Friendly League

Claudio D. Borghi
Spectators: 38 (Terracing: 29, Seating: 9, VIP seats: 0) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Sven de Zwaan got the match started through his kick off. Rigoberto Nazario came out of the goal in the 3rd minute to try and stop a shot by Fc Benefica's Leandro Soares. But to his dismay, Leandro Soares quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 0-1. Leandro Soares's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Rigoberto Nazario read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 10th minute of play. Damien Bakker kicked well hit freekick during the 16th minute of the match. Fc Benefica's Eduard Gryshko managed, thanks to a brazen rush, stole the ball on a throw-in made by Iurie Azamfirei in the 19 minute of the game. After having played for 20 minutes, Jens van Basten managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Fc Benefica's supporters crossed their fingers, but Jens van Basten was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Fc Benefica's Leandro Soares got a good chance for a goal in the 23rd minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. 25 minutes into the game, Leandro Soares cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 0-2. Rigoberto Nazario was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Leandro Soares might have been able to make a better finish in the 33rd minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Rigoberto Nazario. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Leandro Soares ran back to his position shaking his head. Rigoberto Nazario showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Leandro Soares, who was totally free with the ball in the 33rd minute. In the 35th minute, one of Argentinos Juniors:s players had the ball in front of the goal but got pushed and fell. The referee felt it was an obvious case and blew a penalty for Argentinos Juniors. The referee gave Fc Benefica a penalty, 36 minutes into the game. The penalty shot was made by Leandro Soares, who made a well placed shot into the net to the right of Argentinos Juniors's Rigoberto Nazario. 0-3. Fc Benefica's Leandro Soares got a good chance for a goal in the 40th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. The corner led to Fc Benefica's David Wilmink getting away a dangerous shot that went just outside the goal. After 46 minutes of play, Fc Benefica's Leandro Soares made it 0-4 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Rigoberto Nazario was left in no man's land by his defense there! After the first half Fc Benefica were leading 0-4. They had played with great self confidence throughout the first half and fully deserved their lead.

When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Leandro Soares made a kick off. The Fc Benefica fans' excitement grew in the 56th match minute when Fc Benefica's Leandro Soares looked to have a clear shot with the ball near the goal. The shot wasn't hard, but the ball still rolled over the goal line to make it 0-5 before the goalkeeper had a chance to intervene. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Sven de Zwaan in the 59th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Taco Uebels saved Fc Benefica from getting behind. In the 62nd minute the ball was on its way in behind Argentinos Juniors's goalkeeper Rigoberto Nazario, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. With a little luck, Argentinos Juniors's Rigoberto Nazario got control of the ball when Leandro Soares tried to sneak it across the goal line. In the 67th minute, Leandro Soares ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Rigoberto Nazario was frozen by the shot and now it was 0-6. In the 71st minute Leandro Soares shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Rigoberto Nazario saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. The audience was convinced that Leandro Soares's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Rigoberto Nazario was relentless in the 80th minute of the game. The crowd rose to their feet as Leandro Soares kicked a wonderful shot that went in to the left of a diving Rigoberto Nazario. That made the score 0-7 in the 82 minute of play. Fc Benefica made a substitution. Hugo Andriessen replaced Humberto Jonge. In the 88th match minute, Argentinos Juniors was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Iurie Azamfirei to maneuver through the defense. In the 90th minute, Fc Benefica's Leandro Soares dribbled the ball into the box and hit a shot with the outside of his foot, sending the keeper the wrong way. 0-8. After some fancy dribbling in the 94th minute, Leandro Soares managed to get in a good position for a shot. Fc Benefica's supporters rose to their feet, but Leandro Soares was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Rigoberto Nazario breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Fc Benefica played a much better game than Argentinos Juniors and deserved their victory. The Argentinos Juniors players were clearly disappointed as they left the ground.