Ljubenović Flareup
The opening day of the Supporter Week Trophy saw few changes in the clubs' fortunes, with Grilled Birds eating two big losses, as a reminder of just how far they had to catch up. It began innocuously enough, with
Bhavya Panigrahi and then
Paulino Trindade providing the lead against German H.I. V.205 participants Schopenhauers, before Portuguese playmaker Vítor Marques Tavares secured a two-all draw. Hattrick Anniversary League seventh divisioners AdG Barcelona were then fodderized 1-7, with
Kalki Parvathaneni and
Chan Ze Han notching braces.
Former Spanish Copa Esmeralda winners Barbas F.C. then reversed the scoreline on the Birds, as the IV.18 club had Steffen Stern, José Vázquez and Detmar Wiesensteig score two each, if with a slick consolation by Trindade just after half-time. Two-time Serbian Ruby Challenger Cup holders Erdoglija did similar, but for them, Strahinja Ljubenović as a one-man army was sufficient. Despite being 37 years old, the Number Eight would be utterly unstoppable bombing in from behind his forwards, and he ended up with five goals in a 7-2 sweep.
Moey Xin Seng had slipped one past Haris Hodžić in the 20th minute too, but he gamely admitted that Ljubenović was on another level altogether, this day. "We weren't even that bad - he was just that good." the Grilled skipper claimed. As it is, the Birds end Day One in 17574th place, out of 25296 entrants for this edition.
Farmer Bunnies did perform somewhat better than they had in the Heroes of 2014 Trophy, as they garnered two wins and two draws, to finish the day unbeaten in 6584th. Italian Division Six side creuza66 had Chinese expat Ren Zhihu slice a wondergoal off the underside of
Gilberto Sorondo's crossbar five minutes from half-time, but
Vitaliy Efendiev ensured that they enter the break on level terms - and that was how it finished.
Wins against Danish H.A.L club Bunk Boys and Bolivian III.7 contestants Hercules de Bolivia followed, with the only challenge being scoring against the Boys, which
Richard Agyei and
Aitykul Zaripbekov eventually managed in a 2-0 result. Hercules had hometown boy Yuki Sugita open in the 36th minute from a header, but Efendiev and then Agyei replied, capping another top showing for the Ghana international.
Efendiev would then save the day against Czech IV.2 team FK Divoký Atleti as he had against creuza66, but instead of from a free-kick, he made the most of
Ibrahim Zahran Al-Maashany's madcap dash right after coming on. Wingback Marek Vostal didn't appear to expect that from a player approaching forty, which was his loss. Another 1-1, then.
Grilled International outdid that with nine points to the Buns' eight, as they racked up three wins after an opening match wipeout against Bulgarian Vissha Liga runners-up The Astral Empire. National hero Dimitar Daskalov ran riot with two goals as he led his team by example, but there could hardly be too much shame in this defeat, which had
Hardi bin Besar and
Tommy Dongelmans putting up some memorable plays.
That experience savoured, Swiss Division Six side FC Gasly would then be put away 4-1, as an early exchange of goals between
Tibor Atzenhain and Agamemnon Timos gave way to International dominance. Chilean H.I. fifth divisioners Paradise F.C. ran them closer in a 3-2, as
Hardi bin Besar picked up two goals - and then another two in a 5-1 crushing of Dutch VI.119 club Alphia 1.
Wang Hanxuan touted Hardi's output as befitting the new flagbearer of the club. "He's been slowly but surely coming into his own, these past couple of seasons." the International veteran said. "It will be his responsibility soon enough."
