Adecco MVP BEFC Lions vs Sagarmatha - Akito Shimizu

  • Adecco MVP BEFC Lions vs Sagarmatha - Akito Shimizu

Lions headed off into their first game of the season with some old and new faces in the lineup at the convenient Sugamo pitch, where they would love to play again soon!

Early morning kick-off with the whole squad on time (!) and ready to play, after some light jogging and passing around Lions jumped onto the pitch with the mindset of getting back into football mode for the rest of the season. Expecting a tough match against a recently relegated side, Lions' focus was on creating their own game and playing as a team.

Lions started well, moving the ball and doing something they did not do last season: shooting. Standout player Seth celebrated his recent marraige with an a strong display, playing solidly at the back and leading the defense despite the counterattacking barrage from Sagarmatha. In midfield, picking up from last season, Jeremy stood out as he constantly fought for the ball, doing recovery and counter duties and coming close to scoring a screamer with a nice lofted shot that would hit the bar (a shot reminiscent of another play last season by him). But the main plaudits would go to attacking midfielder Akito Shimizu, who despite being unlucky with his shooting showed his intent to get on the top scorer table this season, constantly recovering the ball and going for goal. Unfortunately, Vice Captain Richard also left his mark by getting the first yellow card of the season for blocking a free kick, harsh to the eyes of some but unfortunately now in the rulebook.

Unfortunately the scoreline was not a favourable one for the Lions in their first outing of 2019-2020, but the feelings after the game were good (as shown by the good number of players that gathered for post-match brunch). With a number of dangerous plays, good recovery and an overall positive attitude, it might be the start of a promising season for Lions!

In the end, for his aggresive shooting display and involvement in attack, the Adecco BEFC MVP for the first Lions match of the season goes to Akito Shimizu.