Clouds darkened the skies at the stadium today. Lineup: Caba�as - Rim, Yahya, Thomas, Sanguineti - Boswinkel, Torres Guzm�n, Matussin - M�rialigeti, Flamby, Cabrera.

Starters: Dob - Panigrahi, Webb - Xin Lee, ter Berg, Mohammad Harun, Kamel, Ze Han - Xin Seng, Mudaliar, Egan.

Aquino Team started the game in a 4-3-3 formation, whereas Grilled Birds lined up in a 2-5-3. A supernatural (14) level of counter-attacking seemed to be the preferred strategy of Aquino. Grilled clearly preferred using their divine (+8) (28) ability to attack in the middle today. The game had been going for 6 minutes when Emre Yahya came in on the right, feinted, then sped past the off-balance defender to put away the 1 - 0 goal, giving Aquino the lead. The visitors were awarded a penalty by the referee 16 minutes into the match, much to the anger of the home crowd. Bhavya Panigrahi took advantage of the situation and scored to make it 1 - 1. Oh, it's a stupendous shot on goal! A Caravaggio! A Michelangelo! A Venus on the Half Shell! 18 minutes into the match and Emre Yahya has created art for the ages for Aquino, putting them ahead 2 - 1. Oh, I'm weeping. I can't stop my eyes. Always quick and a menace to his opponents, Vikram Mudaliar got through after 28 minutes, but the keeper deflected his shot and a defender took care of the rebound. The visitors didn't give in and, after 30 minutes, Bernie Egan got through the home side's central line of defense, rolling in the leveling goal to make it 2 - 2. Halftime score was 2 - 2. Looks like Nate Silver was right again - his prediction that Grilled would have 64 percent possession in this half was spot on!

Bernie Egan's Road Runneresque speed was too much for Sokhan Rim, who could only look on as the Grilled player blasted one home. 2 - 3. It was obvious that Grilled had instructions to attack in the middle when they directed a break on the wing into the center of the park. With 53 minutes played, Vikram Mudaliar nearly put the visitors up by one more as he broke through in the middle and fired from just outside the box, but his shot whizzed just over the bar. Aquino's coach was furious with Ignacio Torres Guzm�n after he picked up a yellow for saying one too many words to the ref. Aquino were great at switching from defense to attack, and after 61 minutes, Sokhan Rim swept through the middle on a fantastic counter-attack, making the score 3 - 3. Grilled's Moey Xin Seng gave the visitors a 3 - 4 lead after 62 minutes with a superb strike from the right. The visitors' Moey Xin Seng took advantage of a mix-up between the home side's goalie and center backs 65 minutes into the match. 3 - 5 for Grilled. Ignacio Torres Guzm�n knew he was in trouble after hacking down an opponent. Despite his pleading with the referee, the Aquino player was shown a second yellow card and dismissed from the game. Grilled players heard their coach's words ringing in their ears and steered their wing attacks to the middle instead. The ball was in the back of the home team's net yet again after 80 minutes, but this time the referee called the goal back because Bernie Egan had knocked a member of the opposing team to the ground while the play occurred down the middle of the field. The fourth official announced that there would be 3 minutes of stoppage time, giving fans a slim hope that their team could get one more attack in before this was all over. The match ends 3 - 5. Grilled had the upper hand in possession, maintaining an impressive 66 percent possession of the ball.

Aquino's top performer was clearly Hilario Cabrera. You can tell it was nickel beer night yesterday at the local bar because Lars-Ivar Flamby seemed to stumble all over the pitch. The most outstanding Grilled player was without a doubt Moey Xin Seng. Speaking of stinking up the place, Chan Ze Han sure smelled like the bottom of Batman's shoe after a night of crimefighting in Gotham.