UEL became league champions yesterday with a 10-6 win over Queen Mary away at the Score Centre in Leyton.
After a nervy start, the Blues managed to get a grip on the game in the second half to seal a league-winning victory, an achievement that coach Trevor Tamatave feels is well deserved.
“Today we were a little nervous, but we showed our class at the end. We were the best team this season and today showed that.
“I said it at the beginning of the season, and I’ll say it again; this is the best UEL futsal team I’ve had over the past eight years.”
With City University already completing all of their games, UEL knew that they only needed a point to better City’s 27 points and secure the title. However, a defeat would leave them level with City on points, and behind on their head-to-head record.
Shaky Start
The magnitude of the occasion appeared to be hampering the away side’s performance, and after a shaky opening few minutes they found themselves two goals down and in danger of letting the title slip.
Even after clawing things back to 2-2, UEL struggled to settle in the game and subsequently fell behind once more before Harman Sandhu brought the teams back on level terms again.
Queen Mary looked to be far more comfortable on the Score Centre’s large court, and were making the most of the space available. On the other hand, UEL were struggling with the court size, as they’d spent most of the season operating in the tighter spaces that a smaller court restricts them to.
The hosts capitalised on this before the break, notching another goal to give them a 4-3 lead at half time.
Game-changing Switch
The first half proved to be a tough one for UEL, and Tamatave wasted no time in changing his tactics to avoid heartbreak on the final day of the season. The Blues’ boss opted to switch to a fly-keeper system in the second half, pushing UEL ‘keeper Dan Grimes up to the halfway line when on the ball which allowed his side to control possession, and occupy more dangerous areas than than they were able to in the first half.
This switch had a massive impact on the game, and before long UEL had established a slight lead via goals from Amine Mimoune and captain James Rene. The fly-keeper system was allowing the visitors to outnumber Queen Mary and exploit the spaces left unguarded by the home side.
Risks and Rewards
Despite taking the lead, Tamatave persisted with the fly-keeper to ensure that his side continued to dominate. This backfired on one occasion when Queen Mary’s keeper Mir Al Sadi was able to score from his own half, but on the whole it was benefiting the Blues.
As the game wore on, the hosts’ tired and started to struggle with tracking back, meaning UEL were able to add to their lead with some ease in the final stages. Bruno Cesar and Sandhu both managed braces whilst Mimoune’s hat trick rounded off the scoring, settling the tie at 10-6.
Mental Strength
Speaking after the game, Mimoune highlighted the groups’ mentality that enabled them to get over the line in such a momentous match.
“It would always take us some time to adapt to playing on an unfamiliar sized pitch. I think that’s why we went two goals down early on, and it took a lot of character for us to turn it around on such a big occasion.
“The lads have been quality all season, and we really deserved some silverware to show for it! It’s been a great run for us this season, and I’m glad to end it as deserved champions.”
Mimoune’s words were echoed throughout the squad, and in the end the East Londoner’s confidence and self-believe allowed them to turn what could have been a devastating capitulation into one of greatest achievements for futsal at UEL since its inception at the start of the decade.
With nine wins and an incredible 119 goals from their 10 league games, it’s clear to see that UEL are worthy league winners, doing the double over title-rivals Queen Mary and pipping an impressive City side at the post. With many of UEL’s players graduating this summer, there was an overwhelming desire to go out on a high, and despite the fixture being the final league game for much of the squad, the season is set to last long in the memory for everybody involved.
Man of the Match: Harman Sandhu – Sandhu provided determination, intensity and fire from start to finish, even when things fell flat around him. His influence on his team’s mentality was just as vital as the two goals he scored.
