That Danish Machine
The Birds would not taste Supporter Week Trophy glory this season, after being stopped twice on the second day of the competition. It begin promisingly against English IV.10 Hertfordshire side Nick's Nobodys, with
Hwang Teck Fu back at his previous best as Grilled went 4-0 up by the 23rd minute. Spanish striker Alberto Valdeón Baruque salvaged some pride following great ball control in the 69th, but
Mohd Marzuki Khairul and
Chad Thach then closed the game off at 6-1.
New Danish II.3 team FC Ostescones then showed why they had secured promotion, in thumping Grilled Birds 4-1 while making it look almost easy. Their international midfielder Villads Tolstrup reprised the flair that had seen him command a fee of over S$21 million from FC Vestersager, in getting two goals against
Radomil Marcol that lesser lights would surely have flubbed. It was getting quite embarassing for the Birds, until
Mohd Marzuki Khairul gifted one to
Lim An Keng on the hour.
The day ended with a 5-5 blockbuster versus Cape Verde Campeonato Nacional representatives Die Mensch-Maschine, who earned a point from their refusal to concede. Grilled led all the way to the 81st minute with
Aw Keng Chuan's immediate answer to Enzo Panetto having reopened a two-goal lead, but Peruvian midfielder Karlos Polis linked up well with Øyvind Dahle to erase that in just two minutes.
Chad Thach could still have won it for the Birds, but his flat lob floated over both Jochen Eisl and his crossbar.
Farmer Bunnies started off by besting German VII.651 club CF Real Novigrad 2-1, as
Dušan Václavík matched a stunning Gerhart Groessing 18th minute penalty, before
Koushan Khatibi potted a spot kick of his own late in the second half off some defensive disorganization. Hungarian V.5 team Újbuda F.C. Sasad then shut the Buns out after left winger Béla Fehér slid the only goal of a tight match under
Gilberto Sorondo 27 minutes in, despite starting with just nine men.
"No, that didn't feel good."
Prakash Bhujbal grouched.
The Buns did recover to outdo English V.25 entrants Viitorul Bristol, but would have to depend on Khatibi yet again, this time from a swerving free-kick that Viitorul captain Paul Heit couldn't get across to in goal.
Toh Eng Guang got into trouble eight minutes from time for a terrible late tackle on forward Oliver Sutton, and could have been sent off under a stricter referee.
Grilled International's limitations were cruelly exposed as they lost two games on their second day, beginning with Lithuanian III.16 side FC Lithuania going ahead through Steffen Aksdal in the eighth minute. There would then be no end-product until Igor Henneman broke through in the 83rd, followed in seconds by American winger Zachery Wong swinging past
Phua Li Kong for a third. It was down to veteran
Minür Nurettin Tütsü to save some face for International, by dribbling his way past Henneman for 1-3.
A narrow 3-2 win over Swedish IV.237 team Walters Wigilanter was next, with
Egidius van der Duin confirming the result in the 55th minute by powering past Lucas Lukas. Guatemala II.1 giants and multiple-time national champions C.S.D. Municipal then defeated International 2-1 off a brace by Croatian playmaker Jure Gašparić, despite
Leri Bezhanishvili giving them the lead in the tenth minute following sustained attacking pressure.
