That was the case in Round Two of Varsity Football. In this case the saying applies to teams that are struggling to put points on board. The likes of Wits and UP-Tuks are already losing ground on early pace-setters TUT. There were a number of things that we learned from the second round of fixtures. While the cold front hit South Africa, football fanatics were kept warm by the popular Varsity Football competition’s Iyachesa flavour. Here is what we learned in week two.
TUT mean business
Love them or hate them, TUT wants this title badly, and they are doing the talking on the field of play. Their two wins out of two speaks volumes. Their message is very clear: catch us if you can. They have hit the ground running in the fourth edition of Varsity Football. And they have quickly banished the painful memories of losing in last year’s final to UWC. Their 1-0 victory over fierce rivals Tuks was a warning shot to the rest of their rivals.
Wits and UWC are the draw specialists
When these two old rivals lock horns goals are rare commodities. The back of the net and the two teams are not the best of friends. They are worst enemies. Their three games in the history of this competition have failed to produce goals. Three goalless draws and one begins to wonder what will happen if they go on to meet in the next stage. Well, the answer to that question is simple. They will play to another goalless draw.
CUT are not a charity case
New teams in any tournament are usually targeted for easy points. But CUT refuses to be a number in that statistic. They are unbeaten in two games with a win and a draw. It was not just any draw – their valuable point in the second game came in the form of a goalless draw against UJ. In case you have forgotten, UJ thrashed NWU-Mafikeng 6-2 in the opening game. After their opening two matches we are sure that their remaining five opponents will give them the respect that they deserve.
NWU breathe a sigh of relief
It was not pretty, but it was effective for NWU. Their 3-2 victory against UFH, a side regarded the as the whipping boys of the competition, was a welcome boost. NWU huffed and puffed to a win. They kept on leaking goals but the main thing is that they won a football game. Beautiful football took the back door as they achieved their main objective of bouncing back from that embarrassing 6-2 defeat against UJ.
UP-Tuks are slow starters
Write off UP-Tuks at your own peril. They are slow out of their blocks, but once they get going they usually become unstoppable. Two points from two games is a slow start. But in the two competitions that they have won, they have typically started their campaign in a similarly sluggish way. It’s only a matter of time before the most successful team in this competition find the right gear. We are not surprised that they are still in search of their first win in two games.
By Charles Baloyi – Daily Sun and Sunday Sun sports writer
