Champions League, Quarter finals, 1st Leg:



We flew in Colombia right after the League's fixture to face off McBrayt FC, an average team which surprisingly got on the quarters beating better suited formations thanks probably to their efficent 4-4-2 ND. Coach Mad takes the challenge and gets on the pitch his best eleven in the same formation, NT's war horse 4-4-2 Narrow Diamond. The difference is clear soon enough just after 2 minutes when Lenders one on one with the keeper pierces him (2'). Thanks to the new DMC Goryushkin (Q30, 18yo) New Team finally finds its balance at midfield, with the young regista admnistrating the plays magistrally. Not a surprise that the MCs Diamond and Denton can finally push on offence; Denton shows his skill and beats the keeper from 30 mts (15') while a wonderful pass by Diamond reaches Hutton in the defense's core for the "easy" 0-3 (23'). Galvanized, Mad's eleven keep pushing the Colombians and score again with Rob Denton (31') and again Hutton (36') served by Lenders.
The second half sees NT's coach setting up a 3-5-2 V sparing Denver for Velardo and Diamond (yellow carded) for Mellow. The young MC Velardo pays off coach's trust scoring after just one minute the 0-6 (46') assisted by Lenders, which ten minutes afters confirms his assistmanship by giving Denton the joy of his first hat trick for the 0-7 (59'). Coach Mad gives him the standing ovation getting him out for Biegansky and ending the match with a weird 3W-1-1-3W-2. Right before the whistle Goryishkin crowns his magistral match by scoring the 0-8 served by (guess who) Mark Lenders (74'), today's king of assists with 4 balls and a goal as well. In the last minutes the unbalanced formation lets Mcbrayt pop out a counter which gives them a flag point.

New Team is safely in the semi-finals and will be able to use the reserves in the second leg, something more than welcomed as both Denton and Diamond reached the yellow card limit and would miss next fixture.

Statistics:

Scorers: M. Lenders, R. Denton, O. Hutton, R. Denton, O. Hutton [A: M. Lenders], F. Velardo [A: M. Lenders], R. Denton [A: M. Lenders], Y. Goryushkin [A: M. Lenders], M. Guerrero [A: C. Chango].
MoM: Rob Denton (9), New Team.