Zerograd 2 - 2 brinkmens (392778648)

Due to an all-day shower, 741 paying spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog at Vladimir Maiakovski. Harry Rimer was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Jorge Millán and Moreno Naftziger. Zerograd decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. They fielded: Guignard - Khosrovyan, Landry, Duvivier - Raynaud, Roland, Baudry, Lepage, Foy - Champion, El Bekri.

brinkmens tactics involved an interesting 5-4-1 combination. The following players had been chosen: Hoarau - Vasseur, Paul, Pignon, Rey, Dupuis - Dzienia, Lavatelli, Servais, Bottlik - Cotroneo.

The game was characterised by rough play and many physical challenges on the wet field, but F. Champion showed great heart and had a good game. Zerograd took the lead 38 minutes into the match after a magnificent free kick by S. Raynaud that made the score 1 - 0. 39 minutes in, brinkmens appeared unsure on how to play and their organisation was only inadequate. A magnificent combination in the middle resulted in Zerograd's A. Duvivier increasing the lead to 2 - 0. brinkmens had to make a substitution after 41 minutes. S. Hoarau limped off the field and was replaced by V. Egerton. At 43 minutes, the visitors got a chance to reduce the score when a penalty was awarded, but C. Cotroneo, intimidated by the crowd, missed it. Zerograd put in a good effort on the right, but F. Foy saw his volley fly wide of the mark 44 minutes into the game. It was a bad day for the usually speedy T. El Bekri. The mud seemed to slow him down. Zerograd's S. Raynaud somehow missed a penalty 44 minutes into the match, much to the crowd's displeasure. 2 - 0 was the halftime score. Possession in this half belonged to Zerograd, who controlled the ball 60 percent of the time.

Despite his frustration resulting in the smashing of a few teacups, the coach of brinkmens was able to get his message across, and raised brinkmens's organisation to solid. brinkmens managed to reduce the score to 2 - 1 as J. Rey finished off a well-played combination from the left, easily carving through the defence. Some brilliant football from the visitors' right wing resulted in a levelling of the score as brinkmens's C. Cotroneo put the ball in the onion bag after 72 minutes to make it 2 - 2. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Zerograd, with 56 percent of the ball.

The most dominating Zerograd player was without a doubt F. Champion. A. Duvivier was a disappointment, however. Most important brinkmens player was C. Cotroneo. On the other hand, S. Vasseur's play was disheartening. The match ends 2 - 2.