FCSG_91 2 - 2 Starbucks (384937379)

The crowd of 39480 turning up at AFG Arena today were greeted with some nasty showers of rain. Hubert Barfuss was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Leopoldo Biscarini and Agustín Huamancayo. FCSG_91 decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. The following players took the field: Roersma - Kretsch, Lüönd, Wenzel - Geană, Previtali, Castiñeiras, De Clercq, Danek - Wellauer, Bonghi.

A 3-4-3 alignment was the formation of choice for Starbucks. They fielded: Ţaga - Lannoy, Unferricht, Gauvin - Uchoa, Borghaerts, Aro, Vanden Abeele - Emci, Konkiewicz, Schmeling.

FCSG_91 tried to focus their attacks down the middle. M. Konkiewicz came close to putting the visiting team one up 6 minutes into the match, following a solo raid down the middle, but F. Roersma managed to tip the ball to a corner. FCSG_91 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 G. Wellauer nearly gave the home side a goal after 18 minutes. However the finishing shot went just wide. K. Danek was uncomfortable with the soggy pitch as he couldn't move the ball around with his usual grace. Starbucks's goal to make the score 0 - 1 came via a questionable penalty, but R. Schmeling struck it home without a second thought. A. Emci dispatched a majestic long shot 41 minutes into the match, but missed the goal by a few metres. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave B. Gauvin from Starbucks a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 44 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! The teams went for the halftime break at 0 - 1. FCSG_91 claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 64 percent.

The coach of Starbucks was happy with the game so far, but still wanted to change the line up. After 46 minutes, I. Goracci came on for R. Borghaerts. A well placed corner kick from R. Schmeling was followed by M. Konkiewicz's hard but accurate header. The well executed routine resulted in a goal for Starbucks, the score now 0 - 2. FCSG_91's I. Previtali cut towards the middle after 51 minutes, receiving a brilliant pass and slicing through the visiting team's central defence, reducing the lead to 1 - 2. Had it not been for one of the home defenders, J. Vanden Abeele would have put Starbucks up another goal 52 minutes into the match with his audacious lob from the right wing. K. Danek of FCSG_91 was booked for kicking the ball away after the whistle. The home crowd was pulling their hair out after F. Castiñeiras missed a penalty shot by miles 63 minutes into the game. After 76 minutes of play, P. Bonghi evened things up for FCSG_91 with an impressive goal coming up the middle. 2 - 2. FCSG_91's O. Geană was shown a yellow card after 77 minutes for slicing down an opponent. J. Vanden Abeele was the unlucky victim and couldn't continue the game, so Starbucks's X. Krahl had to come off the bench. Down the middle came R. Schmeling, making a fantastic play that nearly had Starbucks take the lead after 81 minutes, but F. Roersma preserved the tie. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by FCSG_91, with 65 percent of the ball.

Most important FCSG_91 player was G. Wellauer. F. Roersma on the other hand, had a terrible day. Starbucks's best player was S. Aro. A. Emci was a disappointment, however. The match ends 2 - 2.