U21 World League

Old Trafford
Spectators: 7713 (Terracing: 5786, Seating: 1774, VIP seats: 153) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Alex Marcelli kicked off to start the match. After a rather tough play, Lunatics of Arianrhod's Davide Onori got a free kick in the 2nd minute. Ennio Caruso's late challenge caught a Red Devils's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Ennio Caruso helped the player get up and apologised. In the 5th match minute, Lunatics of Arianrhod was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Ennio Caruso to maneuver through the defense. With a little luck, Lunatics of Arianrhod's Cosimo Briano got control of the ball when Andrzej Markowski tried to sneak it across the goal line. After 10 minutes Lunatics of Arianrhod's defender was forced to head the ball over the line for a corner. It was Andrzej Markowski who took care of the corner kick. Cosimo Briano made an important save on a dangerous shot by Andrzej Markowski in the 13th minute. If Andrzej Markowski had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 14th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Lunatics of Arianrhod's defense didn't have a chance, in the 20th minute, when Michal Petrasz scored to the left of an out of position Cosimo Briano, making the score, 1-0. Krzysztof Golaszewski showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Davide Onori in the 23rd minute of the match. The audience was convinced that Emilio Albanesi's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Krzysztof Golaszewski was relentless in the 25th minute of the game. The audience thought a goal was coming when Andrzej Markowski got free with Cosimo Briano in the 27th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. With a little luck, Lunatics of Arianrhod's Cosimo Briano got control of the ball when Zbyszko Hoffman tried to sneak it across the goal line. With his leg Cosimo Briano managed to avoid a goal in the 34thth minute, when Red Devils's Andrzej Markowski fired away a shot with a lot of spin towards his right hand side. 40 minutes into the match, Lunatics of Arianrhod's goal looked a bit too open when Zbyszko Hoffman came free, but Cosimo Briano reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. After 42 minutes, Ercole Senatore mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Lunatics of Arianrhod and the Red Devils players grew even worse after the yellow card. The supporters of Red Devils booed when Lunatics of Arianrhod was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 42 match minutes in a wonderful position. Ercole Senatore didn't get a good kick on the ball. In the 44th minute, Davide Onori left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Lunatics of Arianrhod fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 1-1. The first half was very even, with the score at 1-1 when the whistle went for half-time. The players welcomed the break and quickly retired to the dressing rooms.

The wind increased when Andrzej Markowski made the kick off in the second half. Julian Oliszewski hit a great freekick 51 minutes into the match. Cosimo Briano showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Andrzej Markowski, who was totally free with the ball in the 52nd minute. 54 minutes into the match, Andrzej Markowski had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Cosimo Briano. Lunatics of Arianrhod's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Andrzej Markowski was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 2-1. Krzysztof Golaszewski made a fantastic save in the 59th minute, when Davide Onori sent off a good shot on target. A collision led to Red Devils getting a freekick after 60 minutes play. Andrzej Markowski hit a great ball. In the 64th minute Andrzej Markowski shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Cosimo Briano saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 65th match minute, Lunatics of Arianrhod was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Federico Puglielli to maneuver through the defense. After a rather tough play, Red Devils's Tomasz Jaszcz got a free kick in the 66th minute. Krzysztof Golaszewski made an important save on a dangerous shot by Alex Marcelli in the 67th minute. Ennio Caruso kicked well hit freekick during the 73rd minute of the match. 78 minutes into the match, Lunatics of Arianrhod's goal looked a bit too open when Andrzej Markowski came free, but Cosimo Briano reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Red Devils's Krzysztof Golaszewski played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Elia Liaci in the 83rd minute of play. After some careless play in the Red Devils defense, Davide Onori kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Krzysztof Golaszewski. The Red Devils fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Krzysztof Golaszewski should have stopped the shot. The crowd rose to their feet as Lunatics of Arianrhod's Alex Marcelli slotted home a wonderful shot that went in to the left of Krzysztof Golaszewski. That made the score 2-3 after 96 minutes of play. The Lunatics of Arianrhod supporters could be heard counting down the last seconds of the match. They errupted in celebration when the whistle blew, knowing Lunatics of Arianrhod would go home with victory in their luggage after a match that easily could have ended differently.