Dark skies made the crowd at the stadium today a little nervous, but the rain held off. The following players had been selected: Ravarotto - Maranga, Bartu, Villanova, Hieronymus - Vuille, Al-Shair, De Beleyr, Fraulini - Sekściński, Descosido.

Starters: Germanakos - Panigrahi, Hutter - An Keng, Mohammad Harun, Keng Chuan, Parvathaneni, Trindade - Ze Han, Xin Seng, Chitre.

BrännöBK started the game in a 4-4-2 formation, whereas Grilled Birds lined up in a 2-5-3. Grilled clearly preferred using their mythical (17) ability to attack in the middle today. After a fine move down the middle Achacy Sekściński nearly put the home side one up with 10 minutes played. His final touch escaped him though and the keeper smothered the ball. Bilal Mohammad Harun came close to putting the visiting team one up 16 minutes into the match, following a solo raid down the middle, but Giovanni Ravarotto managed to tip the ball over. After 17 minutes, a counter-attack by Brännörs was converted into a decent free kick opportunity. However, the indirect free kick play was easily anticipated by the defenders. A textbook example of how to defend a free kick - the attackers were left with few viable options. Some great play up the middle by Brännörs led to a chance for Achacy Sekściński to get the go-ahead goal with 20 minutes played, but the shot hit the crossbar. Lim An Keng tipped the corner kick right to the keeper, who mishandled it, giving Grilled's Aw Keng Chuan a chance to knock it in for 0 - 1. A series of fine plays up the middle should have led to a goal for Brännörs, but Ruggiero Vuille's shot went over the bar. It was 0 - 1 at the break. Well, look at this! Cardi B is on the Enormotron in naught but giant sunglasses, red tassles, and a Lionsclub Pfusistan tank top. I've not seen anything like it before. With the clock showing 46 minutes, the fourth official held up the substitution board. Kalki Parvathaneni looked to see that it was his number in red, so he made his way over to the sideline and swapped out for Chia Kwang Tse, though he would have liked to continue. 60 minutes into the game, Grilled wanted to bring some new energy to their game. Moey Xin Seng gave Teo Chuan Yong a quick hug as he left the field. 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. Chan Ze Han was, after 74 minutes, almost able to extend the visitors' lead with a well placed diving header after the ball had looped into the center, but the home side's keeper Giovanni Ravarotto made the save. The visitors' Lim An Keng took advantage of a mix-up between the home side's goalie and center backs 77 minutes into the match. 0 - 2 for Grilled. After 81 minutes, Grilled began to show their lack of experience and they threatened to wilt under the heavy pressure from their opposition. The visitors added to their lead 85 minutes into the game, after a sensational penalty kick by Grilled's Bhavya Panigrahi slid just past the home keeper. 0 - 3. The match ends 0 - 3. Looks like Nate Silver was right again - his prediction that Grilled would have 68 percent possession in this half was spot on!

Brännörs's best player was Everaert De Beleyr. You can tell it was nickel beer night yesterday at the local bar because Khamis Al-Shair seemed to stumble all over the pitch. The most outstanding Grilled player was without a doubt Chan Ze Han. Good thing Paulino Trindade isn't a horse, because he'd surely be sent to the glue factory after that performance.