Brigāde 3 - 2 lopu (381510527)

The 47622 spectators at "AK Asteru" Arena were in for an afternoon of sunshine. Marian Panait was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Karsten Humann and Mats Lönnquist. Brigāde decided to use a 5-4-1 set up. The following players had been chosen: Bonichini - Luht, Gualandri, Afonso, Eggspühler, Monforte - Zelnik, Elezarriaga, Barker, Aydıner - Nunn.

lopu tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. Starters: Rajala - Vergelis, Enzerink, Agiriano - Podsevalov, Markvarts, Murugov, Zīle, Veckungs - Lattimer, Gorenčič.

Counter-attacking seemed to be the preferred strategy of lopu. Making his way up the middle 10 minutes into the match, M. Afonso almost managed to squeeze a goal past the visitors' keeper, but the alert I. Rajala blocked it to keep the score level. Several players seemed a little dazed by the warm weather, and were repeatedly tricked by the clever and agile R. Lattimer. After 12 minutes of play, R. Eggspühler gave the home team a 1 - 0 lead after an attack coming in from the right. 32 minutes into the match the visitors levelled the score at 1 - 1 as P. Agiriano struck home from a rebound off the crossbar, following a shot from the right. Some great play up the middle by Brigāde led to a chance for K. Zelnik to score after 33 minutes, but the shot hit the crossbar. After 34 minutes, a well-worked counterattack by lopu on the right presented an easy opportunity in front of the goal that was duly converted by K. Veckungs to make it 1 - 2. 1 - 2 was the score after the first half. Brigāde had most of the ball, with 64 percent of possession.

After 54 minutes lopu tried to exploit their counterattacking skills, unfortunately, P. Agiriano's shot sailed wide after his break down the right. The crowd chanted their encouragement as Brigāde's E. Monforte came in from the right after 68 minutes and put the ball in the net to level the score at 2 - 2. The home side put themselves ahead 3 - 2 after 77 minutes courtesy of a breakthrough from V. Luht, who scored with a stunning volley following a cross from the right wing. K. Zelnik could have increased the lead after 80 minutes, but his shot hit the post after a nice combination in the middle of the park. Brigāde claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 61 percent.

Brigāde's top performer was clearly R. Barker. On the other hand, Y. Aydıner's play was disheartening. lopu's best player was S. Gorenčič. I. Rajala was a disappointment, however. The match ends 3 - 2.