U18 World League

Abel Pasqualini 4eve
Spectators: 7729 (Terracing: 5798, Seating: 1777, VIP seats: 154) C. A. Potrero's Serafino Geofredo 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. Clayton Vella fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 3rd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Javier Steven having to interfere. After 12 minutes of play, Seraċini Għawdxin's William Manicolo made it 0-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Javier Steven was left in no man's land by his defense there! After 16 played minutes Seraċini Għawdxin got a freekick which was hit by Joe Petroni. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Cesar Gora during the 18th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. Cesar Gora kicked well hit freekick during the 18th minute of the match. After 22 minutes, Steve Rizzo mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Seraċini Għawdxin and the C. A. Potrero players grew even worse after the yellow card. A collision led to Seraċini Għawdxin getting a freekick after 22 minutes play. Steve Rizzo hit a great ball. After a rather tough play, C. A. Potrero's Alejo Nerio got a free kick in the 28th minute. Carlo Markham fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 29th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Javier Steven having to interfere. Santiago Argenis was extremely unlucky when he, in the 32nd minute, took a shot that hit the right post and went out. After 34 played minutes C. A. Potrero got a freekick which was hit by Omar Fagondo. After 38 played minutes C. A. Potrero got a freekick which was hit by Cesar Gora. 39 minutes into the match, Seraċini Għawdxin's Clayton Vella broke free and took a long shot that unfortunately flew wide. A fine initiative that could have resulted in a goal. In the 41st minute, Clayton Vella ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Javier Steven was frozen by the shot and now it was 0-2. Javier Steven didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Carlo Markham went, in the 45th minute, to the upper right corner, 0-3 was the resulting score. Even after changing tactics the home team jogged off the field with a 0-3 deficit. They would have to work harder if they wanted to turn things around in the second half.

The wind increased when Clayton Vella made the kick off in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Carlo Markham hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Javier Steven was a little too slow when Edward Gruppetta got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 60th minute. The score was now 0-4. In the 64th minute William Manicolo shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Javier Steven saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Godwin Spagnol made in the 67th minute of the game a throw-in that took a bad bounce and was taken care of by C. A. Potrero's Bernardo Maule. 69 minutes into the game, Niceto Lehior cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 1-4. Dejan Cumbo was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. 72 minutes into the game, William Manicolo recieved a splendid long ball, split the defenders, and gently placed the ball to the left of Javier Steven. William Manicolo showed that you don't have to tear a hole in the net to score, 1-5. C. A. Potrero's Niceto Lehior got a good chance for a goal in the 75th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. 77 minutes into the match, Niceto Lehior notched a goal, 2-5, to the right of Seraċini Għawdxin's Dejan Cumbo. Dejan Cumbo was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. Alejo Nerio fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 86th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Dejan Cumbo having to interfere. C. A. Potrero's Benedicto Noe was substituted for Omar Fagondo. Javier Steven made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from William Manicolo in the 92nd minute of play. 95 minutes into the match, Clayton Vella dribbled the ball past the defender and swiftly kicked the ball to the left of Javier Steven, 2-6. Seraċini Għawdxin's supporters were very happy and cheered loudly because their team had won after a very close match.