mateco 0 - 3 STONE (392729995)

Overcast weather free of rain made for a crowd turnout of 1229 at mateco Arena 1 today. Ludomił Wojewnik was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Barnabas Schmutz and Wayne Schmeink. mateco tactics involved an interesting 5-3-2 combination. They fielded: Picca - Ambroż, van Aalderen, Jandzsó, Matsson, Izdebski - Zaldierna, Bontekoe, Sanzhar - Gürpınar, Machula.

STONE started off with a 4-4-2 lineup. The following players had been chosen: Mackiewicz - Tobulevičius, Zucchi, Spada, Luttitz - Holland, Plaza, Duchatel, Ruiz de Castilla - Bankl, Bauer.

Using their counter-attacking abilities was the strategy of choice for mateco. The visitors grabbed the lead after K. Bankl's free kick succeeded, resulting in a score of 0 - 1. A defender managed to keep the ball from crossing the goal-line after a curling shot coming in from the right from H. Tobulevičius after 24 minutes, and prevented STONE from going up another goal. Coming in from the right, mateco had a good opportunity to convert on a counterattack after 25 minutes, but L. Matsson's attempt to finish was easily stopped. G. Spada increased the visitors' lead by putting a volley away after a pass from the right. 0 - 2. Speedy J. Machula tried one of his patented rushes 39 minutes into the game, but G. Spada was just as fast and averted the attack. After 40 minutes, a mistake by the home side's left defence allowed K. Bankl to get through. He outclassed the home side's keeper, adding another goal for the visitors. 0 - 3. Halftime score was 0 - 3. STONE claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 85 percent.

After the ball was lifted in from the left, I. Ruiz de Castilla was on his own in the home side's penalty area and should have scored after 55 minutes, but missed, probably due to lack of concentration. Some things can only be learned through experience, and L. Matsson should take his lesson to heart after nearly gifting STONE a goal with 61 minutes of the match played. After 63 minutes, STONE were awarded a free kick. Rather than shooting straight at goal, the taker went for an indirect variant which seemed to take his team mates a bit by surprise. E. Duchatel did attempt a finish, but from an awkward position, sending the ball into the away fans. With the clock showing 64 minutes played, a great pass from the defensive line of mateco resulted in a counterattack that was smoothly brought under control by J. Machula in the centre of the opposition's penalty area, but his finish went high. S. Luttitz could have put his team up another goal 79 minutes into the game, after a rush down the left, but his closing shot hit the post. G. Picca kept the home side in the game with a magnificent save when K. Bankl delivered an almost perfect free kick to the far post. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by STONE, with 85 percent of the ball.

mateco's best player was M. Gürpınar. F. Bontekoe was a disappointment, however. Most important STONE player was S. Bauer. On the other hand, P. Mackiewicz's play was disheartening. The match ends 0 - 3.