Two Divided By Zero
Young Guns Fire
Mexican Division Four invitees FC Mathematics were sent packing through goals by
Tian Yonghang and Safrinho, as Grilled closed off the season with a 2-0 friendly win. The star of the show was however again
Ângelo Cunha Simões, who must be a consideration the next time Grilled have a fixture to play in the rain.
FC Mathematics put their own crop of forward trainees on parade, with seventeen year-old Hong Kong talent Lin Weimin tipped as one to watch, along with German import Zacharias Scharmanski. They would flatter to impress as the heavy pitch did them no favours, sadly, especially with Grilled's competent midfield of Han Kok, Mourão and Josefsson holding the fort.
Simões ran riot as he appeared completely unaffected by the wet conditions despite the others slipping left and right, and FC Maths' Federico Linares had to swallow a booking after a tactical foul in the ninth minute to stop the Portuguese fellow from crashing his way through.
Simões' teammates were not as on the ball, however, and he would be frustrated by their inability to provide support. Hence, Grilled only saw their possession pay off in the 39th minute, after Han Kok's speculative volley off Darong's cross bounced wide.
No-one had expected the ball to stick in the mud on the edge of the playing field, however, and Mohd Firdaus reacted quickest to sprint his way to it and pull it back into the center.
Tian Yonghang was ready and waiting, and slid it past French goalie Valentin Godin in a literally messy finish.
Han Kok's number was called during half-time, with Mirchev coming in, and Torsson was withdrawn soon after as the newly-minted Grilled Young Player of the Year pondered his underwhelming outing. Taiwanese lad
Zheng Lihai remained morose on the bench, however, as he recognized that there was little chance of Simões being substituted off in his current form.
Indeed, Simões nearly recorded an assist immediately after Safrinho's entry as he steamrolled a path past Eraldo Soverini and sent in a delightful dropping ball towards Safrinho at the far post, only for a defender to just about block him off. Outraged at having been cheated of an instant goal, Safrinho lashed out, and was swiftly given a yellow card and a stern talking to by the referee.
Safrinho would have his payback, as he combined cleverly with Josefsson to make it two-nil in the 72nd minute. FC Maths had no answer, and after yellow cards to Amiram Domb and Henri Deléglise, they took a bedraggled Weimin off to give Donaciano Manjárrez a run-out as injury time loomed.
