League

Shizuru Kuwabara ST
Spectators: 7953 (Terracing: 5966, Seating: 1829, VIP seats: 158) REFTS's Domenico Cardoso 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. In the 3rd minute the ball was on its way in behind REFTS's goalkeeper Alec Mann, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. Glen Ellyn's Elliott Stapleton played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Domenico Cardoso in the 9th minute of play. If Bernie Saucedo had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 12th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 15thth minute of the game Bernie Saucedo who was perfectly placed tried to make a shot on goal, but REFTS's Alec Mann was lucky and managed to grab hold of the ball. When Ollie Goode came up free with the goalie in the 22nd minute, the Glen Ellyn 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 Ollie Goode couldn't finish the play. In the 24th match minute, REFTS was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Karl Lacey to maneuver through the defense. Elliott Stapleton made a fantastic save in the 27th minute, when Bryan Dickinson sent off a good shot on target. Alec Mann made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Ollie Goode in the 30th minute of play. Domenico Cardoso's late challenge caught a Glen Ellyn's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Domenico Cardoso helped the player get up and apologised. Bernie Saucedo recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 37th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. When the match clock showed 39 minutes, the score became 0-2 when Bernie Saucedo sped through REFTS's defense and sent away a curving shot that went into the net to the right of Alec Mann. Vern DeJesus fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 46th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Alec Mann having to interfere. The crowd was extremely unhappy with the home team's performance in the first half. They were losing 0-2.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Bernie Saucedo stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. In the 61st match minute, Glen Ellyn was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Bernie Saucedo to maneuver through the defense. Alec Mann took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Ollie Goode, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. After a defensive mix-up in REFTS's zone, Bernie Saucedo stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Alec Mann came out of the goal and Bernie Saucedo tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Bernie Saucedo received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 79th minute. Alec Mann tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Alec Mann took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Ollie Goode, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. REFTS's defense didn't have a chance, in the 85th minute, when Ollie Goode scored to the left of an out of position Alec Mann, making the score, 0-3. 88 minutes into the match, REFTS's goal looked a bit too open when Ollie Goode came free, but Alec Mann reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Domenico Cardoso got his second yellow card in the match during the 90th minute which meant that he had to leave the ground. Domenico Cardoso hit a great freekick 91 minutes into the match. A hard shot 95 in the game by Bernie Saucedo from a close distance when the talented Alec Mann managed to make a qualified save. REFTS's players were relieved. In the 96th minute Ollie Goode shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Alec Mann saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. The REFTS fans had already started to leave before the final whistle blew. Glen Ellyn were clearly better and deserved to take the win.