Excellent Innings
The Birds' form continued into the Trophy of Legends, where they ended the first set of three matches with a perfect three victories, which put them in 173rd of over five thousand entrants. It all began with a
Houssam Belhocine brace within twenty minutes against German VI.473 club Klub der Söhne Freiburg, whose Lennard Achladakis and Gandolf Kobel did score on counters in a 2-6 that went on right till the end.
Grilled came closest to slipping up against Italian IV.44 side GAZZA Football Cricket Club next, as they spurned numerous changes against Peruvian goalkeeper Guillermo Narducci, before
Hwang Teck Fu found a way through in the 36th. Carlo Celletta equalized two minutes into the second half, but
Hein Thiha Pyae Ko and
Chad Thach struck - the latter from a great corner - though Ugo Gurgone kept them on tiptoes until the 3-2 win was confirmed.
It was then a 7-2 stroll versus former Belarus Sapphire Challenger Cup holders FC Iskra Minsk, despite Zinovi Kiryk opening - also after 36 minutes - for the III.4 representatives. The Birds went into overdrive for 4-1 by the break, and
Lim An Keng slammed the seventh home in added time after coming on just six minutes ago, for
Hwang Teck Fu.
Head coach
Dan Alstani just wanted the players to enjoy themselves. "They play their best football in such a state anyway."
Farmer Bunnies entered the Heroes of 2014 Trophy with the news that 30 year-old defender
Prakash Bhujbal had been called up to the national team, and he would feature as sweeper in a counterattacking 5-4-1 for the games. Rome's Real Torbellamonaca were not about to yield, however, and the VI.825 side took home a 2-0 shutout through goals by Fabio Schlanser and Clemente Saetta.
The Buns bounced right back with an 8-0 sweep of German VI.805 entrants Freibeuter Horumersiel, who had put out an experimental young team, and this had Italian set-piece specialist
Arturo Rosano claim five goals from three penalties and change. A close 2-1 against Belgian V.164 club ecxel followed, with
Masato Kitano answering Antonakis Manos' early break, and
Amirul Jufri Khairil cleaning up from a dropped corner kick with eight minutes remaining.
Grilled International lost 1-6 to American IV.61 opponents Galacticos Football Club, with the North Carolinians' Fabrizio Mussoni in particular taking advantage of International's bad defending to strike twice.
Mikhail Romashov managed a consolation from the penalty spot in the twelfth minute, after a
Nabil bin Mohd Zulkhairi effort struck Luigi Maggio full on in his arm.
Their Heroes of 2017 Trophy campaign did continue with victory at Turkish V.113 champions todorich, as Romashov unleashed a barrage in a halting first half that saw a barrage of fouls, and bent a fifteen-yarded past Giancarlo Beconcini in the nineteenth minute.
Waldemar Gołata sustained the tackle that won the spot kick this time, and Romashov tucked it away with practised ease.
Nurul Aleshahnezan bin Adib then poached the third, in the 59th minute.
A 3-3 draw against Lithuania's Skraidantis Arklys concluded International's day, with the III.13 challengers being on the wrong end of Romashov's right boot as early as the second minute.
Vincent Nordin bin Hj Irwan and Romashov again then had them 3-1 up till the 74th minute against a Danny Aronberg reducer, but Remco De Baerdemaecker pulled Arklys back then - and Spanish striker Javier Vinambres then saved a point with a solo rush in injury time.
