Kopernik 1 - 1 Amberg (379821744)

The weather was pretty good, and a crowd of 2641 had shown up at Roosvelta Park 81 for the match. Yu Kwannah was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Jacco Galjaart and Goshtasp Hamedi Far. Kopernik started off with a 3-5-2 lineup. Starters: Broniek - Susz, Równicki, Pyzik - Szczerbiński, Szyja, Pientka, Raniszewski, Szuman - Iwaniec, Zagrabski.

Amberg tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. The following players had been chosen: Najuch - Pullen, Scasciamacchia, Fresta - Dal Lago, Wittensoellner, Dziemba, Decken, Genske - Khawwas, Bruins Slot.

Kopernik clearly preferred using their ability to attack in the middle. The wings were the focus of most of Amberg's attacks today. S. Bruins Slot had a good opportunity to give Amberg the lead as he charged down the right and struck the ball towards the top corner, but the home team's goalkeeper made the save. Kopernik were very close to putting themselves one up after 15 minutes as T. Pientka got through on the left, but failing in concentration, he shot the ball wide. 29 minutes had elapsed when a great chance for Kopernik to take the lead after a good cross from the right found W. Równicki alone with the keeper, but he chipped it to the wrong side of the post. After 33 minutes, the defensive line of Kopernik created a counterattack through the middle that gave M. Iwaniec a good look at the goal, but his shot glanced harmlessly off the crossbar. K. Pyzik gave Kopernik the lead as he successfully challenged the guests' central defenders, then slotted the ball into the bottom corner, giving the keeper no chance. 1 - 0 E. Szyja had a fantastic opportunity to put Kopernik up another goal 37 minutes into the match, but he fired just over the crossbar. Halftime score was 1 - 0. Kopernik claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 56 percent.

With 46 minutes played, the Amberg coach decided a substitution may help turn the game around. M. Guignon came on, S. Bruins Slot had to leave the fray. The bench was restless, and with 46 minutes passed Amberg's coach gave V. Kurtz the opportunity the player had been hoping for. F. Wittensoellner reluctantly left the field. After 46 minutes, Amberg switched A. Dal Lago with N. Gavryushov, hoping for a quick impact on the pitch. Amberg had a good opportunity to attack in the middle, but remembered their instructions to focus on wing attacks instead. The visitors refused to give in and, after 53 minutes, H. Khawwas evened things up as he finished off a perfect pass from the right. 1 - 1 With 56 minutes played, seemingly due to lack of experience, R. Scasciamacchia needlessly tripped an opponent just outside the penalty area, but the free kick that followed didn't succeed. The guests almost went up by a goal after 63 minutes when N. Gavryushov came through and shot from the right. The ball bounced harmlessly off the post, though. Making his way up the middle 71 minutes into the match, L. Szczerbiński almost managed to squeeze a goal past the visitors' keeper, but the alert T. Najuch blocked it to keep the score level. Kopernik players heard their coach's words ringing in their ears and steered their wing attacks to the middle instead. After a fine move down the middle E. Szyja nearly gave the home side a goal after 77 minutes. However the finishing shot went just wide. When N. Decken left the game because of a back injury after 78 minutes, Amberg had to continue a man short due to there being no available replacements. It might be a while before the fans see Kopernik's L. Szczerbiński again, after he had to leave the field in great distress at the 86 minute mark. He was replaced by A. Praia. Possession in this half belonged to Kopernik, who controlled the ball 58 percent of the time.

M. Iwaniec performed admirably for Kopernik. A. Praia was a disappointment, however. The most dominating Amberg player was without a doubt E. Dziemba. On the other hand, R. Scasciamacchia's play was disheartening. The match ends 1 - 1.