NSP 5 - 1 Lions (387152467)

Due to an all-day shower, 44283 paying spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog at NSP FC Arena. Ylermi Parantainen was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Domenico Urbano and Iwan van Ardenne. NSP had chosen a strategic 3-4-3 formation. Starters: Costa - Goia, Herok, Ploeger - Coratto, İdriszadə, Libreiro, Castellano - Fraj, Angiò, Arara.

Lions started off with a 4-3-3 lineup. Lineup: Dordea - bin Ahmad, Rothskog, Dolski, Imgrüth - Cavedon, Šopák, Mordoch - Ismail, Fais, Emir.

The wings were the focus of most of NSP's attacks today. Lions used their ability to concentrate their attacks in the middle of the pitch, rather than on the wings. Thighs bulging, M. Angiò charged past the weaker players, seemingly oblivious to the rain. Players in NSP heard their coach's words ringing in their ears and steered their central attacks to the wings instead. With 17 minutes played, the home side managed to get a 1 - 0 lead as A. Herok flipped the ball in after a cross from the right. Things were going to get worse for the visitors. A. Herok squirmed through their central defence after 32 minutes, increasing the lead to 2 - 0. S. Ploeger increased the lead for NSP to 3 - 0, getting a head onto a hooked ball from the right. The ball looked to have taken a deflection on the way in, but he's claiming it! With 37 minutes showing on the scoreboard clock, Lions showed some good skill and were able to reduce the score to 3 - 1 when Z. Ismail got past the home side's central defenders right in front of the goal. S. Ploeger did not have a good day today, often losing his footing on the muddy pitch. Ş. İdriszadə struck a 30 metre free kick home 41 minutes into the match. 4 - 1 for the home team. 42 minutes in, Lions's M. Cavedon received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. It was 4 - 1 at the break. NSP enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 58 percent of possession.

After 55 minutes, Lions switched Z. Ismail with H. bin Ariffin, hoping for a quick impact on the pitch. With 61 minutes gone, a long pass from the defence of NSP resulted in a counterattack that set A. Fraj free through the middle, but the keeper made a spectacular diving save. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave Ş. İdriszadə from NSP a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 62 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! M. Mordoch of Lions had to be helped off the pitch as an injury meant he was unable to finish the game. Y. Tapuchi came in to finish the match. With 69 minutes played, NSP put themselves up 5 - 1 when the visiting defenders lost the ball to A. Arara, who came up from the left and proceeded to coolly round the keeper and knock the ball home. 74 minutes into the game, J. Dolski had to leave the pitch due to a knee injury. In came P. Governatori. Content with how the game was proceeding, the NSP coach let K. Stubblefield replace P. Coratto after 75 minutes. B. Libreiro left the field with a smile on his face as he was substituted 75 minutes into the game, as his team was in the lead. E. Guiluz was the replacement. A. Fraj could have put NSP up one more, but he fired into the side netting after breaking free on the left after 77 minutes. S. Ploeger wanted to play on, but the NSP coach had other ideas, and he was replaced 85 minutes into the game by 麦. 守明 (Shouming). NSP claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 55 percent.

NSP's best player was M. Angiò. E. Guiluz was a disappointment, however. Most important Lions player was H. bin Ariffin. M. bin Ahmad on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 5 - 1.