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2nds were playing their 1st game in 2024 away vs Tourinnois. We got lucky not to play on their grass pitch but on a lovely American synthetic football pitch instead. So no excuse.
2nd started with an unusual 4-4-2 diamond : with Max as a keeper, Hadri, Matteo, Ryan, George’s for the defense, Neil as 6, Gonca and Brioch’ as 8, Luis as 10 and our strikers Lolo and Joao.
An all star bench was also here ready to step in : Benji aka BB7, Mathias aka Gineste, Gabriel aka Gabba.
2nds started with some opportunities, still wondering how we didn’t score : Luis, Joao, Brioch’, Lolo got their opportunities. As if the game was written in advance, Tourinnois with their big tall players, scored after a lovely corner from their side. Unfortunately, Neil got his injury back so Gineste came on the pitch ready to run everywhere. Tourinnois almost scored on a 2nd corner but Max was here to prevent the team being 2-0 down.
2nd half started but the team was not showing the intensity and the physical impact needed. Benji came in for Luis and we came back to our regular 4-3-3.
With no real chance to score, 2nds started to see their 1st defeat since October. But a stupid defender decided to give us the opportunity to come back with a stupid tackle on Joao in the box. Joao took the penalty, scored, 1-1.
Max kept us alive multiple times.
Final whistle. 1-1. Not the result we were expected but we didn’t deserve better.
MOTM : Max
FC Irelande II- Tourinnois FC2: 0-1
Conditions were excellent on that sunny Saturday morning on the artificial grass pitch of Nosseghem: Not too sunny, not too warm, not too cold- the 4th season game looked promising with 13 players available. The 2nds had a decent start into the game, solved in the defense some pressuring and tried to find the wings whilst unfortunately leaving too much space in the midfield. Gaby had two great opportunities to score, assisted by Benji. Lolo’s corners also turned out to be dangerous but the 2dns failed to score in the first half. This was to bite the 2nds back as energy levels appeared low in the second half. The last 30 minutes lacked equally urgency and the pressuring you need to score. And as so often in football, if you don’t score, you end up conceding. Tourrinois,playing with a very slow possession football scored their 3rd opportunity and lead the game for 10 minutes with .
The 2nds seemed energy wise unable to come back despite some final minutes chances via Lolo and Gabi. Final result 0-1.