Challenge

September
Spectators: 45 (Terracing: 35, Seating: 10, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Sten Askestät started the match with the kick off. After having played for 2 minutes, Gustaaf Groeneveldt managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Netherlands's supporters crossed their fingers, but Gustaaf Groeneveldt was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Sten Askestät in the 4thth minute had a little luck and got a chance for a shot in front of the goal. Without hesitation aimed to the right of Arnout Reekers, who managed to lunge to the right direction and made a save. Stamen Kapitanov made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Gijsbert ter Kruimer in the 6th minute of play. In the 7th match minute, Netherlands was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Bas Tuitert to maneuver through the defense. 14 minutes into the match, Netherlands's Gijsbert ter Kruimer sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Stamen Kapitanov narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Thomas Grelsson hit a great freekick 16 minutes into the match. After 17 played minutes, Netherlands's Gijsbert ter Kruimer shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Stamen Kapitanov came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in Netherlands reached it. 20 minutes into the game, Gust Ennemans threw the ball into play from the sideline. FC Builder Sofia's Murilo Pirani quickly snatched the ball and retained possesion. If Sten Askestät had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 21st minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Stamen Kapitanov showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Gijsbert ter Kruimer in the 23rd minute of the match. A sloppy throw-in by Gust Ennemans in the 28th minute of the game went astray and was snapped up by FC Builder Sofia's Murilo Pirani. If Wim Wilmes had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 30th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Sten Askestät sent away a hard shot on goal in the 33rd minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Sten Askestäts short, quick shot in the 35thth minute got Arnout Reekers to make great effort and bar the ball away from getting in. The audience thought a goal was coming when Dobri Zhablenski got free with Arnout Reekers in the 41st minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. After the first half the score was level. The break gave the players a chance to catch their breath, whilst the managers went over the tactics with them again.

The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Gijsbert ter Kruimer was the one to do the kick off. In the 55th minute, Gijsbert ter Kruimer got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. In the 63rd minute Sten Askestät shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Arnout Reekers saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. With a little luck, FC Builder Sofia's Stamen Kapitanov got control of the ball when Wim Wilmes tried to sneak it across the goal line. Gijsbert ter Kruimer sent away a hard shot on goal in the 65th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Stamen Kapitanov took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Wim Wilmes, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. In the 75th minute, Dobri Zhablenski hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Wim Wilmes received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 76th minute. Stamen Kapitanov tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. When the match had gone on for 82 minutes, Wim Wilmes took a quick shot and it went in 0-1 without a chance for Stamen Kapitanov to make any attempt to save it. Sten Askestät might have been able to make a better finish in the 85th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Arnout Reekers. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Sten Askestät ran back to his position shaking his head. After having played for 91 minutes, Wim Wilmes managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Netherlands's supporters crossed their fingers, but Wim Wilmes was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. After a rather tough play, FC Builder Sofia's Yulian Ivanov got a free kick in the 92nd minute. Netherlands played a much better game than FC Builder Sofia and deserved their victory. The FC Builder Sofia players were clearly disappointed as they left the ground.