What can I say that I didn't last night on the radio. We got done like a dinner. It was probably one of the worst Cosmos performances on the road for quite some time. Olympic were made to look good. Sure they were the better team, but that was only because the Cosmos were horrendous.
The normal problems beset the Cosmos before the beginning of the match. Along with Wilson and James out through long term injuries, Musitano also pulled out late through dehidration from last Sunday's game. Amarildo's clearance still had not come through, so the face of the team was not looking good.
Knezevic was in goal with Clarke in front of him. Burt and Popovich were the two defenders and Marcina was the right wing back with Elliot Zwangobani on the left. In the midfield we had Zelic, Kelly and Prenzoski whilst up front were the duo of Magnacca and Buljan. On the bench we had Barlow, Arranz and Leo Langone.
Elliot was making his Ericsson Cup debut and later when Grant Barlow came on he too made his debut. Leo made his Cosmos debut, but he has already played with the Newcastle Breakers last season. Ilija was, believe it or not, only making his second start on his career.
The weather was unbelievable. The wind was gale force for most of the game and on occasions there was rain to add. Olympic must have won the toss as they ran with the gale in the first half.
The game itself started a few minutes late, but this held off the misery for a small period of time. Twenty seven (YES THAT'S 27!) seconds in and a low cross from Brett Emerton eludes a diving Popovich. The ball falls to Norman Tome and free inside the box he easily put the ball passed Vilson. 0-1 in less than a minute.
This was only he beginning of the Nightmare at Belmore (tm). In the third minute an Adam Porich long shot was held well by Vilson. Six minutes later and after a corner the ball came out to Jason Culina and his shot beat Knezevic, but not the woodwork, and fortunately for the visitors it went for a goalkick.
In the thirteenth minute and Emerton injected himself into the game again when he crossed the ball to the far post to find a completely unmarked Pablo Cardoza to head in past Vilson and double the score.
Canberra did have two chances in these opening fifteen minutes. Both were Magnacca free kicks. The first sailed out of the ground. In fact balooned is a better word. The second dipped and was about a foot over the bar. We were hoping for a third chance. Yet still, the Cosmos hadn't made it into the opponent's penalty area once.
Eighteenth minute and an Emerton shot was well held by the diving Vilson, but poor marking allowed Chris Kalantzis a free header, yet fortunately this went wide. Then in the 23rd minute the Cosmos had their first corner kick and their first venture into the oppo's penalty area. Danny Burt unfortunately fouled the keeper and any threat disappeared.
Just before the half hour mark, Olympic should have scored their third. a scramble in the box, first saw Elliot block a fierce drive a point blank range and then another shot beat Vilson. Fortunately Clarke was on the goal line to clear. From the ensuing corner, Tome had another free header, but this went over.
A minute later the ball came straight back down the left and found a free Tome. He charged at Knezevic and when at the corner of the penalty area, chipped the advancing keeper to make it three. Three minutes later and Scott Thomas sent a ball down the left for Tome. His cross found Poric amongst three defenders, yet still Poric was able to beat them all and get his header to the ball. The ball went wide for a goalkick.
Then Canberra had it's first real chance. Ilija Prenzoski had the ball in the box, and instead of shooting passed it to Buljan. Peter did what norman did last week and hesitated. Yes, you guessed it, he was swamped by no less than 3 defenders before he could get a clean shot at goal.
Thirty seventh minute and Cardoza was again free in the box and his header beat Knezevic but not the far post as it slid away for a goalkick. The half ended with Doug Marcina sending a long shot well over the bar.
Something obviously needed to be done at the break. Off came Knezevic and Prenzoski and on came Barlow and Langone. David Arranz was still on the bench if needed. At least they would have the gale at their backs.
In a stunning first five minutes, nothing happened except that Elliot and Clarke both received cautions. Then Olympic woke up in the eighth minute when Kalantzis shot just over the bar. Four minutes on and Popovich decided to try his luck from long range. Long range in this case means about 40m. Yet he did get the shot on target and forced a save!
Then good news for the Cosmos as goalscorer, Tome, was substituted off the field. But five minutes later, Kelly infracted once too often and was cautioned as well. But in the very next minute, Norman should have scored. Leo sent a perfect ball to Norman who was inside the box and with no-one within 5m of him. Unfortauntely, Norman decided to shoot on the turn instead of push the ball towards goal and score. That was the last save Kourtis would have to make.
In the 21st minute Clarke brought down Nick Carle on the edge of the box and we all thought Andrew was going to get an early shower, but fortuantely he survived. From the free kick Kalantzis found the side netting, on the wrong side of the goal.
A few more minutes on and a Marcina cross found Magnacca, but his header went wide. and things started to just settle a little. Olympic kept threatening to break and when Carle made it through in the 33rd minute, he was completely run down by three defenders. Nick still was able to lay the ball off, and the shot rebounded off Clarke and rolled agonizingly close to an own goal.
Two minutes later and Emerton beat Elliot down the right. His shot flew well over the bar from an acute angle. Then a corner to Olympic and Cardoza went for the header and missed, but it fell to the feet of Emerton totally unmarked. He had time to fiddle with the ball before rifling it into the net. The Cosmos had been able to match it with Olympic for 35 minutes of the second half.
With 5 minutes to go, a Zelic free kick found Burt in the box, but his header went wide. Then two minutes later a Cardoza cross found Kalantzis who in a two-on-one layed the ball off for Carle to slam in number five. Cardoza had one more chance for Olympic in the last minute when he beat Barlow but his hsot just missed the goal as well.
Rale was not a pleased individual as one would expect. "We were beaten by a better team and our own mistakes. We cannot make excuses. Our defence looked so uncertain." Rale did say that we need patience and the team is one for the future and not for the present.
Branko Culina said "we still have some improvement needed." He was happy with the result and felt sorry for Rale (whom he called Arok once) and his task in Canberra.