The
Quarter-Finals of the Cup saw all 4 group winners
beat the runners-up of each group so we could
confidently say we had the best four teams in
the tournament making the semi-final stage.
Galacticos
arguably had the toughest Quarter-Final when they
conquered the 2008 winners Rapid Bosco Navas.
In their path to the final now stood 2008 Prague
Masters champions Goldsmith
Williams. Goldsmith Williams were probably
emerging as slight favourites for the tournament
as they had scored 24 goals to date and conceded
just 2 along the way. It was always going to be
an uphill task for Galacticos and it was one that
proved a task too far as they had no answer to
the power of Goldsmith Williams.
With
Goldsmith Williams bidding to make their 3rd final
in as many tournaments a hat-trick from Chris
Williams helped them along their way. The 3 goals
put him on 8 for the tournament but Liam Currie's
goal put him one ahead on 9 for the tournament
as Goldsmith Williams completed a 4-0 victory.
Gary Dean in the Goldsmith goal completed his
3rd clean sheet of the tournament and probably
his most impressive to date as he was the first
goalkeeper to shut out Galacticos' Yaaseen Patel
who had previously averaged two per game.
The
second semi-final was Bulgaria versus France in
what was possibly the game of the tournament.
The game had an absolutely amazing atmosphere
and was played in front of an enthralled crowd.
The game started in a relatively straight-forward
fashion as Lozenetz City
took the lead through Bozhidar Gorchev's 5 th
of the campaign. Ventislav Georgiev made it 2-0
and the Bulgarians were well on their way to set-up
a repeat of the 2009 Prague Masters against Goldsmith
Williams. The English team were well up for a
repeat of that final to gain their revenge.
Luminy
Wolves had other ideas though as Hugues
Blanc pulled them back to 2-1. The comeback was
complete when Allan Gosselin scored goal number
8 of the day for him and we were level again at
2-2. From here the game really came to life. The
airhorns of joy and songs of delight from Lozenetz
City had been replaced with nerves and tension.
All eyes were on the game as Luminy Wolves were
taking the upper-hand. Every decision in favour
of the French was being jeered by the Bulgarian
substitutes and spectators as the game was getting
really tasty. The French then won a penalty. The
referee was spot on with the decision but the
spot kick was saved well by Evgeni Deliolanov
in the Bulgarian goal. The Bulgarians then had
two chances to turn the game back in their favour.
The first was a breakaway when Luminy Wolves Naim
Tarbi brought down the Bulgarian forward with
a tactical foul on the halfway line. The free
kick was given but nothing more and the frustration
was clear to see for Lozenetz as the entire squad
encroached onto the pitch to yell at the referee.
The game was coming to the boil and there was
still time for Loznetz City to hit the post before
the full time whistle blew at 2-2.
Extra
time was just as fierce but with less goalmouth
opportunity and so we arrived at dreaded penalties.
Whilst Luminy Wolves had missed a penalty in normal
time there penalty taking in the shoot-out was
exemplary with Allan Gosselin, Anthony Balzano
and goalkeeper Cyril Garcia all finding the net.
They did not only find the net but they almost
broke the net as all strikes were hit powerfully
into the roof of the net. Lozenetz City also started
off with some powerful penalty taking as first
Alexander Kyulev and then Ivan Stoyanov both scored.
The 6 th penalty of the shoot-out was the clincher
as Hristo Kyosev stepped up confidently but failed
to make it 3-3. Tough luck for Kyosev as Lozenetz
City were out and there dreams of 2 tournament
titles in a year was over.
Luminy
Wolves would meet Goldsmith Williams in the final.
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