Published in the Fiji Times on Monday, August 10, 2009.
Osea Vakatalesau quenched the fires of soccer hell to lift the Men In Black to their 14th Battle of the Giants crown.
Entering Churchill Park to the barracking of the jam-packed Blues fans on a sweltering hot, humid afternoon, he admitted he felt it was going to be his day.
Wearing the number 15 jersey that has “God loves me” written onto the number one and Phil 4.13 on the bar of the number five, he scored the goal of the Inkk Mobile Battle of the Giants to hand Ba its second four in a row Giants title.
The win yesterday emulated the string of victories from 1998 to 2001, reiterating that it is Ba crown jewel of soccer districts, without a doubt.
Vakatalesau struck in the sixth minute from a throw-in 20 metres out, catching three Lautoka defenders’ ball-watching.
As the ball was thrown to him, Vakatalesau swivelled his hips to let it roll past him, gauging its path perfectly, he jinked to the left to hoodwink the last of the defenders before stepping up to blast a right footer over the head of surprised Lautoka goalkeeper Ali Akbal.
It is a strike to watch over and over again as it doused the fire Lautoka had on and off the field.
Beaten Lautoka coach Dennis Singh said simply, you can’t do that against Ba, once they score, they know how to control the game, Ba had one chance and took it, they are masters at it.
“My team had several chances and did not make use of them, and you can’t win a final like that.
“That lapse in concentration hurts, I don’t really know what went wrong, the fire from the semi-final was not there, he said as he watched the Ba players dancing and singing celebratory across the field.
“Lautoka is a good team, but this is a final and someone has to win, today it is Ba,” said Dutt, who has coached the district to match the run of wins from 1998 to 2001, and revelling in his personal four-in-a-row.
It was hardly the feeling for thousands of Lautoka fans dressed in blue, carrying banner and barracking away since the semi-final win over Navua.
Ba returned home $11,000 richer in the traditional motorcade that follows suck victories, leaving the sugar city side the small consolation of $4000.
