U23 World League

HOWL
Spectators: 7721 (Terracing: 5792, Seating: 1775, VIP seats: 154) The field was rather wet after several days of rain when Fondas Nebegleras took the kick off in the first half of the match. Julian Abilio's late challenge caught a Saronida FC's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Julian Abilio helped the player get up and apologised. In the 4th minute, Julian Abilio hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Tasos Brizolakos was a little too slow when Lun Luna got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 12th minute. The score was now 1-0. Lun Luna came free with the goalkeeper in the 29th minute of the match, and shot straight on target. The shot was a little too simple and Tasos Brizolakos could save by the left post. Saronida FC's Tasos Brizolakos played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Astor Barbosa in the 33rd minute of play. 35 minutes into the match, Howling Dawn U18's Lun Luna sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Tasos Brizolakos narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Howling Dawn U18's attacker deliberately struck the ball against an opponent to win a corner for his team. The corner was taken by Mercurio Mercurio in the 36th minute. Mercurio Mercurio made a great header on Howling Dawn U18's corner, it was just that Saronida FC's Tasos Brizolakos managed to reach the ball for a save. In the 37th minute Chrisostomos Balodimos shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Enzo Shantala saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Astor Barbosa received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 40th minute. Tasos Brizolakos tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Camilo Sanchez hit a great freekick 42 minutes into the match. The away team players looked dejected as the walked off the pitch at half time. They had fought hard, but were still losing 1-0.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Astor Barbosa to make the kick off. In the 52nd minute, Lun Luna 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. Tasos Brizolakos showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Lun Luna in the 55th minute of the match. In the 61st match minute, Saronida FC was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Thanasis Vasilopoulos to maneuver through the defense. Saronida FC made a substitution. Sotiris Pavlidis replaced Stamatis Agathakis. After 61 played minutes Saronida FC got a freekick which was hit by Thanasis Vasilopoulos. 64 minutes in the game, Minas Rodanakis fired away an excellent shot, which passed to the side of the right post without Enzo Shantala having to interfere. After 65 minutes, Astor Barbosa mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Howling Dawn U18 and the Saronida FC players grew even worse after the yellow card. A collision led to Howling Dawn U18 getting a freekick after 65 minutes play. Astor Barbosa hit a great ball. Lun Luna fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 68th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Tasos Brizolakos having to interfere. After 69 played minutes Howling Dawn U18 got a freekick which was hit by Julian Abilio. Howling Dawn U18 made a substitution. Maximiliano Bilbo replaced Astor Barbosa. After some fancy dribbling in the 74th minute, Mercurio Mercurio managed to get in a good position for a shot. Howling Dawn U18's supporters rose to their feet, but Mercurio Mercurio was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Tasos Brizolakos breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Baldomiro Jerrald received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 77th minute. Tasos Brizolakos tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Baldomiro Jerrald might have been able to make a better finish in the 84th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Tasos Brizolakos. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Baldomiro Jerrald ran back to his position shaking his head. Tasos Brizolakos showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Baldomiro Jerrald, who was totally free with the ball in the 84th minute. 87 minutes into the match, Baldomiro Jerrald notched a goal, 3-0, to the right of Saronida FC's Tasos Brizolakos. Tasos Brizolakos was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. Nikos Loverdos got a throw-in 92 minutes in the game and the ball was received by Kostas Vouzounerakis. After having played for 95 minutes, Chrisostomos Balodimos managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Saronida FC's supporters crossed their fingers, but Chrisostomos Balodimos was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. For all the effort they put into the match, the Saronida FC players left disappointed. They had fought hard, but couldn't break down the home team's defense. The match ended in a win for Howling Dawn U18.