Hello, and welcome everyone to this interactive live report on thatsfootball.com !
Today takes place, in the San Ildefonso Arena, the first ever match between two small nations: the Banat Republic and the Kingdom of Viti. That’s why we love the World Cup so much, this is the only place we can see such kind of exotic matches!
As those teams never played against before, we don’t know what to expect! Those two teams don’t know each other so they will probably spend the beginning of the first half gauging each other.
For the squads, Raul Cosmescu, the coach of Banat opted for an offensive 4-3-3 with Tiberiu Stefan as a striker.
Starting XI:
Velimirovic
Lazarević-Ionesco-Heidler-Barbu
Živanović-Paler-Adrián
Blagojević-Stefan-Garbacz
On the other side, Alipate Kepa keeps the same starting squad as during the Qualifiers, organized in a 4-4-2 Diamond with Qera as an “enganche”:
Sigarara
Lalabalvu-Bainimarama-Waqaniburotu-Voka
Raiwalui
Nacewa-Bolawaqatabu
Qera
Naqelevuki-Dolokoto
The San Ildefonso Arena is far from full today, I guess this match between two of the smallest nation doesn’t drive too much attention. There are small but loud delegations of fans from both countries, at this game, it seems the Vitians are the most demonstrative, let’s see if it can help their team today.
The artists make their entrance in the Arena.
1’ – And it’s OOOOOOOON !!!!
3’ – Qera is already losing his temper, the referee has to tell him to calm down.
6’ – I’m very curious about all these players, I have to say I’m not familiar with any of them, except Živanović and Stefan.
7’ – Nice turf in San Ildefonso, at least that goes well.
8’ – The first strike in the match by Adrián. It’s far and wide. Banat starts well this match, they play high on the pitch and force the Vitians to stay back on defense.
9’ – I don’t appreciate the vice of Barbu. He’s been too rough with the poor Raiwalui.
10’ –
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL
DOLOKOTOOOOOOOOOO !!!
Viti 1-0 Banat
A real striker goal for Dolokoto. Bolawaqatabu’s strike, slightly countered by a Banatian defender, is hardly pushed back full axis by Velimirovic. And here is Dolokoto who appears to score closely, it's 1-0 and no one saw it coming.
13’ – Viti’s goal helped them to get in order. They play better, a step forward.
14’ – Qera received his first kick from Lazarević. The Banatian wing-backs are not here to play jokes.
15’ – The same Lazarević tries a weird shoot, ends up in the wrong side of the net of Sigarara’s goal. Vitian defense doesn’t look very serene.
17’ –Vitians for a while just stay on the defensive, grouped around the box.
20’ – A nice Vitian move: Qera delivers a nice tense cross to Dolokoto but Ionesco does a perfect interception right before him.
21’ – A bit of a shy attempt from Garbacz, no problem for Sigarara.
23’ – RED CARD!! IT’S A RED CARD!!!
Barbu unbalances Raiwalui as he escaped alone towards the goal.
He had played very well on control to gain the upper hand over Barbu.
It may sound severe at the replay, but I think in live it makes the difference.
24’ – Unsurprisingly, the Vitians wake up and push hard. But it lacks precision in the last few meters, especially in the very frustrating Qera.
25’ – Banat doesn’t give up for so little, and Garbacz was not far from being able to arm his strike.
28’ – @Rivellino
I have the right not to like Barbu, haven’t I ? And you seem blinded by the multiple replays to say that he did not touch it.
30’ – Oh I can tell you that I am anything but frustrated this weekend, my good @Rivellino. We will say that it was a bit exaggerated, that's all
35’ – Free kick for Banat. Qera has tackled Lazarević too roughly and gets booked a yellow card. The free kick doesn’t lead to anything.
38’ – Raul Cosmescu makes a substitution: Wawrzyniec Wisz enters for Fábián Adrián. I don’t get it, he was most certainly one of the best players of the match on the Banatian side.
42’ - What a control-strike sequence from Dolokoto, mamma mia! Fortunately, Velimirovic saves his team from sinking.
43’ – And another save in front of Naqelevuki ! Banat seems close to break.
44’ -
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL
GARBAAAAAAAAAAACZ!!!
Viti 1-1 Banat!!
What a wonderful show from Živanović on the left, who deposits Waqaniburotu and then sneaks into the surface. Sagarari pushes the ball away, but Garbacz follows through to push it to the bottom.
45’ – It is unexpected as Viti seemed better from the goal and the red card. The Banat will have had the merit of not letting go and we can say that it rewards their good start to the match before the expulsion.
45’ - Živanović is a really surprising player: able to be ghostly during an entire match, then to release a genius show.
45’ – Houla, Heidler who is losing his nerves. Beginning of a fight.
45’+6 – The referee distributes cards: a first yellow for Heidler.
45’+6 – Another yellow for Naqelevuki. This is not over yet.
45’+6 – RED CARD!! IT’S A RED CARD!!!
Second yellow card for Qera, who came to participates in the brawl against Heidler.
45’+7 - What a genius Heidler, the dude had everything planned.
45’+8 - At rest, it was time.
After eight minutes of added time, the first period ends at 1-1. Same result for the red cards, Barbu and Qera are already in the shower. Looking forward for what’s next, we meet again in 15 minutes.
46’ – THE FIGHTERS ARE BACK!
47’ – Good luck to analyze this match now. Anyway, I see Banat prevail in the end.
48’ – It's so messy up front, Viti. I'm having trouble with Naqelevuki, who was presented to me as a crack.
49’ - Viti tries to keep the ball, by circulating it. I have the impression that they are counting on Raiwalui to ignite all this.
53’ – The blows are multiplying on both sides, I feel that this match will not end at 10 against 10...
55’ – Viti is better at the start of the second half. Nice opening of Bainimarama for Raiwalui, but Dolokoto is too short to get his second.
56’ - The coiled shot of Naqelevuki, I saw it already inside.
58’ -
GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL
DOLOKOTOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Viti 2-1 Banat
What a beautiful Vitian movement, finally. A breakthrough by Naqelevuki in the axis, which shifts to the right for Raiwalui, whose cross is perfectly cut by the inevitable Dolokoto.
59’ – Second substitution for Banat: Lazarević out, Pataki Rajmund in.
60’ – I just remembered that I put Osea Qera in the main picture of the live. The That's Football curse, over and over again.
66’ – Waqaniburotu is really impressive. Very strong dude.
69’ – First substitution for Viti: Bolawaqatabu out, Volavola in. A midfielder out, replaced by a defender. I guess Viti will try to hold on their advantage from now on.
71’ – Third substitution for Banat: Kozma Benjámin enters in place of Garbacz who was playing well and scored today. I really don’t understand the Banatian coach.
72’ – Yellow card for Voka. It has been a while since the last one.
73’ – OH! what a counter-attack wasted by the Vitians ! That was the 3-1 ball.
75’ – What a ball from Stefan over the Vitian defense, but it was badly taken up by Raimund at the far post. Banat struggles to ignite the match to return.
76’ – Freshly booked, Voka leaves the pitch for the 2nd Vitian substitution. He is replaced by Bulitavu. A midfielder who replaces a defender now. Either I don’t understand a thing about the coaches’ decisions, either my sheets are all wrong!
78’ – Bainimarama just removed the ball of 2-2 from Benjámin. That was close.
80’ – Banat settled in the Vitian camp, circulating the ball patiently while waiting to find a fault to crack the defense.
83’ – Viti has not proposed anything since 2-1, it's depressing. They stay back and defend, defend, defend only.
85’ - Ohhhhhh the post for Naqelevuki after a hell of a number. Velimirovic was beaten! Lucky Banatians!
86’ – The header of Heidler which brushes against the right post of Sigarara... It's tense in this end of the match, in a good way this time.
88’ - Third change for Viti : Dolokoto, who scored twice, is replaced by Murimurivalu. What a match from Dolokoto !
90’ – Viti’s ball losses are sometimes criminal. 3 more minutes of tension at the Arena.
90’+2 - A cross completely screwed from Blagojević, that was it, last cartridge for Banat?
90 +5’ – AND IT’S OVER !!!!
Viti win their first match in this World Cup against Banat! The two teams battled (sometimes literally) through the whole match, but we’ve seen nonetheless some very nice football. Banat seems screwed, as they lost against the least-favorite team. Their chances for the rest of the competition look grim.
As for Viti, they can be proud of themselves, winning in their first ever World Cup Match! We don’t expect much more from them, but they managed hell of an achievement today, and their World Cup is already a success! Let’s hope this is the beginning of a fairy tale for them, and I hope that Dolokoto and al. will perform as good in the next matches.
Viti 2-1 Banat
(Dolokoto 10’, 58’ - Garbacz 44’)