Not even a year since his heart-wrenching trade from Montreal, the fighting spirit of beloved Habitant Dale Weise continues to haunt le Complexe Sportif Bell.

That being said, the defending B1 Division regular season champs that continue to bear the FC Dale Weise name looked a little shaky out the gates this Sunday as they took on undefeated Club Alpha. In fact, both teams still seemed to be feeling each other out when the slinky Alexandre Keovongkoth accepted a free kick punt on his left foot and drilled it past the Weise keeper to grab an early 1-0 lead. The game took on a frenetic quality that was equally short on execution or any sustained momentum. There was even talk of unnecessary stress on the Weise bench. Gabriel Marquette changed all that, converting the last of several free kick attempts with a buzzer-beating surgical strike.

The dizzying pace that would continue to define the 2nd half was marred only by massive missed opportunities on both ends. Referee Lombani Zouhair pleaded for calm. Still, the game took on a distinctive two-hand tag edge. Keovongkoth, arguably Alpha’s most dangerous forward, would go down with a knee injury after his leg seemed to get stuck in the turf. More whistles and warnings followed.

It was perhaps only fitting that the game be settled on a free kick. Leaving at least a 15-foot runway between him and the ball, Marquette would again blast a clean shot past the wall and a sprawling Marik Jorge Petit for the eventual winner. As he stood still and raised his arms raised in amazement, his teammates – equally stunned by the Weisean clutch on display – promised him a case of beer after the game.

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