Weather conditions were pretty good for football today. The following players took the field: Salmiņš - Panigrahi, Carapaica - Kannan, Chuan Yong, Parvathaneni, Xin Lee, Kamel - Ze Han, Mudaliar, Xin Seng.

Lineup: Senden - Bozhinov, Huizinga, Rosetti - Mármol, Gurguiatu, van den Langenberg, van Broekhoven - Geurts, Vitón, Appelhof.

It was to be a contest between two different football philosophies, since the home team started the game with a 2-5-3 formation while the visitors instead opted for a 3-4-3. Grilled used their divine (+6) (26) ability to concentrate their attacks in the middle of the field. Like a mighty wizard in the hellish lair of the balrog, Valderama is aiming to smother the Hephaestian flames of attack with inadequate (5) skill. Trespass is forbidden! Alas, Balrog, you shall not pass! The pressing tactics used by Valderama were successful as the ball didn't make it out of the middle third very much. It was a goal more likely to end up on SportsNation rather than SportsCenter, but the free kick in minute 14 by Bhavya Panigrahi somehow found its way past the keeper. Grilled takes the lead, 1 - 0! The referee showed Valderama's Gerardo Vitón the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. Grilled's Shekar Kannan rushed past his defender and should have scored, but the finish was just wide, taking some paint off the post as it went out. The score became 2 - 0 with 20 minutes played, when Grilled were given a penalty. Bhavya Panigrahi made no mistake and increased the home lead. After several obvious shirt pulling incidents, Valderama's Kiril Bozhinov got himself booked. A speedy charge from the left side of the field increased Grilled's lead to 3 - 0 as Moey Xin Seng finished it off clinically, firing the shot from a terrible angle. Big paper red cards were being held up by the opposing supporters with 29 minutes on the clock after Dries van Broekhoven's mistimed tackle from behind. The referee only showed the Valderama player a yellow card though. With 33 minutes played, Chan Ze Han could have brought this one home for Grilled as he charged up on the left, but his hooked ball went just a bit too high. Cheers filled the stadium as Salah Kamel broke through the visitors' central defense to put away the 4 - 0 goal for Grilled. 4 - 0 was the halftime score. Grilled did a good job holding on to the ball, with 73 percent of possession. We'll be back after these interminable commercial messages.

As the 46 minute mark approached, the Grilled manager decided it was time for a substitution. Teo Chuan Yong reluctantly made way for Abd Hadi Taib Mazhud. Grilled players heard their coach's words ringing in their ears and steered their wing attacks to the middle instead. A magnificent combination in the middle resulted in Grilled's Chu Xin Lee bringing the lead up to 5 - 0. After 70 minutes, the Grilled coach wanted to see a new face on the field, waving Douglas Carapaica off. Gilbert Webb took his place. 70 minutes into the match, the referee signaled for a Grilled substitution. Heng Dong Chu came on for Salah Kamel. Everyone had expected a shot from the free kick 76 minutes into the game, but Grilled sent the ball sideways instead, giving Moey Xin Seng a clear look at goal with no wall in his way. He sent it through the keeper's legs for 6 - 0! Grilled were determined to attack in the middle, even their wing attacks ended up coming through the center. Grilled solidified their lead at the 81 minute mark, as Chan Ze Han snaked the ball through the central line of defense and finished for 7 - 0. Dries van Broekhoven knew he was in trouble after hacking down an opponent. Despite his pleading with the referee, the Valderama player was shown a second yellow card and dismissed from the game. Heng Dong Chu gave Grilled supporters even more to cheer about when he increased the lead to 8 - 0 after 87 minutes, following a good exchange of passes on the right that the away team failed to deal with. The referee decided to let play continue for an additional 3 beyond the regular 90 minutes. The match ends 8 - 0. Grilled set the tempo, maintaining 73 percent of possession.

Grilled's best player was Chan Ze Han. Speaking of stinking up the place, Bhavya Panigrahi sure smelled like the bottom of Batman's shoe after a night of crimefighting in Gotham. The most outstanding Valderama player was without a doubt Timotheus Geurts. You can tell it was nickel beer night yesterday at the local bar because Kiril Bozhinov seemed to stumble all over the pitch.