League

Sala Polivalenta
Spectators: 7655 (Terracing: 5743, Seating: 1760, VIP seats: 152) Hartau's Mihnea Cârnu started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. Mihnea Cârnu received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 3rd minute. Irinel Cângea tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The audience thought a goal was coming when Ovidiu Popete got free with Marcel Lupea in the 6th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. With a little luck, Hartau's Marcel Lupea got control of the ball when Ovidiu Popete tried to sneak it across the goal line. Alexandru Pavelescu blasted a shot towards the goal in the 13th minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Marcel Lupea having to make a save. Marcel Lupea showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Corneliu Astafei in the 17th minute of the match. Mihnea Cârnu fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 21st minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Irinel Cângea having to interfere. After 24 played minutes Hartau got a freekick which was hit by Damian Videanu. Corneliu Astafei sent away a hard shot on goal in the 25th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. When Mihnea Cârnu came up free with the goalie in the 27th minute, the Hartau fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Mihnea Cârnu couldn't finish the play. Sever Bobe took the ball and in the 29 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Irinel Cângea. Irinel Cângea dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 0-1. When Aristide Ilarie came up free with the goalie in the 35th minute, the Hartau fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Aristide Ilarie couldn't finish the play. In the 38th minute, FCC ICIM Arad's Ovidiu Popete ran free of his marker and smoothly shot the ball into the goal behind Marcel Lupea. Marcel Lupea yelled at his defense, as they had left him out to dry. 1-1. Ovidiu Popete received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 42nd minute. Marcel Lupea tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. 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.

In the 53rd minute, Mihnea Cârnu 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. Marcel Lupea showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Corneliu Astafei, who was totally free with the ball in the 55th minute. After a defensive mix-up in FCC ICIM Arad's zone, Aristide Ilarie stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Irinel Cângea came out of the goal and Aristide Ilarie tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Ovidiu Popete in the 58th minute of play forced Hartau's goalkeeper Marcel Lupea to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. 60 minutes into the match, Hartau's goal looked a bit too open when Florin Măgherușan came free, but Marcel Lupea reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Florin Măgherușan hit a great freekick 62 minutes into the match. After 64 played minutes Hartau got a freekick which was hit by Sebastian Gherguț. Hartau's Marcel Lupea played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Ovidiu Popete in the 70th minute of play. Aristide Ilarie might have been able to make a better finish in the 71st minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Irinel Cângea. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Aristide Ilarie ran back to his position shaking his head. 78 minutes into the match, Ovidiu Popete had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Marcel Lupea. Hartau's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Ovidiu Popete was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 2-1. If Mihnea Cârnu had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 81st minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Aristide Ilarie fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 89th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Irinel Cângea having to interfere. In the 91st minute Ovidiu Popete shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Marcel Lupea saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. FCC ICIM Arad's attentive Corneliu Astafei managed to snatch the ball when Virgil Lupu made a throw-in in the 93rd minute of the game. Corneliu Astafei took the ball and in the 94 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Marcel Lupea. Marcel Lupea dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 3-1. FCC ICIM Arad's fans were exulted and cheered after their team won in a match that could easily have gone the other way.