Gigione 1 - 2 Sporting (381670158)

It had rained all day, but 24077 hardy fans still made it out to El cuccio rosanero. Valentinas Severinas was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Jeanloup Eigenheer and Jens Ebelfeld. Gigione decided to use a 4-4-2 set up. They fielded: Ltifi - Vanderbist, Albano, Cartwright, Fornasieri - Estélyi, Jensen, Bruneau, Isamit - Kwang Yi, Massaguer.

A 3-4-3 alignment was the formation of choice for Sporting. Lineup: Reimondez - Korvin, Canà, Kastelli - Ogg, Améndola, Grabari, San Martín - Green, Buxheli, Rubio Morales.

The game was characterised by rough play and many physical challenges on the wet field, but V. Grabari showed great heart and had a good game. Many thought L. Kwang Yi ought to have been awarded a penalty 10 minutes into the game, as he went down trying to dribble around I. Reimondez after a determined run through the middle. M. Rubio Morales had a hard time on the waterlogged pitch - his trademark technique was nowhere in sight today. Sporting's goal to make the score 0 - 1 came via a questionable penalty, but A. Améndola struck it home without a second thought. With the crowd on their feet chanting wildly, some great moves down the right hand side after 41 minutes gave Gigione a wonderful opportunity to level the score, and H. Massaguer stepped up to the challenge. 1 - 1 1 - 1 was the halftime score. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Sporting, with 52 percent of the ball.

57 minutes into the match, the Gigione manager wanted to try a new tactic, and the players loyally obliged. Priding himself in being an active coach, the Sporting manager gave new instructions to his players after 63 minutes. A penalty was given after 65 minutes, allowing the visitors to gain the lead: 1 - 2. A. Améndola was the scorer. With 82 minutes played, P. Buxheli nearly put the visitors another one up as he broke through in the middle and fired from just outside the box, but his shot passed just over the bar. Sporting claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 53 percent.

Most important Gigione player was H. Massaguer. On the other hand, G. Vanderbist's play was disheartening. Sporting's best player was P. Buxheli. N. Korvin on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 1 - 2.