Saturday 28th April 2007

Roma
2
Simon (2)
Dundee United
1
Adrian

All of the games on the second day of the league were close encounters and it took until the second half for this match to come to life. Bernardo wasted the only real chances of the first half, blazing over with firstly his left foot and then his right. Gergely and Simon combined well down the left with a couple of one-twos and the cross was headed back by Till for Hugo but his first-time effort was blocked well by Sam M.

It took a mistake to open up the game two minutes into the second half, as Maik played Paul into trouble and he could only clear as far as Simon. His shot was parried well by Maik, but Till reacted first to the loose ball and intelligently squared the ball with his left foot for the onrushing Simon to tap home. Simon then came alive and played in Sam V on the left. Although Maik saved well, he could do nothing to stop the resultant corner. Till's first ball was cleared but his second was met by Simon's forehead, glancing the ball into the far corner for a fantastic goal. United pushed hard and Adrian almost benifited from his brother's mistake, but Thorben came out well to clear. With the last kick Adrian did restore some pride for his team, turning well from Bernardo's pass and finishing into the roof of the net, but it was too little too late as Roma secured the points.

Hamburg
2
Lars, Ben
Roma
2
Simon, Till

Again a slow start to the game, but again it was the Till-Simon combination which undid the opposition's defence. The former sending a corner into the box for the latter to head home via Glenn's fingertips. Ivan battled hard at the other end, but his deflected shot was held by Thorben. Hugo's effort was also saved this time by Glenn, but just before half-time Till took the ball inside onto his left foot and curled a low shot which skimmed off the surface and in off the post.

An immediate response was needed and within 30 seconds of the restart Lars had found one. Following in Soma's long-range effort he smashed the ball into the roof of the net... game on! Ralph blocked Alex K's drive to keep the gap to just one and Kostya could only find the left upright with a venomous shot. Simon would surely have sealed it for Roma, but Jelle got back with a fine sliding tackle and with only a minute left the equaliser arrived. Lars played a lovely through ball to Soma who composed himself and while everyone was expecting the shot, he cut the ball back for the onrushing Ben who made no mistake, placing the ball in the near corner. With the last act Glenn had to save from Hugo but a draw was a fair result and some redemption for Hamburg after their opening-day hammering by the same opposition.

Dundee United
3
Alex Hurley (2), Mark
Hamburg
2
Christian (og), Alex Hingl

Refreshed after their earlier defeat to Roma, the Tangerines started well with Alex Hurley hitting the post early on with a low left-foot strike. Ben kept Maik awake at the other end Before Sam V shot wide and Bernardo flicked Christian's corner past the post. Davide's great burst down the right then set Christian up, but his shot flew agonisingly past the left post. Perhaps annoyed by his wayward finish it was Christian's intervention, sliding in on Ben, which put the ball past his own keeper and into the net for a bizarre opener!!! Luckily Dundee replied quickly through Alex H. Gathering a loose ball the midfielder looked up, took aim and fired a bullet of a shot, curling it into the top corner from fully 25 metres.

1-1 at the break and it was again Alex who swung the game in Dundee's favour. Sam V played a lovely one-two with Adrian before sending in a beautiful cross over the Blues' defence. Arriving late in the box, Alex let the ball bounce once before dispatching it past Glenn. A third arrived, this time from the other central midfielder as Adrian again set up the cross which was supplied by Christian and although the ball was slightly behind him, Mark adjusted his body and volleyed in to give his side a 2-goal cushion. It was almost another but for a flying save by Glenn to deny Alex his hat-trick. Hamburg's own Alex H then gave his team some hope, pouncing on some slack defending and firing into the corner with his trusted left foot. And the Blues nearly snatched the most unlikely draw as Lars burst through on goal with only seconds remaining. Davide somehow got back to put pressure on the shooter, but Lars still got off a great shot which somehow crashed against the crossbar and out. Ben was there for the rebound but Sam M flung himself in the way of the shot and eventually Maik was able to grasp the ball and clear to the sound of the final whistle!!!

 


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