LRM 1 - 5 Weber (392672103)

Due to an all-day shower, 30849 paying spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog at LRM Park. Christophe Barreau was the appointed referee with assistance provided by José Luis Tamajón and Fred Dahl. LRM had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. Lineup: Vanstipelen - Alferink, Guagnetti, Stokes - Vouardoux, Semertzis, Kragh, Kehrhahn, Gilbert - Conceição, Cucu.

Weber decided to use a 4-5-1 set up. Starters: Ringsborg - Le Floch, Pastoriza, Rüf, Mann - Tungstål, Chastain, Brun, Bentili, Bruheim - Inurrieta.

Weber took the lead after S. Inurrieta curved a free kick into the net. 0 - 1 The referee showed LRM's A. Kragh the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. After a fatal mistake from the away team's right side defence 16 minutes into the match, an alert E. Cucu bagged the ball for LRM, levelling the score to 1 - 1. With 25 minutes gone, a long pass from the defence of Weber resulted in a counterattack that set S. Inurrieta free through the middle, but the keeper made a spectacular diving save. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave E. Mann from Weber a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 36 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! It was 1 - 1 at the break. Weber claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 52 percent.

As the 46 minute mark approached, the Weber coach decided it was time for a substitution. A. Bruheim reluctantly made way for K. Rupiński on the pitch. Weber had several good opportunities to take the lead, especially 56 minutes in when S. Inurrieta came up alone against M. Vanstipelen who managed a block. Some quick footwork on the left side of the field 72 minutes into the match left Weber's T. Le Floch completely free to score. 1 - 2 for the visitors. Some things can only be learned through experience, and A. Stokes should take his lesson to heart after nearly gifting Weber a goal with 81 minutes of the match played. On any other day, A. Kragh's free kick would have found the back of the net to tie the game for LRM, but not today - the visitors' keeper displayed extraordinary reflexes as he blocked the shot harmlessly to the side. Weber increased their lead after 83 minutes when E. Mann broke through on the right, upping the score to 1 - 3, much to the home crowd's dismay. The players of Weber now seemed to think the job was done and acted more defensively, just waiting for the ref to blow the final whistle. The boggy pitch disrupted the game, especially for technical players like S. Inurrieta. Some fine movement on the left led to a Weber goal after 87 minutes, making it 1 - 4. J. Brun was noted down as the scorer. With 88 minutes played, a quick exchange of passes on the left wing freed J. Brun of Weber to slip through the defence and score another goal for the visitors. That made the score 1 - 5. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Weber, with 55 percent of the ball.

LRM's top performer was clearly A. Kragh. A. Stokes was a disappointment, however. Most important Weber player was E. Mann. On the other hand, A. Ringsborg's play was disheartening. The match ends 1 - 5.