maccabi 9 - 0 Althing (394228889)

Due to an all-day shower, 3253 paying spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog at maccabi maimon Arena. Carlos Peña was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Rune Wessel and Sigi von Wiederbauer. maccabi had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. Lineup: Constantinescu - Garagnani, Penders, Tyyri - Shalom, Paul, Ben-Harush, Eirron, Gačič - Pacior, Mamula.

A 4-4-2 alignment was the formation of choice for Althing. The following players had been chosen: Gissurarson - Baldvinsson, Hallmundarson, Dungal, Edílonsson - Gunnbjörnsson, Rósbergsson, Þorfinnsson, Jóhannsson - Sigurþórsson, Sævarðsson.

The home side put themselves ahead 1 - 0 after 15 minutes courtesy of a breakthrough from A. Mamula, who scored with a stunning volley following a cross from the right wing. maccabi solidified their lead at the 18 minute mark, as E. Pacior dribbled the ball through the opposing central defence and scored to make it 2 - 0. Confident in their lead, maccabi's players relaxed and focused more on defending the lead than increasing it. maccabi's T. Garagnani was shown a yellow card after 22 minutes for slicing down an opponent. After 26 minutes, a couple of quick and successful challenges followed by a shot from just outside the penalty area by E. Pacior might have resulted in another goal for maccabi. However, A. Gissurarson made a spectacular save. The maccabi free kick 36 minutes into the match seemed wasted, as the shot was both short and off target. But was this actually a plan? The ball landed at the feet of A. Mamula, who was completely unmarked in the box. That's 3 - 0! 37 minutes into the match maccabi's R. Shalom viciously shoved another player from behind while going for a loose ball and was sent off the pitch with a red card. It was a bad day for the usually speedy E. Pacior. The mud seemed to slow him down. Things were deteriorating for the away team as maccabi scored another to make it 4 - 0 after a left side attack resulted in a goal for M. Gačič after 39 minutes. 4 - 0 was the halftime score. maccabi claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 79 percent.

maccabi's M. Gačič increased the lead to 5 - 0, after he saw his shot go between the legs of the advancing goalkeeper following some good play down the right wing after 49 minutes. The home side's E. Pacior curled a free kick home after 59 minutes, putting maccabi ahead 6 - 0. A magnificent combination in the middle resulted in maccabi's T. Garagnani increasing the lead to 7 - 0. Things were going to get worse for the visitors. A. Mamula squirmed through their central defence after 76 minutes, increasing the lead to 8 - 0. That made three goals for A. Mamula and he was marked down for the hat trick. After 83 minutes, maccabi's E. Pacior found the back of the goal with a beautiful free kick. 9 - 0. That was his third goal of the match - a hat trick for E. Pacior. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by maccabi, with 76 percent of the ball.

maccabi's top performer was clearly A. Mamula. T. Garagnani turned in a dismal performance, however. The most dominating Althing player was without a doubt Á. Sævarðsson. On the other hand, A. Gissurarson's play was disheartening. The match ends 9 - 0.