Same script, same hero: Arefin sends DS into semis

An impenetrable goalkeeper, needless shouting among teammates, shootout nerves of steel, and a caution from the referee -- The Daily Star once again followed their now well-worn script, with all the familiar themes returning in a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Cricfrenzy to reach the semifinals of the Kool BSJA Media Cup today.

If Cricfrenzy -- a cricket-focused online portal -- came in expecting a tidy T20, DS made sure they walked into a five-day Test of patience instead, reminding them that football is far more unpredictable than the sport they cover daily.

When regulation time ended 0-0, DS had a sense of deja vu. This was familiar territory -- the exact same script had unfolded against News 24 and Dhaka Post.

They kept their shootout lineup unchanged, but the script flirted with a plot twist when Tanjeel Rejwan, usually a fierce striker of the ball, failed to convert his opening effort. It did have plenty of power, but lacked in accuracy. 

From the sidelines, goalkeeper Samsul Arefin Khan knew the burden would, once again, fall on him. Having already drawn comparisons with Emiliano Martinez for his antics and heroics in the previous matches, Arefin stepped into yet another starring role.

And like any good sequel, he delivered -- saving two penalties, making it his sixth shootout save in this edition. Meanwhile, Nabid Yeasin, skipper Khalid Hossain, Orchid Chakma and Rashed Shumon converted with composure to send DS into the last four for the first time in seven years.

Arefin, in fact, put everything on the line for the first save he made to get DS back to level terms in the shootout. He took one for his teammates with an attempt that every man on the planet would see as an act of ultimate bravery.

However, Arefin's tale offers much more than what was displayed on the field -- a story of a warrior that refused to give up. Much like how he turns everyday match reports into 700-plus word epics at the desk, Arefin stretched his physical limits to produce yet another defining performance.

Even on the morning of the match, he was a doubtful starter after picking up an injury the day before during another Player-of-the-Match outing.

In his own words, he would not have managed this encore without a timely intervention.

“Orchid bhai made me do stretches and helped me regain match-fitness during a 15-minute training session,” Arefin said.

Though those who know might argue it was the gruelling one-hour commute from Bosila to Motijheel -- comprising two bus changes and a metro ride under the unforgiving Dhaka heat -- that numbed the pain down to a scale of zero sensation, as it does for most in the city of dreams.

And Arefin’s job of stepping in for his teammates -- not too dissimilar from what sub-editors routinely do to tighten his copies -- began long before the shootout.

With DS sitting deeper than usual against an opposition that had confidently described themselves as “playing like potential champions” after their Round of 16 win, Arefin found himself busier than ever.

Orchid and Tanjeel ensured Cricfrenzy kept “clearing the ropes” -- only to be reminded that, in football, sending the ball out of the ground earns you no extra runs.

Still, Arefin had to be alert, pulling off two quick saves to maintain DS’s remarkable record of not conceding a single open-play goal in the tournament. They, however, did not also score any -- yet. 

One of those stops was particularly outrageous -- a thunderbolt struck with the venom of a 150kph delivery seemed destined for the top corner before Arefin, on his weaker side, somehow clawed it away. Think a rising bouncer headed for the helmet grille, only to be upper-cut to safety at the very last instant. An attempt that even Gordon Banks -- the England keeper who made the 'save of the century' --  would have appreciated.

With pressure mounting, Khalid dropped deeper while Nabid provided support in the midfield.

Up front, Abdullah Al Mehdi -- making his debut -- took over Nabid’s secondary role: passionately (and loudly) pointing out the minor errors. Mehdi may sleep through alarms -- hence missing the first two games -- but he was wide awake when Orchid ignored a clear call for a long ball while he stood unmarked.

He soon settled, linking up neatly with Khalid and Nabid in the few chances DS carved out -- a deliberate, measured approach designed to counter Cricfrenzy’s attacking intent.

From open play, Nabid’s long-range effort that sailed just over and Tanjeel’s curling run-and-shot from deep were the standout moments.

Nabid, however, added another entry to his disciplinary scrapbook. After earning a yellow the previous day for some “fruity language” towards his teammates, he was cautioned again -- this time without even realising his offence. The referee, however, later clarified he hadn’t actually written it down.

For the most part, Nabid kept his cool -- the exception being when he spotted forward Mahedi Hasan casually in flip-flops on the sidelines while being urgently summoned as a rolling substitute.

Mahedi eventually did enter the fray -- barefoot, no less -- and played his part.

Meanwhile, Sabbir Hossain produced perhaps the most efficient cameo of the day. Named in the teamsheet, he never geared up, and returned home exactly as he arrived -- except happier, having witnessed his team squeeze into the semis. His joy was best captured as he sprinted in to embrace Shumon after the decisive kick.

And Shumon -- who had rotated in and out through the game -- saved his defining contribution for last.

Having missed all his penalties in practice, he walked up with the calm of a seasoned finisher, as if the script had already been written. No theatrics, no second thoughts -- just a composed strike that sealed the deal.

Ice in his veins when it mattered most, Shumon turned pre-match misfires into match-winning certainty, proving once again that form is temporary -- but nerve, especially in a newsroom derby, is everything.