Line-up: Feljan, Mineo, Rossi, Guarnaccia, Pellegry, Bon, Si M'Hammed, Legere, Lambers, Deschamps, Gonzalez / Subs: Lambrecht, McGirr

It was a lovely and green carpet grass, carefully cut and ready to host a new day of fighting and fireworks by RBBFC 2 team. Half an hour before the game, the dressing room was already smelling like Tiger Balm (thanks Pellegry). A few casualties led to an unprecedented squad with a minimum of spanish speakers, but at the same time, it also led to a catenaccio defense that paid well later.

Anyway, things did not start as expected, and RBBFC 2 was about to watch the dark side (?) of football.

The mission seemed easy: get the ball in the floor, open it wide to the wings, look for crosses. This simple idea required some intensity and quick passing, which were barely shown on the first half.

From the very beginning, the plan of GAST FC consisted in throwing balls like no brainers to the strikers, praying they somehow controlled the rocks that rained from behind. At the same time, they were masters on the ugly tactics of football. Faking injuries, asking for non existing penalties, tackling down looking for the ankle. After 5 minutes, a striker already had a yellow card for faking a penalty.

Cristiano Ronaldo would be proud.

At some point of the first half, things were starting to look bad for Rossi, who after a rude tackle (by himself) seemed to have lost all ligaments of his knee. However, we are talking about a guy that taught Materazzi what he knows, and some minutes later he was back on track and ready to kick some more asses.

It has to be said that after this apparent injury, game restarted with a pretty unfair throw in by GAST FC which left 4 guys against 2, thankfully Guarnaccia was well aware of this dirty trick and cleared all danger. Pellegry and Mineo were pretty active on this first half, neutralizing the risks coming from the sides.

RBBFC 2 tried to counteract the cheap strategy shown minutes before, by setting the ball on the floor, like discussed, but it seemed impossible to find a good 3 pass connection. Gonzalez had a good occasion to put the 0-1, making their keeper work hard to clear the ball after a nice pass from Deschamps. Soon later, another great play by Deschamps left Lambers alone to head the ball in the small area, but an unfair action by the defense, headbutt to the nose included, ended with the poor Lambers on the floor, nose bleeding, and the defense complaining to him (?).

Game did not stop as Si M’Hammed had possibility of shot which did not end on goal, but Lambers had to leave the match for a few minutes, a bit dizzy and incapable of believing what just happened.

With a man less, occasions for GAST FC started to appear, and after a poorly defended corner, one of their players had a header in the small area. Spiderman Feljan could not do a miracle, and the 1-0 sent some shivers on RBBFC 2 squad.

Team was striving for a rest to arrange their ideas, and 2 minutes later the ref marked the break.

Bit of talk by Guarnaccia, Lambrecht and Bon seemed to put some confidence on the team. ‘We are better, we are not doing what we know. Let’s play football’.

What a simple message can do!

On the second half, after a bit uncertainty on the first minutes, everything seemed to flow a bit smoother. Pellegry, Mineo, Bon… Everybody seemed to be reading a bit better the play and anticipating a second sooner. Si M’Hammed and Bon are two guys that your legs prefer to have on your own team! After an occasion in GAST FC goal, a counterattack possibility was cut dead by Si M’Hammed, smart enough to make a foul at the right time, and why not, with the touch of aggressiveness that they probably deserved.

Yellow card, perfect timing on the foul.

Legere was trying to open wide the game, and both Lambers and Gonzalez had a couple one on one with the back defenders, but failed to provide a nice center after the dribble.

On what was a flash of GAST FC last possibilities to score, the umpteenth heavy kick of their defense crossed the heads of Guarnaccia and Rossi and finished in the boots of the GAST FC striker #14, who was alone but about 30 meters away from lonely Feljan. While Guarnaccia and Gonzalez did their best to arrive, only Rossi could barely sniff the shirt of the #14 player from behind, and before the striker crossed the big area line, Rossi risked making a hard tackle from behind.

The striker trembled, and the whole RBBFC 2 team trembled with him.

But on an unpredictable action, he decided not to dive and face Feljan, which guessed the shot and cleared it. Another player took the rebound and was a few inches away of putting it on the left corner of the goal, therefore sinking our illusions but…

It didn’t happen.

We were alive.

Legere decided it was the time to add some muscle to the equation, and gave his place to Lambrecht. The gladiator was on our side, and things started to look better.

RBBFC 2 started winning even more balls, Lambers, Deschamps and Gonzalez were quick on the move and put the GAST FC defense in serious trouble. A few corners were granted, and then it happened.

Soft kick from the left side, a few RBBFC 2 players on the area, ball ends on the feet of Lambrecht, who still fresh physically and mentally, kicks a low shot to the long post, were it hurts.

1-1.

The only possibilities of GAST FC at this point were losing time, and hoping another rock made their way to the striker, but that was far from happening. Pellegry and Mineo proved harder than ever, and both them and the catenaccio defense cleared all chances. McGirr took Si M’Hammed place soon after, to avoid a second card and at the same time boost the game a bit more.

Skillful plays on the right side by Mineo, McGirr and Lambers. On the left side, Gonzalez, Deschamps and Pellegry using spaces. Bon holding the team together, Feljan without work and probably drinking jagermeister, their defense more tired than ever…it all looked like the second goal was near.

But we were running out of time…

Good plays again on the right ended with Lambers on one occasion and McGirr on another ready to center the ball to the penalty box, but they both opted for shots, which unluckily didn’t put any trouble on their keeper.

Just when the game was about to expire, Pellegry puts a throw in on Deschamps’ boots on the corner of the area. First touch and ball is on Gonzalez feet, who avoids an ugly tackle also on the first touch. It was a question of putting it on the long post, and that’s what he tried.. And it looked like it was going in!

But just a few inches away..

Then after the goalkeeper shots it, ref decides to call it a day.

Final score: 1-1

Summary: following a strange habit acquired in the previous matches, RBBFC 2 decided not to score on the whole first half. And playing with handicap is risky. But somehow they managed to overcome the difficulties and equalized the match for a still unbeaten season.

After the match Lambers waited for an apology that never arrived. Season is long, and the home match still has to happen. There will be time for sweet revenge, hopefully with a bicycle kick goal (?).

The celebration of this hardly earned draw continued in a pub called Cactus, where Guarnaccia was allegedly seen with a woman that still had all the teeth on her mouth.

MOM and reporter: Alfredo Gonzalez Romeu