The winning streak (1 year and a few months) is over. The Beijing Devils lost to a very determined and disciplined Seoul side.
From the get go, both sides had some bruising runs which were equally matched by some big hits. Neither side seemed to take a step backwards and the defense for both sides was solid. Beijing was able to hit a couple of penalties to make the half-time score 6-0. The second half began and within about the first 10 minutes Seoul was able to sneak through the Devils defense to score the game’s only try (unconverted). Score: 6-5 Devils. Both teams coninued to battle away but the defense for both sides held up well. The Devils had a couple of shots at goal but were unfortunate to not come away with any points. Seoul, perhaps sensing the Devil’s fatigue, continued to raise their game and were relentless in the attack. This paid off for them when they were awarded a penalty directly in front of the posts. The kick was made and with under 10 minutes to go, the score was 8 – 6 for Seoul. The Devils tried to lift their game for the final minutes but Seoul was there to match them. Final score 8-6 for Seoul.
A huge positive was that both sides put in a gritty, intense but clean game. While there were not a lot of points, our Chairman commented that it was the best and most exciting YSC game he had seen.