3024-09-27

【Aiden in English】

        For the past three games, we have either tied or totally wrecked the other team. But today, it was our turn on the chopping block. DC United has never given the opponent team any hope of winning by now. They had no mercy at all. In fact, our Philadelphia Union was sort of scared by them.

        First off, DC United looked intimidating. Their sizes gave the feeling that we were boys playing men's game. Speaking off their size, they were all at least a few inches taller, and those few inches made a giant difference in the game. They controlled everything in the air. And most importantly, with a longer body, they kicked harder. We couldn't do anything when they got the ball of the half-field and let it rip. DC Unite weren't just strong, but also fast. How fast? Well, fast enough to run circles around us. So the only logical thing to do was to stay near the goal. The game so far wasn't going so well.

        At half time, we were losing 2-3. Coach Nathan made a few tactical adjustments to our offense. So we looked at our advantages. We might not have many, but nothing is perfect, even DC United. He put the fastest people on offense as usual. Except when we got the ball, the mid-fielders would take it and boot it up the field. DC United might be big. But the bigger, the slower. We were certainly faster than them. So we took this weakness and exploited it, making it their downfall. That's how we managed to grab two goals. That's when our team collapsed.

        I was put in a striker for a little. As our team booted the ball up field, I chased after it and the ref blew the whistle for offside. I looked at the ref as if he was delusional, because there was a defender between me and the goal. Then everything fell apart. After the ball was kicked back onto our side of the field for the like one billionth time, Ameer got his hands on the ball. Because the whole enormous blood-thirsty DC United was rampaging down the field right at him, Ameer kicked the ball...... right into the goal. And that seemed to be the end for us. Three minutes later, the score was 7-4 DC United.

        Just like that. Just like that with just a bad call, the game turned around. Sometimes a small thing may result in a different result.

【紅霞譯文】

        在過去的三場比賽中，我們費城工會隊不是逼合對手，就是把對手打得一敗塗地，但“十年風水輪流轉．百年田地轉三村”，今天我們終於淪落成被收拾的地步。華盛頓特區聯隊嚴陣以待，從未給挑戰者任何僥倖機會，不能不叫我們膽顫心驚，強中自有強中手，能人背後有能人。

        首先，“聯隊”氣勢如虹，球員人高馬大，跟他們同場較量好像娃娃兵童子軍與諸候群雄抗爭。說起個頭，對方至少要比我們高出幾英寸來，而這幾英寸的差異對比賽來說舉足輕重，他們完全掌握空中優勢，最重要的是身子長踢球就狠。他們一旦中場得球便長驅直入，令我們束手無策。另外，“聯隊”不僅身體壯，而且速度快，到底有多快呢？這麼說吧，反正快到足以包抄我們。大敵當前，我們只好退守家門，視死如歸，比賽局勢十分緊迫。

        中場休息時，我們暫以二比三落後。教練內森為我們前鋒主攻做了一些戰術上的調整，爭取發掘優勢。雖然本隊實力有限，但金無足赤人無完人，即使華盛頓特區聯隊也是如此。教練跟往常一樣，叫最快的球員衝鋒陷陣；一旦球在我們腳下，中場得能文能武，既要組織進攻，又要參與防守。“聯隊”也許在身高上占了上風，不過個子越大，速度越慢，而我們恰好相反，個子不大，可速度飛快。就這樣，我們揚長避短，向對方發起快速進攻，終於如願以償進了兩球，大家欣喜若狂。

        我暫踢前衛位置，當兵臨對方城下，自己沖球狂奔而去，這時裁判鳴哨判我越位，我看着他，真想告訴他看花了眼，在我和球門之間還有對方防守隊員。從此以後，形勢急轉直下。球被壓在我們半場踢來踢去，千鈞一髮之際，隊友阿米爾得球，殺氣騰騰的“聯隊”一窩風地朝他湧來，阿米爾臨門一腳……，球應聲入網。我們精疲力竭，至此使出了全部吃奶的力氣。三分鐘過後終場結束，華盛頓特區聯隊又以七比四大獲全勝。

        競技場上瞬息萬變，由於一次晦氣的誤判而改變輸贏勝負。可見，有時因小失大可能會影響全局。