Bucuresti 3 - 2 romania_mare (380910306)

Overcast weather free of rain made for a crowd turnout of 10937 at Star Arena today. Luis Alfredo Dávila was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Radko Polák and Ján Kerčák. Bucuresti started off with a 3-4-3 lineup. Starters: Prosser - Nóbrega, Johansson, Merino - Gautier, Polev, Jahnukainen, Uitti - Ortegón, Czyzenska, Campbell-Muir.

romania_mare had chosen a strategic 4-4-2 formation. Lineup: Zajančkauskis - Värri, Straumann, Anderson, van Wijnsberge - Szegő, Sechel, Covaci, Zahiu - Charrier, Berghänel.

Bucuresti immediately set off using their skill at pressing their opponents. romania_mare used their ability to concentrate their attacks in the middle of the pitch, rather than on the wings. After 13 minutes of play, G. Gautier gave the home team a 1 - 0 lead after an attack coming in from the right. A. Campbell-Muir struck a 30 metre free kick home 26 minutes into the match. 2 - 0 for the home team. Confident in their lead, Bucuresti's players relaxed and focused more on defending the lead than increasing it. 2 - 0 was the halftime score. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Bucuresti, with 54 percent of the ball.

The visitors replied 47 minutes into the game, reducing the home side's lead to 2 - 1, as T. Charrier dashed up the middle, easily lobbing the ball over the home team's keeper. 50 minutes into the match, a typically brave header by G. Gautier from M. Uitti's cross looped just over the opposing goalkeeper's desperate reach. Goal for Bucuresti, making the score 3 - 1. G. Ortegón could have increased the lead after 59 minutes, but his shot hit the post after a nice combination in the middle of the park. Content with how the game was proceeding, the Bucuresti coach let G. Leece replace P. Polev after 68 minutes. G. Gautier could have put Bucuresti up one more, but he fired into the side netting after breaking free on the left after 70 minutes. A bit later, romania_mare's M. Sechel easily reduced the lead to 3 - 2 after a misunderstanding in the home side's central defence. G. Ortegón wanted to play on, but the Bucuresti coach had other ideas, and he was replaced 75 minutes into the game by D. Pereira. Bucuresti pressed their opponents, causing the game to be a bit of a stalemate at times. Possession in this half belonged to Bucuresti, who controlled the ball 52 percent of the time.

Bucuresti's best player was A. Campbell-Muir. On the other hand, G. Leece's play was disheartening. Most important romania_mare player was T. Värri. A. Covaci on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 3 - 2.