) there were no uhh…young cats, anywhere to be seen. Instead, electricity sizzled in the air. Lips were licked in anticipation, hands rubbed in glee. The chilly weather was no deterrent to the boundless enthusiasm of the unstoppable IHers as right from the first game, teams went at it holding nothing back, all eyes on the prize. Crunching tackles, like fresh Doritos from a packet. Shots, like Lil Jon was screaming on the sidelines. Step overs, like that motionless body you saw lying in a crumpled heap on the ground before it suddenly reached up and called to you for help, on your way home that one night at 3AM. Wait what? Moving on.
There were a total of 3 teams per group, with a total of 4 groups. Therefore, if my groundbreaking Mathematics is correct, there were a total of 12 teams in the competition, mostly made up of 5 players each (some had a sub or 2). (Where’s my Nobel Prize guys?!) The competition was made such that each team in a group would play each other once, with 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. The winning team from each group would then advance to the semi-finals, with the winner of those 2 games reaching the final.
Any deadlocks were decided on penalties; shots from the halfway line into the goal denoted by the gap between both basketball posts and underneath the lining running through the fence. There would be no keeper for the task; easy enough? Perhaps not, as one of the highlights of the night was watching a couple of games go to penalties and players having to retake them over and over to the onlookers’ bemusement, eventually having to reduce the spot-kick distance due to the high inaccuracy!
As it were, this year’s games were short-lived in their nature as the competition finished in one sole night, as opposed to last year which was held over the duration of many days. Games flew by one by one, 10 minutes feeling like 10 seconds on the court to the players.
Before you knew it, you were watching a tense final between Hilda’s/Avenue (somehow allowed to combine together despite the overwhelming imbalance resulting in a very strong team) and New Building 1st/2nd floor. It went down to the wire, and with about a minute to go an unfortunate keeper error allowed Hilda’s/Avenue to swoop down, like a hawk swooping down on an injured rat, wait do hawks even eat rats, who cares let’s just go with my analogy ‘coz it’s awesome, gifting the win to Hilda’s/Avenue who were rewarded with le Panda teddy bear thingo. Twas a night to remember…as Shakespeare sayeth *posh british accent required here*, thou IH est mightiest goodeth at thine events, whereupon thou haveth most funneth, I sayeth. Or, if you want it contemporary, your wish is mine my Lorde…
Let’s go down to the futsal court, and kick it up like yeaaahhh.
