Maccabi Brussels B

FC Irlande Ladies III makes a journey to the remote Forest to play a Saturday match against Maccabi Brussels.

The match starts, and it takes 6 minutes for Maccabi to open the scoring. Maccabi’s second goal arrives one minute later. Taking advantage of the favourable moment, Maccabi finds the net one more time. By 12’, the home team is already leading 3-0 and seems to have secured the match. After this disastrous start, FCI has the strength to react and immediately finds a way into the match thanks to El, who converts a pass from Zoe. This goal makes FCI realise that the game is not over and that scoring more is possible. At 21’, El returns the favour to Zoe and provides her with the assist for her first goal of the day. Five minutes pass, and Zoe scores again, bringing the result back to a tie. Maccabi is stunned, and FCI takes control of the match. An eventful first half ends 3-3.

Galvanised by the first half remuntada, FCI only needs three minutes to score the overtaking goal. Viktorija, launched on the left wing by Anna’s pass, finds an impressive angle to edge out the goalie. Maccabi seems unable to hurt FCI again, but a penalty granted in its favour gives the home team the possibility to erase all FCI’s efforts. However, Ana denies the shot, maintaining the result unchanged and her perfect record on penalties this season. The referee whistles another penalty, this time for FCI. The goalie gets the better of the striker again. Both teams are giving their all: FCI to secure the match, Maccabi to equalise. The most incredible of these scoring chances is on Viktorija’s feet, who manages to hit both posts with a single shot. No more goals for the two teams, and the match finishes 4-3 for FCI.

At 17:42, it would have been unthinkable to write about an FCI victory. It was a thrilling match with lots of emotions and scoring opportunities from both sides. At the end, the victory went to the team that was able to be more consistent, focused, and clinical in front of the goal.

Sunday’s match against Maccabi Brussels started in a promising way for FC Irlande Ladies III. After some heavy rain during training, we actually got some sun, and within the first minutes, Marina had attempted two impressive bicycle kicks, one of which was not far off the goal. However, it would be Maccabi to open the score, and FCI went down. The team fought back courageously and levelled thanks to a nice goal from Marina. Unfortunately, Maccabi were skilful and dangerous in their counter-attacks, and they scored two more. A beautiful back post shot from Viktorija ensured we went into halftime 2-3, and with high spirits of turning the game around.

In the second half, FCI was aggressive and looking for the equaliser, which came thanks to a perfect low shot from Viktorija. They were hungry for more and looked like they were going to get it. But thanks to another counter-attack, Maccabi scored the last goal of the match, and FCI suffered the first defeat of the season.

Still, many positives to take from this match: our tenacity to come back twice, our attack looking more fluid, and some very nice pictures taken by Maccabi and shared with us.

Now, all our focus goes into preparing for our next match with a busy November schedule.