The Miami Fusion were outplayed and outclassed
by Fulham Saturday evening 5-0 at the Homestead Sports Complex.
The field, normally used for baseball still had the clay laid out on the
pitch. The field crew was still preparing the field half an hour before
the start of the match. Both sides seemed apprehensive to tackle in this
area as the game progressed.
Though the game began with a very slow pace and both teams trying to hold
the ball, the pace picked up considerably fifteen minutes in. With both
sides driving in before being turned back by the defense, the Fusion seemed
to rushing and pressing the play more, while Fulham tried to advance with
precise passing.
The Fusion threatened in the 26th minute when Preki got a shot off that
went over the bar. Preki received the ball after a Alex Pineda Chacon pass
on a play that was started by Diego Serna and found Preki involved on the
pass around.
The 37th minute dealt the Fusion a fateful blow when defender Carlos Llamosa
received a red card for a hand ball after Rimando was found out of position
on a shot by Luis Boa Morte. But Rimando came up big on the ensuing PK,
blocking Louis Saha’s attempt.
Six minutes later Fulham received another penalty kick when Tyrone Marshall
tackled Boa Morte inside the area. This time Fulham was successful when
Saha found the back of the net to make the score 1-0. As the half came to
a close Chris Henderson fired a shot which blazed across the area but was
just wide of the post and left Fulham with the lead.
Fulham struck twelve minutes into the second half when Fulham captain Lee
Clark shot the ball past keeper Jeff Cassar who started in goal for the
Fusion in the start of the half. Clark received the ball from Saha on a
play started by American Eddie Lewis.
Eighteen minutes later Andres Stolcres, who had just come off the bench
five minutes earlier found Cassar out of position to put Fulham up 3-0.
Kevin Betsy scored off a beautiful cross pass from Lewis in the 84th, and
Lewis quickly converted a goal less than a minute later to put Fulham up
5-0.
Scoring:
FUL- Saha (PK) 43
FUL- Clark (Saha) 57
FUL- Stolcers (Betsy) 65
FUL- Betsy (Lewis) 84
FUL- Lewis (Boa Morte) 85
Fulham:GK- Maik Taylor, D- Steve Finnan (Wayne Collins, 62), D- Rufus
Brevett (Paul Trollope, 46), D- Alain Goma, D- Kit Simons (Andy Melville,
46), M- Sean Davis (Alan Nielson, 15), M- Eddie Lewis, M- Lee Clark (C)(Andres
Stolcers, 60), F- Barry Hayles (Bjarne Goldbaek, 46), F- Louis Saha (Kevin
Betsy,62) F- Luis Boa Morte
Fusion:GK- Nick Rimando (Jeff Cassar, 46), D- Ivan McKinnley (Cory
Gibbs, 46), D- Carlos Llamosa, D- Pablo Mastroeni, M- Tyrone Marshall (Leo
Cullen, 66), M- Chris Henderson (Jay Heaps, 46), M- Jim Rooney(C) (Jeff
Bylik, 66), M- Ian Bishop, M- Preki (Tim Sahaydak, 86), F- Alex Chacon,
F- Diego Serna (Ali Ngon, 76)
Cautions:
Fusion- McKinnley (Foul Tackle) 34
Fusion- Mastroeni (Dissent) 42
Fulham- Nielson (Foul Tackle) 75
Fusion- Gibbs (Persistent Infringement) 89
Ejections:
Fusion- Llamosa (Deliberate Hand Ball) 37
|