Griego A-go-go
Merchán To Dream
Cuban Hattrick International side Lobo Griego FC gave a good account of themselves despite losing 3-5 to the Birds, who returned to the Caribbean nation for the first time since their home-and-away versus Kolhy F.C. Emilio Merchán had one of the best games for his career, as he made no mistake with both his half-chances. Grilled's strength in depth won out towards the close, but it was hardly a gimme even then.
With links to Greece's Billy's Wolves and Irish Division Three strivers Ulysses An Ghréig FC, Lobo Griego FC have not had a very long history, but are well on the way to getting out of the sixth division. The departure of promising 19 year-old centreback Nikos Epithetikidis was nevertheless a disappointment to their fans, who could certainly have done with him at the back today.
The first four minutes went by in an absolute blur, with many not yet having found their seats, when 1-1 was flashed on the scoreboard.
Prokop Mottl struck first for Grilled as he seized upon
Chan Ze Han's unselfish layoff, but the hometown heroes would equalize on their very next possession, with a string of unbroken passes leading to trainee Florentino Orellano notching a devastating right-footed stinger, on his first start for his club.
Krystian Rykowski wasn't happy with his defence selling him out on that goal, and he let them know it. Still, this could probably be attributed to
Vikram Mudaliar being all too unwilling to pick up his man from midfield, a failing that he would begin to recognize.
Moey Xin Seng dutifully picked up the slack as Mudaliar continued learning the ropes, and the restored skipper slid an assist through for
Chan Ze Han, 27 minutes in.
Several minutes later,
Rashid bin Ahmad would make it 3-1 for the visitors, as the Birds' eager romps straight at the heart of Griego's defence strained it badly. The veteran would however be slow to recover, as Griego restarted impatiently; Darío Andrade bombed down the left with the vigour of youth, and Emilio Merchán found himself deflecting Andrade's inbound cross in with his shin. The move also saw
Kalki Parvathaneni booked, for brining the fullback down belatedly.
Mottl was overeager for the remaining opportunities that fell to him for the half, and Grilled would head off with just a slender lead. Griego's player-coach Myron Kuttschreutter would be an admirably calming influence for them, and after
Kalki Parvathaneni's languidly-curling effort was chested off the line by Chacín Faría in the 54th minute, Kuttschreutter would direct a clever riposte that Emilio Merchán even more intelligently wrongfooted
Krystian Rykowski on.
The home team were very much back in the fray with that, and the Birds weren't helped by continued fluffs from the energetic but overstimulated Mottl. The Czech forward didn't find it tough to get into fine scoring positions, but rather more getting his shots on target. Ezequiel Lander saved on those rare occasions, and
Iman Eshrafi would too get carded, trying to salvage a spilled effort.
After one too many misses, Grilled would receive a chance from another source, with
Chan Ze Han tripped up some twenty-five metres out.
Jérémy Tarin had not had the best of days, being somewhat at fault for both of Merchán's goals, but brightened perceptibly after he whacked it in after a long run-up. Lander might have reconsidered his decision to have only three men in his wall, but it was too late.
That was immediately followed by a lightning raid and poach by Parvathaneni, which meant that what had once been a possible memorable bounce back was no more. Jesús Durán apparently felt that there had been something illegal about the way Parvathaneni had shunted him aside midway through, though he had little in the way of support there. Referee Jochen Rakos definitely felt so too, and would give the native youngster an official caution, after he became a tad too insistent.
It was true however that Grilled's players were not holding too much back against Griego's young backline, and teenaged Lorenzo Márquez would retire with a knock to his knee a bit later, allowing Irish lad Adam McLernon an in to an increasingly-quiet game.
