[DataKing]

Season 5 – International Friendly Match

Screamin’ Seamen vs. TodoxNada

Date: February 18th, 2004
Venue: The Docks (Chicago, IL)
Attendance: 3,424 (43,750)
Weather: Sunny

We finish up the regular season today with another home training match against an international team. We really like the flavor of all these international matches, and it helps to give our reserves a little more experience, as they see how soccer is played in other parts of the world. Today’s opponent is the TodoxNada club, from the Chilean 4th Division.

The Santiago-based club is doing quite well for itself this season, and is destined for promotion to 3rd Division play next season. They play an asymmetrical 3-5-2 formation in most of their friendly matches, so we’ll be looking to take advantage of the open space on the side of their defense by pushing the ball up the wings, rather than up the middle.

Formation: 3-5-2
Tactics: Attack on Wings

Starters (# appearances, *s last time out)

Keeper: #13 Darryl Read (32 career appearances, ***)

Right Wingback: #3 Ben McMahon (46 career appearances, ***)
Central Defender: #24 Sven Svensson (112 career appearances, ****)
Left Wingback: #17 Mattias Leier (13 career appearances, ***~)

Right Winger: #20 Walter Bosch (11 career appearances, ***)
Inner Midfielder: #4 Jaimy van de Kerkhof (17 career appearances, ***)
Inner Midfielder: #6 Agustin Alustiza (6 career appearances, *~ (wingback))
Inner Midfielder: #7 Rune Kolberg (6 career appearances, ***)
Left Winger: #23 Ivan Richardy (15 career appearances, ***)

Forward: #11 Johannes Henriksson (77 career appearances, **)
Forward: #14 German Galvez (40 career appearances, **~)

Team Captain: #24 Sven Svensson
Set Pieces: #11 Johannes Henriksson

Substitutes
-Keeper: #1 Cornelius “Corny” Jernigan (72 career appearances, ****)
-Defender: #5 Arlen “Headcase” Lucas (77 career appearances, ****~)
-Midfielder: #10 Milan Dufek (13 career appearances, ***~)
-Forward: #12 Guido Metman (125 career appearances, ***~)
-Winger: #9 Ad Taxwell (7 career appearances, ***~)

18-year-old Spaniard Agustin Alustiza returns to his normal inner midfield position this week, as we’re moving back to our standard 3-5-2 formation. This means that Ben McMahon will move back to his native wingback position as well.

Other than that, it’s pretty much business as usual for us today. We’ll be making a concerted effort to move the ball up the pitch on the feet of our talented young wingers Walter Bosch and Ivan Richardy. How they play may very well determine the outcome of the match, because we know our defense is good enough to keep things close.

Match Report

PRE-GAME

A scorching day at The Docks, where 3424 spectators were in place for today´s match.

Screamin' tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. They fielded: Read - Mcmahon, Svensson, Leier - Bösch, van de Kerkhof, Alustiza, Kolberg, Richardy - Henriksson, Galvez.

TodoxNada had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. The following players had been chosen: Coromina - Christiansson, Heyboer, Schönwerth - de Graan, Yazîcî, Weston, Larrea, Villarruel - Aguiar de Luque, Bustos.

FIRST HALF

It was an obvious ambition of Screamin' to attack on the flanks.

TodoxNada had a good opportunity to score the lead goal but the home team goaltender Darryl Read saved Kevin Weston´s shot headed for the top corner.

After 3 minutes Screamin'´s Walter Bösch contracted a slight foot injury, but could finish the game.

Walter Bösch of Screamin' received a yellow card in the 15:th minute for unsportsmanlike behaviour.

TodoxNada´s 0 - 1 goal came from a questionable penalty. Raúl Bustos struck that one home without a second thought.

The teams went for a half-time break at 0 - 1. TodoxNada, bringing the final ball possession rate to 54 percent, dominated the battle.

SECOND HALF

The away team´s Ceferino Larrea took advantage of a mistake to the home side´s right in the 58:th minute increasing TodoxNada´s lead to 0 - 2.

Screamin' didn´t give in and in the 58:th minute Sven Svensson was able to put the 1 - 2 goal away after a play from the right.

When Walter Bösch made yet another studs first tackle, in the games 62th minute, the referee was obliged to book the Screamin' player for the second time, sending him off the pitch. Guido Villarruel the unlucky victim, couldn´t continue the game, so Patrik Ångell had to come off the bench.

Rune Kolberg of Screamin' received a yellow card in the 65:th minute for unsportsmanlike behaviour.

TodoxNada, bringing the final ball possession rate to 56 percent, dominated the battle.

POST-GAME

The most dominating Screamin' player was without a doubt Sven Svensson. However, Johannes Henriksson made a disastrous appearance.

The most dominating TodoxNada player was without a doubt Kevin Weston. Patrik Ångell on the other hand, had a terrible day.

Final Score: TodoxNada 2, Screamin’ Seamen 1

Goals

Svensson – 1

Cards

Bosch – 2 yellow (ejected)
Kolberg – yellow

Player Ratings

Read: ***

McMahon: ***
Svensson: ****
Leier: ***~

Bosch: ??? (ejected)
Van de Kerkhof: ***
Alustiza: ***
Kolberg: ***
Richardy: ***~

Henriksson: **
Galvez: **~

Team Ratings

Screamin’ Seamen
-Midfield: Weak (4)
-Right Defense: Outstanding (10)
-Central Defense: Excellent (8)
-Left Defense: Excellent (8)
-Right Attack: Passable (6)
-Central Attack: Passable (6)
-Left Attack: Excellent (8)
-Experience: Poor (3)
-NSI: 58

TodoxNada
-Midfield: Inadequate (5)
-Right Defense: Passable (6)
-Central Defense: Excellent (8)
-Left Defense: Excellent (8)
-Right Attack: Passable (6)
-Central Attack: Excellent (8)
-Left Attack: Excellent (8)
-Experience: Wretched (2)
-NSI: 59

Comments

We had a pretty tight match on our hands today. Unfortunately, we seem to have gotten in the habit of falling behind early as of late, and that was part of our undoing today as well. And of course, it doesn’t help matters much when you’re concentrating your attacks on the wings and one of your wingers gets ejected for losing his cool. Needless to say, Coach Fluieras and I will both be having lengthy discussions with Walter about keeping his cool on the pitch.

Up Next: We conclude our training program for the season. Stay tuned!