Freeze 0 - 7 Tharros (394310863)

It had rained all day, but 297 hardy fans still made it out to Maracanà Stadium. Eugen Maroslavac was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Paul Nicoarã and Fabrizio Vecchiato. Freeze tactics involved an interesting 4-3-3 combination. Lineup: Bondyra - Hoffer, Schlender, Jungen, Pivato - Gabrielli, Özbey, Sabé - Berkelman, Haiduc, Iotti.

Tharros decided to use a 4-4-2 set up. They fielded: Karatan - Alvarinho, Pecher, Tavecchio, Connor - Pouilliers, Leuzzi, Masetti, Batu - Zappia, Sarandrea.

Freeze clearly preferred using their ability to attack in the middle. After 15 minutes, Tharros's N. Batu made his way through the middle and nonchalantly placed the ball out of the keeper's reach, putting the visitors up 0 - 1. With 17 minutes played, Tharros put themselves up 0 - 2 after an attack from the right, caused by a defensive blunder. The scorer was D. Zappia. A drive down the left side allowed W. Tavecchio to get in close and score another goal for Tharros after 28 minutes, taking the score to 0 - 3. L. Berkelman challenged the visitors' central defence eagerly, producing a good chance 32 minutes into the game as he went for a through ball. But, as so many times before, the guests' defensive efforts got the best of it. N. Batu stunned the crowd with a brilliant counterattack from the left, giving Tharros the goal to make it 0 - 4. The visitors added to their lead 34 minutes into the game, after a sensational penalty kick by Tharros's D. Zappia slid just past the home keeper. 0 - 5. The players of Tharros now seemed to think the job was done and acted more defensively, just waiting for the ref to blow the final whistle. L. Pouilliers, who often relies on his speed, had a rotten day on the drenched grass. 40 minutes into the game, Tharros worked the left side industriously creating several opportunities to add to their lead, but just couldn't apply the finishing touch. It was 0 - 5 at the break. Possession in this half belonged to Tharros, who controlled the ball 76 percent of the time.

Some fine movement on the left led to a Tharros goal after 56 minutes, making it 0 - 6. D. Pecher was noted down as the scorer. After 64 minutes, a mistake by the home side's left defence allowed N. Batu to get through. He outclassed the home side's keeper, adding another goal for the visitors. 0 - 7. This third goal completed a hattrick for N. Batu. J. Bondyra got a fingertip on M. Connor's shot from the left 79 minutes in, and managed to keep the visitors from going up another goal. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by Tharros, with 75 percent of the ball.

Freeze's top performer was clearly S. Iotti. J. Bondyra on the other hand, had a terrible day. M. Connor performed admirably for Tharros. R. Sarandrea was a disappointment, however. The match ends 0 - 7.