Challenge

RFK Stadium
Spectators: 49 (Terracing: 38, Seating: 11, VIP seats: 0) Saronida FC's Valerios Voutsas 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. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Valerios Voutsas in the 4th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Marco Day saved USA from getting behind. The audience thought a goal was coming when Cassius Byrne got free with Laurențiu Susara in the 5th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Valerios Voutsas sent away a hard shot on goal in the 7th minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. After a defensive mix-up in USA's zone, Valerios Voutsas stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Marco Day came out of the goal and Valerios Voutsas tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. The audience was convinced that Valerios Voutsas's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Marco Day was relentless in the 11th minute of the game. After a rather tough play, Saronida FC's Stefanos Rigopoulos got a free kick in the 12th minute. 16 minutes into the match, USA's goal looked a bit too open when Valerios Voutsas came free, but Marco Day reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. The supporters of USA booed when Saronida FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 17 match minutes in a wonderful position. Stefanos Rigopoulos didn't get a good kick on the ball. An unexpectedly hard shot by Cassius Byrne in the 30th minute of play forced Saronida FC's goalkeeper Laurențiu Susara to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. After 35 minutes USA's defender was forced to head the ball over the line for a corner. It was Karl-Heinz Schneider who took care of the corner kick. 38 minutes into the game, Saronida FC's Valerios Voutsas nearly tore a hole in the net with a booming shot. Marco Day made a valiant effort, but he could not reach the ball in time, 0-1. Laurențiu Susara showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Cassius Byrne in the 43rd minute of the match. USA's Marco Day played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Karl-Heinz Schneider in the 45th minute of play. A collision led to USA getting a freekick after 47 minutes play. Jacob May hit a great ball. After the first half Saronida FC were leading 0-1. They had played with great self confidence throughout the first half and fully deserved their lead.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Cassius Byrne stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. After 56 played minutes Saronida FC got a freekick which was hit by Stelios Skountouflas. Saronida FC made a substitution. Savas Ravousis replaced Manos Oustabasidis. Saronida FC made a substitution. Jonas Pacheco replaced Stefanos Rigopoulos. Stelios Skountouflas kicked well hit freekick during the 58th minute of the match. A throw-in in the 63rd minute of the game was made by Raphael Moore with Cassius Byrne as target, who quickly passed the ball forward. In the 69th minute Edward Mcdonald shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Laurențiu Susara saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. USA made a substitution. Khalid Parry replaced Monty Rogers. A sloppy throw-in by Jacob May in the 76th minute of the game went astray and was snapped up by Saronida FC's Nikiforos Fragis. In the 79th minute Sam Campbell shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Laurențiu Susara saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Fabian Brown hit a great freekick 80 minutes into the match. Marco Day made an important save on a dangerous shot by Huang Tian Yun in the 81st minute. Saronida FC's Laurențiu Susara played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Khalid Parry in the 84th minute of play. The supporters of USA booed when Saronida FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 90 match minutes in a wonderful position. Karl-Heinz Schneider didn't get a good kick on the ball. There were very few away supporters still in the ground by the end of the match. Most of them had left early, disgusted by the way their team had been torn apart. USA fully deserved thier win.