STARFIRE 0 - 3 Mollier (393819872)

3088 fans braved the pouring rain at Yağmur Arena. Bernard Posavec was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Crispin Kiser and Stéphane Brisson. STARFIRE tactics involved an interesting 3-4-3 combination. They fielded: Laçin - Ruhbach, Urhan, Buzuloiu - Santos Morais, Flachsmann, Cova, Börjesson - Adomat, Robertsson, Reichstein.

Mollier decided to use a 2-5-3 set up. The following players had been chosen: Markov - Buculei, Cohuo - Raymi, Maximov, Petkov, Georgiev, Filipov - Stoyanov, Zerdev, Lazarov.

A. Petkov did not have a good day today, often losing his footing on the muddy pitch. After 11 minutes, Mollier put themselves up 0 - 1, as G. Buculei finished off a strike from the left with a real cannonball of a shot. After 28 minutes of play, Mollier's E. Zerdev unexpectedly struck an inside out ball from no angle at all and A. Lazarov slotted it into the net for 0 - 2. By now, the players in Mollier felt that victory was guaranteed and began to play it safe, focusing on defence and not risking too much going forward. The home side worked their way through the middle and almost got one back when C. Buzuloiu tried to sneak the ball past the keeper. G. Markov was too alert for that! 0 - 2 was the score after the first half. Possession in this half belonged to STARFIRE, who controlled the ball 56 percent of the time.

With 46 minutes played, the STARFIRE coach decided a substitution may help turn the game around. D. Budgen came on, H. Börjesson had to leave the fray. The home side worked hard to get through the middle and as a result, had a good chance of getting one back as M. Flachsmann tried lifting the ball over keeper G. Markov. Unfortunately, the ball went just over the bar. STARFIRE's D. Budgen was shown a yellow card for standing over the ball and blocking an opponent's quick free kick after 83 minutes. With 86 minutes played, Mollier's well-worked indirect free kick caused havoc in the penalty area, and when the ball eventually fell to A. Lazarov he gleefully slotted the ball home to make it 0 - 3. G. Buculei didn't let the weather get him down and made some great moves on the pitch in spite of the rain. A defender managed to keep the ball from crossing the goal-line after a curling shot coming in from the right from R. Cohuo after 89 minutes, and prevented Mollier from going up another goal. Good work by the STARFIRE defensive line after 89 minutes produced a good counterattack chance, which cut elegantly down the middle of the pitch and found K. Ruhbach alone in front of the goal, but his shot whistled just wide. STARFIRE had most of the ball, with 55 percent of possession.

A. Cova performed admirably for STARFIRE. N. Robertsson was a disappointment, however. The most dominating Mollier player was without a doubt G. Buculei. H. Filipov on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 0 - 3.