League Play-Off

Aliso Viejo
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Mohamed Merzekane got the match started through his kick off. Ahmed Adjani made a fantastic save in the 8th minute, when Abdelaziz Boutabout sent off a good shot on target. If Mohamed Merzekane had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 9th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. Karim Al-Jazairia took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Samir Abbas, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Mohamed Merzekane sent away a hard shot on goal in the 14th minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. 17 minutes into the match, Itta Bena's goal looked a bit too open when Mohamed Merzekane came free, but Ahmed Adjani reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 20th minute Mohamed Merzekane shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Ahmed Adjani saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After 20 minutes of play, Aliso Viejo's Mohamed Merzekane made it 2-0 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Ahmed Adjani was left in no man's land by his defense there! After some fancy dribbling in the 23rd minute, Mohamed Merzekane managed to get in a good position for a shot. Aliso Viejo's supporters rose to their feet, but Mohamed Merzekane was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Ahmed Adjani breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Abdelaziz Boutabout sent away a hard shot on goal in the 32nd minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Aliso Viejo's Abdelaziz Boutabout got a good chance for a goal in the 36th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Ahmed Adjani showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Mohamed Merzekane in the 43rd minute of the match. When the referee blew for the end of the half the home team players were clearly happier, as they went in to the break leading 3-0.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Samir Abbas stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. In the 52nd match minute, Itta Bena was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Mohamed Mekhloufi to maneuver through the defense. Mebarek Touhami received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 58th minute. Karim Al-Jazairia tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Karim Al-Jazairia showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Samir Abbas, who was totally free with the ball in the 59th minute. Ahmed Adjani made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Abdelaziz Boutabout in the 63rd minute of play. Said Hamdoud hit a great freekick 66 minutes into the match. Mebarek Touhami's shot straight on target was not completely harmless. The ball had pretty good speed, but Karim Al-Jazairia firmly grabbed it by the left post. An unexpectedly hard shot by Mohamed Merzekane in the 84th minute of play forced Itta Bena's goalkeeper Ahmed Adjani to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. If Abdelaziz Boutabout had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 85th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. An unexpectedly hard shot by Abdelaziz Boutabout in the 95th minute of play forced Itta Bena's goalkeeper Ahmed Adjani to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. After 95 minutes, Mohamed Mekhloufi mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Itta Bena and the Aliso Viejo players grew even worse after the yellow card. Mohamed Mekhloufi kicked well hit freekick during the 95th minute of the match. Mohamed Merzekane blasted a shot towards the goal in the 97th minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Ahmed Adjani having to make a save. The referee blew his whistle, and the match came to a close. The players exchanged shirts and headed down the tunnel. The Aliso Viejo fans cheered their team off the field, for while Itta Bena had put up a good fight, they were unable to come out of the game with any points to show for their effort.