METEORS 5 - 2 James (386245254)

50729 spectators had come to Estádio RED METEORS this cloudy day. Thomas Eijndhoven was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Tolis Kakoulakis and Anton Brixen. METEORS had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. Starters: Amás - Enø, Grisetti, Golopisenko - Fafalios, Fiorillo, Silfwer, Magalhães, Issa - Caudeli, Amiri.

A 2-5-3 alignment was the formation of choice for James. They fielded: Sulimov - Udias, Direitinho - Guerreiro, Ibn-Omar, Sales, Velasco, Lopes - Tempo, Lošćac, dos Santos.

After some beautiful movement down the left wing, P. Caudeli scored for METEORS putting them ahead 1 - 0, after 4 minutes. 19 minutes into the game James's S. Ibn-Omar found a gap in the home side's central defence and scored with a fabulous shot, making it 1 - 1. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave C. Magalhães from METEORS a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 23 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! 35 minutes had elapsed when a great chance for METEORS to take the lead after a good cross from the right found S. Enø alone with the keeper, but he chipped it to the wrong side of the post. The visitors' central defence should have had no trouble clearing the pass to P. Silfwer, but the METEORS player managed to shrug them off and fired a low shot past the keeper to give his team the lead. 2 - 1! With 38 minutes played, A. dos Santos of James fell dramatically just outside the penalty area. However, the referee was unimpressed, and booked him for diving. It was 2 - 1 at the break. Possession in this half belonged to METEORS, who controlled the ball 57 percent of the time.

METEORS increased the lead as M. Issa struck to make the score 3 - 1 after an attack from the left left him unmarked in front of the keeper. C. Magalhães remonstrated furiously with the referee after METEORS had another decision go against them. The referee had no alternative but to show him another yellow card and send him from the pitch. Always a threat, M. Issa tore past his marker and placed the ball right at the feet of the waiting H. Amiri who should have easily scored for METEORS, but the ball went wide. P. Silfwer unleashed a swerving effort from the right that the visitors' keeper did well to tip wide. 76 minutes into the match, James replied and reduced the lead to 3 - 2. A. Sales scored on a marvellous cross pass coming in from the left. After 80 minutes, H. Amiri put METEORS ahead 4 - 2 when he rose to head in a cross from the right wing. METEORS put themselves up 5 - 2 when P. Caudeli broke through on the right, leaving the entire defence trailing in his wake. METEORS had most of the ball, with 55 percent of possession.

P. Caudeli performed admirably for METEORS. On the other hand, S. Fafalios's play was disheartening. Most important James player was V. Tempo. C. Guerreiro was a disappointment, however. The match ends 5 - 2.