Game report : NE Xamax - FC Luzern  :  1 - 0  (1 - 0)    Attendance : 8'700
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Goal : 33' Isabella

Line-ups
Xamax :  Delay, Cyprien, Moret, Jeanneret, Alicarte, Perret, Wittl,
Vernier, Kunz (91' Martin), Lesniak (68' Gigon), Isabella (46' Boughanem).
Luzern : Lehmann, Koilov, Knez, Van Eck, Joller, Gmuer (79' Daniel Wyss),
Thomas Wyss, Sawu, Koegl, Yenay (46' Moser), Fink (46' Alexandrov).


This season's first three point of Neuch=E2tel were surely not the easiest to
get a grip on. The first half-time was, indeed, way dominated by Xamax, but
Neuchatel only had three or four concrete opportunities in more than the
goal, while Luzern managed themselves a couple on counters as well. The
goal came after a splendid individual effort from Alicarte who slalomed
through 3 defenders from the edge of the box up to near the goal line and
made then a short back pass to Isabella.

In the second half-time Xamax still had in hands the 10 first minutes, then
Luzern took over for 5 good minutes as well. Then Xamax had a quite nice
period again with a few good pressure toward Lehmann, but kept failing on
Luzern's solid defense. Then Luzern had a long-term domination of the game,
while Xamax mainly defended and played on counters. Luzern got then a bit
unlucky then for Sawu (75) and Alexandrov both hitted Delay's left pole.
Later on, Kunz, as he sucessed on running around Lehmann, only hitted the
goalie's right pole as Well. So did Vernier too.

Seen over 90 minutes that home victory isn't that unfair, but no one
would've shouted 'hold up !' if Luzern would've got away with a point, for
they truley fighted until the end.

Xamax still missed Rueda, Corminboeuf (injuried), Sandjak, Rothenbuehler
(suspended for idiotic fauls against GC), Friedly (U18 game), Berger (STILL
not qualified). Luzern missed quite a few players as well.

By Xamax, Boughanem and Wittl seemed especially in shape that evening.
Perret did a good job again, but really slows down the offensive every time
he gets the ball. Cyprien and Alicarte were good as well. Vernier, who had
to play as forward from the 46', was not that good. Gigon, who also had to
play as forward for a while, was good, especially since he hitted the bar
with a very spectacular, technical gesture. Now that Sandjak can't play,
the miss of forwards is quite big.

By Luzern, Lehmann, Knez and Koegl pleased me much. Except that Koegl, in
his usual optimisticness hitted quite a few times the stars instead of
whatever near Delay's goal... Yenay sucked.

The ref of that night, Mr. Herrmann was not particularly brillant. Still,
he was sufficient enough.

Keep enjoying football.

Laurent.

Laurent Weber, Zurich, Switzerland --- lweber@worldcom.ch ---
http://home.worldcom.ch/~lweber
             "Castles made of sand, slip into the sea, eventually"   -- Jimi