TEAM 6 - 5 loire (393043302)

1241 punters turned up at SNT TEAM Arena, and despite threatening clouds on the horizon, no rain came. Torsten Wilde was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Daniel Peinlich and Zefos Christopoulakis. TEAM had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. Lineup: Zondag - Covas, Caudal, Kieliszczyk - Ležaić, Hansson, Hârbu, Fernee, Batubara - Asfer, Oberwinter.

loire tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. Starters: Gould - Pirzada, Lebourg, Canedo - Davidsson, Even, Lagnier, Thorvaldsen, Valère - Benedito, Roussel.

TEAM tried to focus their attacks down the middle. loire's K. Thorvaldsen managed to lose the defenders as he advanced down the right wing and scored, putting the visitors ahead after 22 minutes. 0 - 1. T. Ležaić of TEAM was booked for kicking the ball away after the whistle. TEAM put pressure on the visitors' central defence 30 minutes into the game, but H. Oberwinter couldn't find an opening. With 32 minutes played, A. Pirzada of loire fell dramatically just outside the penalty area. However, the referee was unimpressed, and booked him for diving. C. Benedito of loire displayed some of his fantastic technical abilities when he brought the ball down neatly using his instep before nutmegging the bewildered K. Kieliszczyk and smashing an unstoppable shot past the goalkeeper to make it 0 - 2. By now, the players in loire felt that victory was guaranteed and began to play it safe, focusing on defence and not risking too much going forward. TEAM were awarded a penalty 40 minutes into the match and D. Covas fired the ball into the net to make the score 1 - 2. Had it not been for one of the home defenders, É. Valère would have put loire up another goal 42 minutes into the match with his audacious lob from the right wing. T. Ležaić of TEAM seemed to be floating in the air as he elegantly headed in to make the score 2 - 2 after a corner kick that was nicely executed by D. Covas. The terraces were silenced after 44 minutes when loire's L. Canedo put the guests ahead 2 - 3, following an attack on the right. After 44 minutes of play, H. Oberwinter equalised for TEAM after an elegant attack from the right. 3 - 3 was the halftime score. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by TEAM, with 51 percent of the ball.

The home crowd was not impressed by the fancy moves of loire's C. Benedito after 58 minutes. He converted a pass from the left for a goal, resulting in the visitors taking the 3 - 4 lead. After 60 minutes, loire felt secure enough to make a tactical change. C. Benedito and K. Thorvaldsen assumed each others positions on the field. loire's D. Lebourg got himself booked for a foul. Content with how the game was proceeding, the loire coach let G. Carlsson replace L. Canedo after 70 minutes. With a shot curled in from just outside the middle of the penalty area after 72 minutes played, H. Oberwinter of TEAM made the score 4 - 4. Some things can only be learned through experience, and L. Hârbu should take his lesson to heart after nearly gifting loire a goal with 74 minutes of the match played. TEAM were determined to attack in the middle, even their wing attacks ended up centrally. Making his way up the middle 84 minutes into the match, T. Ležaić almost managed to squeeze a goal past the visitors' keeper, but the alert L. Gould blocked it to keep the score level. TEAM took the lead after 85 minutes as a result of E. Caudal's peach of a shot from the right hand side of the box - placed beautifully in the top corner. 5 - 4. TEAM's D. Covas had to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines, after twisting his ankle with 86 minutes having been played. E. Leisto was the replacement. The TEAM captaincy was handed to E. Leisto. D. Lebourg finished off a quick charge from the left of the field by chipping the ball just past the home side's keeper, making the score 5 - 5 88 minutes into the match. loire's A. Pirzada could have put the guests one up after 88 minutes after chasing a through ball from the right, but K. Zondag was as fast as a snake, grabbing the ball from under his nose. TEAM enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 58 percent of possession.

As neither team was able to break the deadlock before the end of regular play, the teams took to the field again for extra time. TEAM had a good opportunity to attack on the wing, but remembered their instructions to go for middle attacks. T. Ležaić gave TEAM the lead as he successfully challenged the guests' central defenders, then slotted the ball into the bottom corner, giving the keeper no chance. 6 - 5 What a dramatic win for TEAM! The most dominating TEAM player was without a doubt H. Oberwinter. E. Leisto on the other hand, had a terrible day. loire's best player was G. Carlsson. C. Benedito was a disappointment, however. The match ends 6 - 5.