Pharma SC 1

The new season is underway! And while some boys were still enjoying the final days of their holidays, the few who had actually committed to the new campaign arrived at Nossegem with plenty of spirit and energy.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams was doing its job on the speaker, providing some well-timed tunes, while Holiday attempted to rally the troops with a pre-match speech full of… fresh air. A fitting start to a season that promises plenty of good vibes.

At Nossegem, there were no signs of the heatwaves of past months. The cornfields were standing tall, the synthetic grass was still suspiciously green, and, as always, the strong crosswind was there to welcome us back.

First Half

Pharma SC kicked off and were dominant from the start. Holiday had warned the boys that they were allegedly made up of several ex-provincial players, but that didn’t stop Basket Case from generously helping them out.

A no-look pass to the outside of the box — straight into the feet of a Pharma player — allowed them to calmly finish for 1–0.

Their No. 13 on the left wing continued to cause havoc, and after another dangerous attack from that side, the ball bounced around the box before eventually finding its way into the back of the net.

2–0.

Half Time

No panic. Just good vibes.

The message was simple: play better football, keep our heads up and enjoy the first game back. After all, it was only Matchday 1 and half the squad still seemed to be mentally somewhere on holiday.

Unfortunately, No. 13 had other plans.

He broke away again early in the second half and made it 3–0.

Brain Stew then decided there was nothing left to lose and instructed the boys to press like a bunch of headless chickens. Surprisingly, this seemed to work.

FC Irlande started creating more dangerous situations, putting Pharma under some pressure and finally getting their reward. From a free kick, the ball rebounded off American Idiot’s head and Know Your Enemy was there to head it home.

3–1. Game on?

There were a few more opportunities to make things interesting, but with this being the first game of the season, the finishing boots were clearly still packed somewhere between the beach towels and the holiday luggage.

The final whistle brought an end to the first chapter of the new campaign. Plenty to improve, but also plenty of positives to take from the second-half response.

🏆 MOTM: Hitchin’ a Ride

Making his debut with the band, Hitchin’ a Ride put in an encouraging first performance and showed plenty of promise.

We’re looking forward to seeing what he can bring for the remainder of the season.

Final score: FC Irlande 1–3 Pharma SC

One game down. The holidays are officially over. Now let’s get this season started. 🍀⚽