U23 World League

Polenta Stadium
Spectators: 7953 (Terracing: 5966, Seating: 1829, VIP seats: 158) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Mel Önen got the match started through his kick off. Donato Foddis didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Valentin Ursulescu went, in the 4th minute, to the upper right corner, 0-1 was the resulting score. In the 7th minute Aurelian Fundătoreanu shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Donato Foddis saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. 11 minutes into the match, Mel Önen had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Francisc Firoiu. The Owls's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Mel Önen was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 1-1. Francisc Firoiu was out of position in the 16 minute of play, and Mel Önen capitalized on the mistake with a soft shot into the goal. Mel Önen really showed his touch with that goal: 2-1. AC Collins's Mel Önen got a good chance for a goal in the 21st minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Francisc Firoiu made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Carmine Oddi in the 26th minute of play. If Carmine Oddi had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 30th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Francisc Firoiu made a fantastic save in the 33rd minute, when Mel Önen sent off a good shot on target. Mel Önen received a nice pass, split the defenders, and ran untouched towards the goal. Francisc Firoiu came out and tried to block the shot, but Mel Önen slotted it home off the left post making it 3-1 in the 35th minute. The Owls's defense didn't have a chance, in the 38th minute, when Mel Önen scored to the left of an out of position Francisc Firoiu, making the score, 4-1. The Owls's Francisc Firoiu proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 42nd minute of the match, managed to save The Owls from getting a goal against them. A collision led to The Owls getting a freekick after 43 minutes play. Sever Zăreanu hit a great ball. The away team players looked dejected as the walked off the pitch at half time. They had fought hard, but were still losing 4-1.

The hometeam waved at the audience when it was time for Joel Bufi to strike the kick off in the second half. Victor Rizea hit a great freekick 53 minutes into the match. The Owls's Francisc Firoiu played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Mel Önen in the 56th minute of play. After 60 minutes of play, The Owls's Aurelian Fundătoreanu made it 4-2 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Donato Foddis was left in no man's land by his defense there! AC Collins made a substitution. Pekko Rino replaced Mel Önen. Eugen Chiriacescu made in the 66th minute of the game a sloppy throw-in which Aurelian Fundătoreanu however managed to control. 79 minutes into the match, The Owls's goal looked a bit too open when Carmine Oddi came free, but Francisc Firoiu reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Francisc Firoiu took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Carmine Oddi, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Francisc Firoiu made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Pekko Rino in the 83rd minute of play. Carmine Oddi fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 84th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Francisc Firoiu having to interfere. Valentin Ursulescu received a nice pass, split the defenders, and ran untouched towards the goal. Donato Foddis came out and tried to block the shot, but Valentin Ursulescu slotted it home off the left post making it 4-3 in the 89th minute. 92 minutes into the match, The Owls's goal looked a bit too open when Pekko Rino came free, but Francisc Firoiu reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. The referee blew his whistle, and the match came to a close. The players exchanged shirts and headed down the tunnel. The AC Collins fans cheered their team off the field, for while The Owls had put up a good fight, they were unable to come out of the game with any points to show for their effort.