STEEL 0 - 4 Lovers (392080897)

The weather was pretty good, and a crowd of 12000 had shown up at STEEL MEN Arena for the match. Vidar Pedersen was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Antti Viia and Heinrich Hehenberger. STEEL had chosen a strategic 4-4-2 formation. They fielded: Grantham - Rider, Nieto, Bess, Frank - Buck, Collins, Leal, Cuellar - Bateman, Gill.

Lovers started off with a 5-4-1 lineup. Starters: Oláh - Mancuso, Novel, Pineda, Washington, Ušković - Danielsen, Paumier, Borja, Gaskins - Frederico.

A. Mancuso gave the visitors the lead 12 minutes into the match to make it 0 - 1. The goal was scored from the penalty spot after a handball in the penalty area. Lovers came close to extending their lead as B. Danielsen delivered a low effort on goal from the right after 13 minutes, but the angle was too narrow and the shot went harmlessly into the side netting. Lovers increased their lead after 24 minutes when D. Ušković broke through on the right, upping the score to 0 - 2, much to the home crowd's dismay. At this point, it was obvious that the players of Lovers lowered the tempo and became more defensively oriented. With 27 minutes gone, Lovers had a free kick in a decent position. Despite this being a great chance for a shot, they tried a cheeky move intended to bypass the defence. However, B. Frederico did not manage to connect with it cleanly and the ball went out. The referee showed STEEL's M. Bess the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. Lovers's B. Danielsen had to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines, after twisting his ankle with 34 minutes having been played. B. Rodriguez was the replacement. The Lovers captaincy was handed to B. Frederico. After 35 minutes, a mistake by the home side's left defence allowed A. Paumier to get through. He outclassed the home side's keeper, adding another goal for the visitors. 0 - 3. Halftime score was 0 - 3. Lovers enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 64 percent of possession.

The visitors' A. Mancuso took advantage of a misunderstanding between the home side's goalie and centre backs 53 minutes into the match. 0 - 4 for Lovers. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave B. Gill from STEEL a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 64 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! Lovers had a great opportunity to score following a counterattack after 83 minutes, but B. Frederico's shot from the left sailed high over the bar. After the ball was lifted in from the left, B. Rodriguez was on his own in the home side's penalty area and should have scored after 85 minutes, but missed, probably due to lack of concentration. Lovers had most of the ball, with 69 percent of possession.

Most important STEEL player was L. Bateman. M. Buck turned in a dismal performance, however. The most dominating Lovers player was without a doubt B. Frederico. On the other hand, G. Oláh's play was disheartening. The match ends 0 - 4.