Sico 3 - 0 Badal (393544888)

The 1518 fans in attendance at QUASH Arena were roasting in the hot sun. Erik Swartjes was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Hartmut Schmising and Albert de Bakker. Sico decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. Starters: Rojas - Bonal, Delogu, La Malfa - Michielan, Aišmontas, Potenza, Răduţă, Soto Martínez - Banchelli, van Wonderen.

Badal tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. They fielded: Janas - Sanz López, Bagó, Besora - Kepes, Smulders, Fraga, Delicado, Peled - Rossman, Fredes.

Down the middle came Y. Peled, making a fantastic play that nearly had Badal take the lead after 14 minutes, but A. Rojas preserved the tie. 16 minutes in, Badal's Y. Peled received a yellow card for going into a challenge studs first. They were singing the praises of M. Michielan 17 minutes into the match after his speculative chip from the middle of the penalty box found its way over the visitors' keeper to make the score 1 - 0 to Sico. Sico's A. Potenza swung in a good chance from the left, but the visitors' defence were able to clear the ball. With 21 minutes of the game having been played, F. Delicado received a blow to the hip in a collision and was unable to continue. Badal, with no available replacements, now faced the prospect of finishing the game with a reduced number of players. Sico solidified their lead at the 22 minute mark, as G. Delogu dribbled the ball through the opposing central defence and scored to make it 2 - 0. A great save by keeper T. Janas after 39 minutes kept the visitors in the game after F. Banchelli struck from the left with a real cannonball. The teams went for the halftime break at 2 - 0. Sico claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 69 percent.

The fierce heat made it important to save breath, and after a few swift runs A. Besora found it hard to get back into position. E. van Wonderen really should have scored when he was chosen by fate to confront a wide open goal following a great play by F. Banchelli after a corner. Sico put themselves up 3 - 0 when F. Banchelli broke through on the right, leaving the entire defence trailing in his wake. Confident in their lead, Sico's players relaxed and focused more on defending the lead than increasing it. F. Banchelli had a fantastic opportunity to put Sico up another goal 79 minutes into the match, but he fired just over the crossbar. With 80 minutes played, F. Banchelli could have brought this one home for Sico as he charged up on the left, but his hooked ball went just a bit too high. The home side's J. Bonal came close to extending the lead 82 minutes into the game. His shot came in from the right hand side but T. Janas managed to save it with an unbelievable reaction stop. Sico had most of the ball, with 70 percent of possession.

Sico's top performer was clearly E. van Wonderen. However, A. Potenza made a disastrous appearance. Badal's best player was N. Sanz López. T. Janas was a disappointment, however. The match ends 3 - 0.