ARDEA 6 - 1 Emipe (381674779)

Weather conditions were fairly good for football, and Airone saw a crowd turnout of 27765. Andi Grubert was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Argiris Dogkanos and Tozé Brito. ARDEA had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. The following players had been chosen: Sansi - Artioli, Perosa, Ghisalberti - Jiménez, Alexandre, Fischer Rasmussen, Rossetti, Olivar - Mello, Helstein.

Emipe started off with a 3-4-3 lineup. Starters: Pantani - Losasso, Genovesi, Myrsjö - Livoti, Job, Chamorro, Coratto - Canegallo, Casamonti, Capuozzo.

L. Rossetti of ARDEA received a yellow card after 2 minutes for unsportsmanlike behaviour. A mistake by the home side's central defence after 6 minutes allowed S. Canegallo to score for Emipe. The scoreboard now read 0 - 1. J. Jiménez showed the skills that make him a real crowd pleaser as he, after 18 minutes, wove through the guests' entire central defence and put the 1 - 1 equaliser away. Emipe had to make a substitution after 20 minutes. S. Canegallo limped off the field and was replaced by N. Schweinebauer. Given a free kick in a difficult position after 24 minutes, ARDEA tried a variation that they had practised in training. The kick was sent into the area just in front of the keeper. However, the defence were on their toes and allowed no space for a finish. After 26 minutes, J. Helstein came in from the right, feinted, then sped past the off-balance defender to make the score 2 - 1, giving ARDEA the lead. ARDEA solidified their lead at the 28 minute mark, as T. Fischer Rasmussen dribbled the ball through the opposing central defence and scored to make it 3 - 1. 3 - 1 was the halftime score. ARDEA enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 79 percent of possession.

Cheers filled the stadium as J. Helstein broke through the visitors' central defence to put away the ball to increase the lead to 4 - 1 to ARDEA. Things were going to get worse for the visitors. J. Helstein squirmed through their central defence after 58 minutes, increasing the lead to 5 - 1. That was his third goal of the match - a hat trick for J. Helstein. At this point, it was obvious that the players of ARDEA lowered the tempo and became more defensively oriented. G. Ghisalberti should probably have put his team up another goal after 60 minutes, but some great goalkeeping by M. Pantani kept the visitors in the game. After 62 minutes, a couple of quick and successful challenges followed by a shot from just outside the penalty area by J. Helstein might have resulted in another goal for ARDEA. However, M. Pantani made a spectacular save. L. Rossetti remonstrated furiously with the referee after ARDEA had another decision go against them. The referee had no alternative but to show him another yellow card and send him from the pitch. 69 minutes into the match, the visitors' central line of defence had to look on as B. Alexandre broke through, making the score 6 - 1 for ARDEA. ARDEA had to manage with a reduced squad after 74 minutes, as J. Olivar got sent off for a needless foul away from the game's action. Emipe's E. Coratto had to leave the pitch and there were no more available substitutions! ARDEA had most of the ball, with 80 percent of possession.

ARDEA's top performer was clearly J. Helstein. However, G. Perosa made a disastrous appearance. Emipe's best player was M. Casamonti. G. Myrsjö turned in a dismal performance, however. The match ends 6 - 1.