Due to an all-day shower, the spectators got to see a match on a pitch-turned-bog. The pitch was a disaster, due to all the rain. This spelled problems for the more sophisticated players, who usually could rely on speed or technique. For those relying on grit and strength, it actually meant an edge. They fielded: Maher - Dincă, Klimuk, Pecher, Zilhoeta - Kumpuniemi, Mier, Dols, Martínez de Garro - Lekuno, Veyer.

The following players took the field: Germanakos - Panigrahi, Webb - Baena, Mohammad Harun, Keng Chuan, Parvathaneni, Trindade - Ze Han, Velho, Xin Seng.

os pelexos fielded a 4-4-2 lineup. For Grilled Birds, the formation of choice was a 2-5-3. Grilled went for a narrow approach, using their utopian (19) ability to focus their attacks down the middle. The home crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief when Chan Ze Han was unable to give the visitors the go-ahead goal after his attack from the left in minute 5. The guests almost went up by a goal with 12 minutes elapsed when Aw Keng Chuan came through from the right. The shot bounced harmlessly off the post, though. Grilled's Chan Ze Han could have put the guests one up 30 minutes in after chasing a through ball from the right, but Aidan Maher was as quick as a snake, grabbing the ball from under his nose. Grilled had a good opportunity to attack on the wing, but remembered their instructions to go for middle instead. 32 minutes into the game, José Luiz Velho almost gave the visitors the lead, as he chipped a delicate lob over the keeper, but the ball glanced harmlessly off the crossbar. After several obvious shirt pulling incidents, pelexos's Feliks Klimuk got himself booked. It was 0 - 0 at the break. Grilled had the upper hand in possession, maintaining an impressive 60 percent possession of the ball.

46 minutes into the match, the referee signaled for a Grilled substitution. Lim An Keng came on for Kalki Parvathaneni. With the clock showing 46 minutes, the fourth official held up the substitution board. José Luiz Velho looked to see that it was his number in red, so he made his way over to the sideline and swapped out for Prokop Mottl, though he would have liked to continue. Slack defending gave pelexos a chance to take the lead with 58 minutes played, but Nino Veyer's cross from the left flank was met gratefully by the opposition who cleared it to safety. With 77 minutes played, pelexos's Joseba Xabier Zilhoeta received a yellow card for challenging a play with his cleats first. After 79 minutes, pelexos's lack of experience resulted in the team's loss of their edge at the end of the game. As the 80 minute mark approached, the Grilled manager decided it was time for a substitution. Bilal Mohammad Harun reluctantly made way for Chia Kwang Tse. A free kick aimed at the keeper's far post almost gave Grilled the lead 81 minutes in, but the ball just wasn't able to squirm its way through the defensive wall. The match ends 0 - 0. Looks like Nate Silver was right again - his prediction that Grilled would have 57 percent possession in this half was spot on!

The most outstanding pelexos player was without a doubt Aizarotz Lekuno. You can tell it was nickel beer night yesterday at the local bar because Queralt Dols seemed to stumble all over the pitch. Chan Ze Han performed admirably for Grilled. I can't remember Enrique Baena ever having a worse night than he just had.