Malaspina 2 - 2 Riccardopolo (366212331)

The 15946 fans in attendance at Arca Stadium were roasting in the hot sun. Florian Magdanz-Schwarz was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Rubén Sueiras and Lajos Szita. Malaspina had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. They fielded: Alsina - Brotto, Al hamdaan, Horb - Brothers, Campolo, Ayora, Sajur, Giusto - Murdoch, Camarón.

Riccardopolo tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. Starters: Eriksson - Korošec, Sãvoiu, Carlsen - Buster, García, Weine, Angelov, Tambosi - Hervé, Langenegger.

The wings were the focus of most of Malaspina's attacks today. Riccardopolo were mostly trying to use their skill at attacking on the flanks. 8 minutes into the game, J. Hervé had a great chance to put his team ahead, but his kick from the left went wide. Riccardopolo took the lead after M. Buster curved a free kick into the net. 0 - 1 29 minutes into the game, T. Campolo had to leave the pitch due to a knee injury. In came B. Żaba. 32 minutes into the game, P. Camarón came close to levelling the score with a dangerous shot from the centre of the area that went just over the bar. Malaspina's B. Żaba placed the ball right at his teammate's feet after a corner, but A. Horb couldn't finish. With the crowd on their feet chanting wildly, some great moves down the right hand side after 39 minutes gave Malaspina a wonderful opportunity to level the score, and A. Horb stepped up to the challenge. 1 - 1 41 minutes into the match, Riccardopolo nearly took the lead, as J. Hervé broke through on the right. P. Alsina made the save, however. It was 1 - 1 at the break. Malaspina had most of the ball, with 53 percent of possession.

After 47 minutes, Riccardopolo's M. Langenegger made his way through the middle and nonchalantly placed the ball out of the keeper's reach, putting the visitors up 1 - 2. Riccardopolo had a good opportunity to attack in the middle, but remembered their instructions to focus on wing attacks instead. J. Hervé could have put his team up another goal 52 minutes into the game, after a rush down the left, but his closing shot hit the post. M. Langenegger's technique was perfect on this sunny day and led to some breathtaking tricks that bamboozled the defence. With 72 minutes played, J. García nearly put the visitors another one up as he broke through in the middle and fired from just outside the box, but his shot passed just over the bar. With 73 minutes played, Malaspina's P. Camarón found an opening in the visitors' left side defence, but his shot was handled easily by the keeper. 82 minutes in, and Malaspina were able to score the equalising goal to make it 2 - 2 when S. Ayora picked up a pass coming in from the right and chipped it past the away team's keeper. Malaspina claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 60 percent.

Malaspina's best player was R. Murdoch. P. Alsina on the other hand, had a terrible day. The most dominating Riccardopolo player was without a doubt M. Langenegger. S. Eriksson was a disappointment, however. The match ends 2 - 2.