Prized/Friendly Cup

Carlos A. Barbieri
Spectators: 36 (Terracing: 28, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) NIKE Academy's Marco Van Der Taelen 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. 3 minutes into the game, Todd Gronow cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 1-0. Ola Wall was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Todd Gronow recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 8th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Ola Wall stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Todd Gronow's shot from short distance in the 19th minute. After a rather tough play, Barbieri de Ituzaingó FC's Inaki Mirabal got a free kick in the 20th minute. In the 26th minute, Todd Gronow reached a very good position and smashed the ball with a huge effort into the net, just to the left of Ola Wall. The goal made the score 2-1. Barbieri de Ituzaingó FC's Abelardo Janpier played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Marco Van Der Taelen in the 30th minute of play. Thomas Termander hit a great freekick 35 minutes into the match. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Marco Van Der Taelen in the 45th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Abelardo Janpier saved Barbieri de Ituzaingó FC from getting behind. All the noise was coming from the home fans when the whistle went for half-time. The home team had fought hardest to put themselves in a deserved lead.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Todd Gronow stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. NIKE Academy's Ola Wall played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Todd Gronow in the 51st minute of play. 52 minutes into the match, NIKE Academy's Marco Van Der Taelen sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Abelardo Janpier narrowly saved just below the crossbar. After 57 played minutes NIKE Academy got a freekick which was hit by Thomas Termander. An unexpectedly hard shot by Oskar Lägdin in the 69th minute of play forced Barbieri de Ituzaingó FC's goalkeeper Abelardo Janpier to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Zula Turek hit a great freekick 73 minutes into the match. The supporters of NIKE Academy booed when Barbieri de Ituzaingó FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 75 match minutes in a wonderful position. Zula Turek didn't get a good kick on the ball. Fausto Agüero kicked well hit freekick during the 77th minute of the match. NIKE Academy made a substitution. Blagojče Michalashvili replaced Robert Mühren. Fausto Agüero hit a great freekick 78 minutes into the match. Abelardo Janpier made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Oskar Lägdin in the 83rd minute of play. In the 84th minute Todd Gronow shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Ola Wall saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 95th minute the ball was on its way in behind NIKE Academy's goalkeeper Ola Wall, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar.

Barbieri de Ituzaingó FC's fans were exulted and cheered after their team won in a match that could easily have gone the other way.