Game report : NE Xamax - Grasshoppers  :  1 - 2  (1 - 0)    Attendance :
not so many...
-------------------------------------
Goals : 5' Boughanem, 86' Türkyilmaz, 90' Gren

Since I missed those two last great away defeats (Servette and Luzern), I
finally decided myself to go see the hoppers on that very cold afternoon.
For some reason I took this time a few notes over the most important events
of the game. I'll finally just deliver you those raw facts and thoughts
instead of building a whole story around my notes. Allright, I added a few
of my souvenirs anyway.

5' Boughanem's head fooled Zuberbühler, on a pass from Kunz, consecutively
to a corner kick. This early advantage was of course meaningless at that
time.
14' Some GC guy, Smiljanic I think, hits the cross bar.
**The first quarter definitively belonged to GC who pressed much after the
goal.
24' As Boughanem thought he was kicking the ball away - urgency case within
the box -, Moldovan placed his head on the ball's trajectory and almost
surprised Corminboeuf.
~29' Kunz gets a yellow card for 'energically explaining' Mr Daina he was
sick of the hoppers' way too numerous little fouls breaking the game's
rythm.
~32' Thueler gets a card as well for an insignificant foul.
Until that point Mr Daina has effectively been quite permissive. However he
had the rest of the game well in hand, being probably a bit too severe on
one of the other cards he gave a GC player.
40' Free kick near GC's box executed by Alicarte, who passed for Kunz
beside the defensive wall, and though the excellent position he was in, it
seems that Kunz let himself fall near the 6 yards line.
45' Martinovic did something I'd appreciate to see more often on a football
field : as he and a GC player were dealing with the ball along the side
line, Martinovic pushed the ball out, which apparently appeared to be done
by his opponent for the attendance near the scene. As the ref gave the ball
to Grasshoppers a bunch of spectators whistled that decision. Croatian
Martinovic showed the referee and the public the right decision has been
taken. Sorry if feel like having to share my fair-play ideals...
**The last half hour of that first half time -slightly- belonged to Xamax,
which appeared to be, at last, the real Xamax.

2ndhalf
1', then 2' : Wittl, then Martinovic have a fair opportunity each.
3' A free kick from Kubi was shot quite near to the high top corner of
Corminboeufs' frame.
4' Kunz misses Zuberbühler's high top corner as well, on a counter.
7' After a nice in-depth pass from Nedzadze, Kubi's shot has been well
saved by Corminboeuf.
** The first quarter belonged indeed to Xamax, talking of the game, though
both teams had several possibilites to change the score.
15'-16' Corminboeuf saves twice in a row.
20'-23' GC has again several fair opportunities
27' Kunz, facing alone Zuberbühler, sent the ball straight on the goalie.
Or was it the goalie doing a great save ;-?
** from that time on until the 35' Grasshoppers massively pressed while
Xamax desperately tried to get that damn ball away from their box.
30' The hoppers hit the bar then the left post on a very hot scene.
38' Moldovan, though laying within the box, sent the ball right to left of
Corminboeuf's cage.
39' In a very good situation, on a counter, Kunz hesitated way too long
facing the very last defensor and finally lost the ball.
41' After Xamax lost 3-4 times the ball in a row, everytime in a very
stupid and unorganized way, Kubi aimed with his head Corminboeuf's right
high top corner. Well deserved tie scoring.
45' As I pressented it to happen, on a very confused corner scene, Gren
sent the thing in the net.
** those 30 last minutes did belong to Grasshoppers, which showed much
character and fighting spirit. On the other side, Xamax showed there
weren't psychologically able of handling tough situations any more.

The 5 last minutes, as the score was still 1-0, and as I was saying loud
how lousy their concentration and organisation became, I was amused to see
Gress doing some Marsipulami-like jumping along the side line, desperately
indicating, well, yelling and pointing, his players they should be
offensive...

Keep enjoying football.

Laurent.

Laurent Weber, Zurich, Switzerland --- lweber@worldcom.ch ---
http://home.worldcom.ch/~lweber
  --- Les imbéciles heureux n'auront jamais rien de plus que le bonheur ---