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Kronstadt FC 2-2 Left Wing: Game 1 Match Report

by Reuters
The Revolutionary Soccer Tournament Cup Bay Area 2003 got a taste of what's to come in the opening match that ended in a 2-2 draw.
Kronstadt FC 2-2 Left Wing: Game 1 Match Report

"secondThe Revolutionary Soccer Tournament Cup Bay Area 2003 got a taste of what's to come in the opening match that ended in a 2-2 draw. The match itself ended abruptly when the Piedmont Police Department shut it down at around 78 minutes. The anti-capitalist nature of the spectacle was apparently too much for the upper-middle class neighborhood of Piedmont.

As match time neared, the Kronstadt FC players - looking more like a rock band on tour recovering from a collective hangover - began to arrive at the playing field already full of numerous Left Wing players, practicing their drills, with half of the stands nearly full of supporters for the communist team. For eyes unfamiliar with AST (Anarchist Standard Time), it would have looked as though the only handful of anarchists that came to cheer for Kronstadt would be grossly outnumbered, which evened out as more Kronstadt supporters eventually trickled in as the match progressed. Kronstadt's players, however, were largely outnumbered as the heavily recruited Left Wing looked to have brought over thirty players compared to their squad of about twenty. The style of both teams' jerseys also contrasted with Left Wing's professionally printed, numbered soccer jerseys and Kronstadt's DIY-style printed t-shirts.

While there were no signs of revolutionary hooliganism that were reported, there were some heated chants that were exchanged between the two teams' supporter sections. One memorable example of such was when Left Wing's supporters shouted "All power to the people!" that was immediately met with "Smash the state!" by the anarchist opposition which turned into a back-and-forth chant.

Before the match kicked off, the regulation full 90 minutes of two 45 minute halves were divided into four quarters at the request of Left Wing and to the bewilderment of some football (as in soccer for the yanks) purists. As it turned out, it was part of Left Wing's strategy as they actually had two full teams of eleven with a handful of subsitutes on each team so that they could all alternate at each quarter. This startegy placed Left Wing at a distinct advantage of being able to continue replenishing their team with fresh legs. Some of the unconventional approaches created awkward moments at times as some Left Wing substitues on the sideline yelled for "time out" during the match, which went ignored by the confused referree. Self-substitution was the agreed upon method utilized for the match, while keeping gender balance in mind.

For much of the first half, the anarchist Kronstadt FC successfully blocked the communist Left Wing from reaching their target goal despite valiant attempts by the communist strikers, notably their left wingers. The initial momentum seemed to swing toward Kronstadt, as they began to create numerous chances, but they somehow stopped themselves from capitalizing on them to reach their intended goal. As the first half wore on, Left Wing began to encroach upon their historical opponents' half as some of Kronstadt's defense seemed to lapse into temporary sleep. The reds did not fail to exploit one of their few opportunities in front of the goalmouth and scored the opener to the loud cheers of their fans and substitutes. The players of Kronstadt could only look on, reminded of all the numerous missed chances (including a powerful long distance shot that bounced off the Left Wing goal post) in the first half they dominated, as the whistle blew to indicate half time.

Kronstadt FC came out to show what they were about in the second half, determined to finish off what they started in the first. Their persistence paid off as midway through the second half (or perhaps the "third quarter" in this case) Kronstadt's right winger crossed the ball into the box full of three awaiting attackers with only the keeper and one defender to beat. The sharp cross was easily converted into goal by the nearest attacker and sent wild celebrations for Kronstadt players and supporters. Their moments of joy were not over as not too long after the equalizer, Kronstadt's newly substituted striker almost recreated their first goal by scoring from the same right winger's cross to put them up 2-1. Ecstatic cheers and supporters flying anarchist flags flooded onto the field to celebrate their second goal. All was not quiet on the communist battle front, however, as Left Wing struggled on to mount heavy pressure in order to fullfill the will of their mass supporters section. Left Wing's determined will and the new substitution of a full team, combined with the subsequent exhaustion of the outnumbered Kronstadt squad allowed an opportunity for an equalizer for the communist squad. A goal did eventually materialize - historical materialism or not - for Left Wing in the "fourth quarter" of the second half, levelling the score to 2-2.

Unbeknownst to some, during the second half there were police liaisons from both teams dealing with angry Piedmont Board of Education members who demanded the unpermitted match be stopped immediately. Refusing to listen to the liaisons' explanations, the angry capitalists notified the Piedmont police department who showed up to the field with no less than one officer. The police liaisons put their protest organizing skills into practice and stalled for time by negotiating with the capitalists and their enforcer. Unfortunately, the capitalists' patience ran out and the match was ordered to be stopped with about 12 minutes to go until full time. Satisfied with taking a point each with a draw, both teams agreed to end the match, choosing not to face the outnumbered Piemont PD officer hiding behind the fence, waiting to call for backup if necessary.

The two remaining matches of the tournament promise to be very exciting when both teams, coming in from the draw from the first game, will look to settle the score on this entangled historic saga between the two opposing revolutionary theories.

Photos from the match:

http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/08/1635786.php

http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/08/1635693.php

Related (background info):

http://www.indybay.org/news/2003/08/1634577.php
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keith mcarthur
Wed, Aug 20, 2003 11:38AM
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