Fanfare For STL
Tired Tuan-Mu
The highly-promoted exchange friendly against American Division Five side STLFANS had its first leg in Gamma Stadium, where a lower than anticipated turnout groaned as the visitors ground the lightweight Grilled representatives into the field. Big Bill Krueger terrorised the Grilled defenders in their own area, and wasn't too spent in brushing
Tan Ong aside to deposit a nice cross from David Wilson past Bao-Tam.
Most of Grilled's midfield was outsized by the burly STLFANS Texans, and to their horror pace counted for little as they got shielded out far too easily. Magunsson was the only one approaching them in physique, and he had limited success in regaining the ball. Chiew-Yen attempted to make up for his shortcomings with additional bite, getting a yellow card for taking Dunbar from the side. STLFANS' Swedish winger Bengt 'Ånna' Knutsson was left alone to complete a central raid and found the bar in the best chance of the half.
STLFANS slowed slightly in the oppressive humidity, but not enough to save Grilled. Donald Rudolph had been kept silent by
Xing Hua for much of the previous period, but started a reign of supremacy as he invaded Grilled's right zone at will. Lon Fortier drilled in a low pass from Rudolph in the 64th minute as Tuan-Mu struggled to block the shot.
Grilled's big brother in defence didn't have anything to give when Mexican fullback Carlos Zarza duelled him in a battle of speed. Zarza's singular burst brought him to the outside of Bao-Tam too, and he stumbled before scrambling the ball in. Lesley Main was very unlucky with a superb curler into the angle between post and bar from a free-kick, and Tuan-Mu gave up a booking to stop Knutsson forcefully in the last ten minutes. Grilled's Attimarad followed the Swede out of the game, as he suffered one knock too many.
