U23 World League

taxi arena
Spectators: 7486 (Terracing: 5615, Seating: 1722, VIP seats: 149) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Ernest Strugure got the match started through his kick off. After 3 played minutes Pesqueira City got a freekick which was hit by Júlio Abreu. In the 4th match minute, TAXI-MM- was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Ernest Strugure to maneuver through the defense. In the 5th minute, Călin Panciu hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. The audience thought a goal was coming when Aurelian Tunaru got free with Ivo de Moraes in the 9th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Marquinhos Moraes hit a great freekick 15 minutes into the match. A collision led to TAXI-MM- getting a freekick after 18 minutes play. Mircea Necșulescu hit a great ball. Yan Netto received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 22nd minute. Corneliu Chirea tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. 25 minutes into the match, Pesqueira City's goal looked a bit too open when Ernest Strugure came free, but Ivo de Moraes reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. When Yan Netto came up free with the goalie in the 29th minute, the Pesqueira City fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Yan Netto couldn't finish the play. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Túlio Freitas in the 32nd managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Corneliu Chirea saved TAXI-MM- from getting behind. In the 33rd minute, Júlio Abreu hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. The audience thought a goal was coming when Mugur Milcu got free with Ivo de Moraes in the 37th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. After a rather tough play, TAXI-MM-'s Călin Panciu got a free kick in the 47th minute. After the first half Pesqueira City were leading 0-2. 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 Yan Netto stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. When Kléber Garcia fell near the penalty area in the 54th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Pesqueira City's protests and gave Kléber Garcia a yellow card for diving instead. After 54 played minutes Pesqueira City got a freekick which was hit by Kléber Garcia. Corneliu Chirea made a fantastic save in the 57th minute, when Yan Netto sent off a good shot on target. Pesqueira City's Ivo de Moraes played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Mugur Milcu in the 59th minute of play. TAXI-MM- were awarded a corner in the 60th minute after Pesqueira City's defender lost control of the ball, allowing it to roll out over the line. Emil Bodnar took the corner. Ivo de Moraes showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Ernest Strugure, who was totally free with the ball in the 62nd minute. The referee felt a red card was in order, 66 minutes into the game, when Emil Bodnar put in a rough tackle. The goalkeeper, Corneliu Chirea, was totally fooled by Pesqueira City's Túlio Freitas, who 67 minutes into the game made a penalty shot that went in on the goalkeeper's left side. If Túlio Freitas had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 73rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Ivo de Moraes came out of the goal in the 74th minute to try and stop a shot by TAXI-MM-'s Ernest Strugure. But to his dismay, Ernest Strugure quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 1-3. After 85 minutes of play, the referee blew the whistle. It was a penalty for TAXI-MM-! In the 97th minute Ernest Strugure shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Ivo de Moraes saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Nae Neguțu hit a great freekick 102 minutes into the match. The Pesqueira City supporters could be heard counting down the last seconds of the match. They errupted in celebration when the whistle blew, knowing Pesqueira City would go home with victory in their luggage after a match that easily could have ended differently.