The Aftermath
Branbilla In The Thick
It was safe to say that the Grilled players were not in the best of moods as they headed down to Jordan for an international friendly, having lost the title on the last day of the season again, and first-teamer
Matthias Branbilla was especially affected. Jordanian Division Two club EL SELEÇÃO provided the opposition in their fine Arena de Romario, named for the famous Brazillian striker.
The hosts were not amused when Branbilla hauled down teenaged defender Ameen Bdaiwi in a tussle for the ball, and although the challenge appeared run-of-the-mill, Bdaiwi fell awkwardly on his back and probably pulled something - that gave local U-20 hero Najjar Awad Ammouri his entrance, but it would be another young man who would steal his limelight.
That guy was
Ciro Penati, who displayed no fear at all as he broke past Aussie central defender Thurman Ball with Han Kok pedalling on the spot looking for an outlet. The two Grilled midfielders linked up in a flash, and Penati stroked a nice little curler past EL SELEÇÃO goalie Benny Grundman with the outside of his boot.
The hosts found it difficult to create, having come out in a defensive 5-4-1, but had a great opportunity from their first corner when transfer-listed veteran winger Janosch Reinhardt chested the ball into the path of 18 year-old youth international Ahmed Ommar Baydoun. Unfortunately Baydoun happened to be an accomplished defender but a woeful finisher, and took ages to line up his shot before having the ball knocked away from under him.
Penati paid scant respect to the opposition backline as he chipped away at their resolve with apparent relish, frustrating his markers with persistent little shakes before leaving them both stranded with a delightful turn. Still, Grundman should have had the angle covered, but somehow let Penati's average attempt bounce by him at his near post.
Grundman made up for that gaffe when he batted away a brilliant volley by
Ivaylo Mirchev the very next minute, and contributed to the counterattack with a useful long throw over the half-way line. Grilled's defence was in a disorganized state, and budding Indonesian defender Hermadan Luluporo took full advantage as the extra man up front, to steer the ball over Bao-Tam for 1-2.
It was to be the Italian's day, and
Ciro Penati collected his hat-trick four minutes from the restart when a snappy one-two with Subri left the entire five-man defence open. Penati lured the goalkeeper sideways with a maturity belying his tender years, and calmly sidefooted into an empty net.
Branbilla saw no reason to stay pegged back in his defensive role, and his surging speed gave the flagging EL SELEÇÃO extra problems. The Swiss ran Luluporo ragged down the left side, and could accelerate sufficiently to touch Deme's breaking ball just past a sliding Grundman. That goal was to be Branbilla's last major contribution of the game, though, as he was dismissed soon after for a second yellow.
A ten-man Grilled found it difficult to impose their former authority on the match, and it was left for German lone striker Albuin Minichberger to send Bao-Tam the wrong way, after
Weng Seng-Huat bumped an attacker down too heavily in the 72nd minute of play.
