Psp Nailed For Nine
Sid's Turn
Grilled strode boldly where no other Singaporean team has gone before, booking their passage to the third round of the Hattrick Masters with a comprehensive 9-0 drubbing of Lebanon's double winners team_psp. It was probably not a fair contest as the Lebanese league is only into its second full season, but Grilled were understandably uncharitable and took no prisoners.
Grilled's men had little time to recover as they bundled onto a direct commercial flight to the Middle East, but none of those chosen were complaining as they followed doctors' orders to sleep through the journey as best as they could. They arrived at arena_psp, also one of Lebanon's official national stadiums, with just hours to spare.
They need not have worried, though, for their opponents were willing but just several notches below Grilled's more-or-less established side. Spanish last minute buy Xesús Bestué was by some distance their best player, but the midfielder would have real trouble finding his way into Grilled's starting XI.
team_psp was commendable for such a young club, and their manager displayed a strong will with his plan of throwing everyone into the fray and operating without a fixed formation. With up to ten players seemingly in the midfield at times, they did succeed in winning some battles there, but as expected lost big time in attack and defence.
Coming out in a pure white strip with black socks, team_psp did hold Grilled at bay for 39 minutes, and actually looked headed for a very useful 0-0 score at half-time. Bestué was the driving force in their side, with a bite to match his bark - a spot of petulance in the 12th minute earned him a yellow card from a referee intent on laying down the law early, but his performance after that was exemplary.
Sadly for the hosts, their energy levels were rapidly depleted as they chased every ball, while Grilled were content with letting the ball do the work for them. The failure to score was a concern but hardly urgent, as Grilled bided their time. Eventually, Rottman slung a pass through an overcrowded team_psp defence for Sid to sidefoot past young Povl Spørring.
Spørring would have to pick the ball out of his net twice more before the break, as Martinsson followed up his hat-trick heroics with a calmly taken strike from Spirig's delicate lob, and then one of Sid's Specials dipped under the bar from a free kick fifteen metres out.
The match soon became a full-blown rout, as Grilled's players eagerly competed for the right to claim a Masters goal. Spirig became the fourth team member to score in the event, and he had Martinsson to thank for the stepover-backheel that led to his simple finish.
Kadak then belatedly registered his name on the scoresheet with a routine goal that must have done wonders for his battered confidence, and then Spirig grabbed Grilled's sixth with a powerful long range effort. In between, though, Martinsson was roughed up by Tibi Alexe and had to retire early.
Rottman was fortunate in the 72nd minute as he aimed a cross to Spørring's far post, only for it to take the barest of touches from a defender and enter the top corner. Rottman claimed it, and as expected the unlucky opposition player did not contest ownership.
With Martinsson already off, Sid was the clear choice to take the penalty awarded for a push on Kadak. No one doubted that the Polish defender would achieve Grilled's second Masters hat-trick, and his low drive with his instep was a goal the moment it left the spot. 8-0.
Even Bona had his share of the spoils as he threaded in the ninth and final goal in a chaotic penalty area with eight minutes left on the clock. Spirig's hamstring injury right from the kick off threw a dampener over the big win, though, as Grilled left Lebanon with two of their form players on the injured list.
