11/29/2008

Poli - FC Brasov 4:0 (2:0)

Talk about finishing a year in style! The white-violets managed to impress on this last match before the winter break, a feat even more impressive considering FC Brasov had only conceded nine goals in the first sixteen matches.

It's not a secret that the players were playing for Dusan Uhrin, who had been threatened with the sack from the always oblivious Marian Iancu if the team didn't win today. The Timisoara owner might have even relished the first fifteen minutes of play, in which Brasov dominated the match, without creating any real scoring opportunities though. Poli turned it around thanks to a huge defensive blunder by the away side, as Pantilimon's long ball was sent past goalkeeper Stelea by one of his defenders in the 18th minute! Ten minutes later Artiom Karamyan made it two, after receiving a great pass from Bucur, and things were more or less in the clear. Stancu and Goga could've scored a third goal before half time, but first Stelea saved well and then the long shot went a bit over.
Magera's huge one-on-one miss in the 50th minute was just a sign of more goals to come. Fifteen minutes later, the Czech midfielder/striker headered a Goga cross into goal, leaving Stelea helpless and putting the game beyond doubt. Artiom Karamyan had a shot go wide in the 80th minute, before Magera scored his second of the night, after Badoi's cross reached Parks, who sent the ball to Magera and the latter made no mistakes. Brasov had their first scoring opportunity in the last minute of play, but Pantilimon saved well in front of Surdu to keep a well deserved clean sheet.

So we're halway through the season and the league table looks fine, even without the six points that Mr. Iancu has been claiming are on their way back to Timisoara. Fact is, Dusan Uhrin Jr. made miracles with a more or less mediocre squad and if things go okay during the winter break, it can still get better. But it's going to be a long winter break...

Poli: Pantilimon (6,5) - Badoi (6), Luchin (6), Cisovsky (6), Latovlevici (5,5) - Stancu (5,5), Alexa (6,5), Magera (6,5), Art. Karamyan (5,5) - Goga (6,5), Bucur (6)

Parks (6), Rusic and Arm. Karamyan replaced Bucur, Art. Karamyan and Goga.


Voicu own goal (min 19):



Karamyan goal (min 28):



Magera goal (min 63):



Magera goal (min 83):



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Stancu lob (min 37):



Goga shot (min 44):



Magera miss (min 50):



Karamyan miss (min 80):

11/23/2008

Unirea Urziceni - Poli 1:1 (1:1)

The white violets scraped through with a draw following a very difficult match against league leaders Unirea Urziceni.

Despite conceding early, after a Cisovsky mistake (4th minute), Poli pounced back in the 28th minute, when Bădoi sent a great cross, Borbely's shot hit the post, but Bucur was there to score on the rebound! Pantilimon then made a great save in the 35th minute, before Goga shot at the goalkeeper just before the break, after a great counter-attack started by Stancu.
The second half was much more gruesome, as but for two long shots and a good Bucur opportunity, the white-violets saw themselves under heaps of pressure. Only good luck and another brilliant Pantilimon save kept the scoreline as it was, and ultimately, nobody can complain, as Uhrin has pulled off another good result against a top team.


Poli: Pantilimon (6,5) - Badoi (5,5), Luchin (6,5), Cisovsky (4,5), Latovlevici (5,5) - Stancu (5,5), Borbely (6), Alexa (5,5), Art. Karamyan (5) - Goga (5,5), Bucur (6,5)

Au intrat Rusici (5), Magera și Arm. Karamyan, înlocuindu-i pe Goga, Stancu și Bucur.


Onofraș goal (min 4):



Bucur goal (min 28):



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Onofraș miss/Pantilimon save (min 25):



Goga miss (min 44):



Paduretu miss (min 52):



Ocazie Bilașco (min 58):



Todoran miss/Pantilimon save (min 80):



Todoran miss (min 88):



Frunza miss(min 90+1):

11/20/2008

Two Dejan Rusic Clips

Found these thanks to a very up-to-date friend and they're quite nice to watch.



11/16/2008

Steaua - Poli 2:2 (0:0)

The white-violets recovered quickly from last week's shock defeat against Dinamo, and were quite close to sealing a victory in Ghencea, but defensive blunders squandered the goal advantage Poli had twice.

The first half was fairly bland and there were only few moments of interest. Steaua had the first big scoring opportunity, when Dayro Moreno couldn't profit off a poor Pantilimon save and hit the post from just a few meters. Poli replied through Parks, who received an excellent pass to be one on one with the keeper, but his attempt to get past Zapata was a failed one. Cisovsky could have slotted one in during first half added time, but his effort only amounted to a missed volley.
Poli had a great start to the second half, as Goga was there in the 51st minute to take a shot from the edge of the penalty area, the ball caught a slight deflection and went into goal! Bucur could have made it two just ten minutes later, but Zapata saved, before Pantilimon was tested by Kapetanos. The Poli keeper made another excellent save in the 68th minute, but Szekely recovered the ball, crossed, and Dayro Moreno, strolling alone through the penalty area, had an easy mission to header the ball in, equalizing for Steaua. However, in the 76th minute the white-violets managed to get back in front, after Badoi exquisitely converted a free-kick from 25 meters! Sadly though, Steaua pounced back, after Parks was unable to clear an easy ball in the penalty area, and Mirel Radoi took a shot from the edge of the area, which left Pantilimon stranded. Although the home side tried more in the last ten minutes, the end result remained two all, with Poli ruing their inability to hold on to their lead, despite the fact that the point well earned was satisfactory enough.

Poli: Pantilimon (6,5) - Badoi (6,5), Luchin (6), Cisovsky (5,5), Latovlevici (5,5) - Stancu (5,5), Borbely (6), Goga (6,5), Art. Karamyan (5,5) - Bucur (5,5), Parks (4,5)

Arm. Karamyan, Bonfim and Sanchez replaced Art. Karamyan, Parks and Bucur .

Goga goal (min 52):



Dayro Moreno goal (min 68):



Bădoi goal (min 77):



Rădoi goal (min 79):



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Dayro Moreno hits the post (min 15):



Cisovsky miss (min 44):



Bucur miss (min 62):



Kapetanos miss (min 63):



Dayro Moreno hits the post, but is called offside(min 89):

11/08/2008

Poli - Dinamo 0:3 (0:1)

It seems that when things go bad at Poli they go bad all the way. Today the white-violets literally beat themselves, as Brezinsky and Cisovsky scored own goals, and Dinamo managed to convert almost all their important chances, while the shots of Bucur and Karamyan just didn't seem to want to find the right side of the post. It's really a pain, because any match can be lost on a bad day, but somehow the bad days keep coming every time we play Dinamo. However, it's clear that the Poli squad isn't the strongest one ever and there are some gaps in the first eleven which could very well be filled by more able players. Except for Artiom Karamyan and Costel Pantilimon, all players were disappointing today, with Brezinsky and Milhazes taking the "prize" of most disappointing - the two were each at fault at two of the three goals.

Perhaps it is about time that Dusan Uhrin Jr. tried out some other players both in midfield, as well as in defense, with Luchin, Latovlevici, Sanchez, Bonfim and Sretenovic eagerly anticipating their chances. The cup match against Dunarea Galati, this Tuesday, should be a good opportunity for this kind of experiment.

Poli: Pantilimon (6) - Bădoi (5), Brezinsky (3,5), Cisovsky (4,5), Milhazes (3,5) - Stancu (5), Borbely (4,5), Alexa (5), Art. Karamyan (6) - Bucur (5), Magera (5)

Au intrat Parks (5,5), Goga (5,5) și Arm. Karamyan, înlocuindu-i pe Borbely, Stancu și Magera.

Brezinsky own goal (min 11):



Dănciulescu goal (min 52):



Cisovsky own goal (min 67):



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Bucur miss (min 16):



Karamyan miss (min 26):



Ratare Miranda (min 30):



Șut Torje (min 42):



Bucur miss (min 59):



Ad. Cristea shot (min 63):

11/02/2008

Otelul Galati - Poli 2:2 (2:1)

Galati is never an easy place to play at, especially if you decide to make your time there more difficult than it should be.

After Karamyan's early goal, thanks to a good move by Rusic, Stancu and Bucur, things should've been easier, but they weren't, because Brezinsky managed to score a fairly avoidable own goal ten minutes later. After Karamyan wasted a good opportunity a minute later, the home side managed to score once more, this time after Borbely (?) lost his man Viglianti, and the Argentine score with a shot from just outside the penalty area. Borbely, Bucur and Magera could've scored until half-time, but it wasn't to be, and this meant the white-violets had a lot to work at in the remaining forty-five mintues.
However, the only thing that changed after half time was that Poli were becoming more erratic and Otelul was getting much closer to Pantilimon's goal after the plentiful failed offensive moves of Uhrin's men. Our goalie had to make some amazing saves at three very, very good chances of the home side, but the young U21 international - recently called up to the senior national side - dealt with the situations excellently. Cisovsky was the only one to put opposite goalie Kolev to the test in the 87th minute, when he made an impetuous run, only to have his shot saved. Nothing would stop Gigel Bucur though in the last minute of extra-time, when Parks and Cisovsky built up a good opportunity, and our top-striker was at the right place when a deflection reached him to score the equalizer!

So it was a hard earned point, but a good one, nonetheless, after an open game with quite a few scoring chances. Everyone will be thinking of the match against arch-rivals Dinamo now, hoping for the victory we've been looking for over the last decade.


Poli: Pantilimon (7) - Badoi (6,5), Cisovsky (7), Brezinsky (4,5), Milhazes (4) - Stancu (6), Magera (5), Borbely (4,5), Art. Karamyan (6,5) - Bucur (6), Rusic (5,5).

Goga (5), Parks (6) and Arm. Karamyan replaced Stancu, Rusici and Magera.



Karamyan goal (min 7):



Brezinsky own goal (min 19):



Viglianti goal (min 26):



Bucur goal (min 93):




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Bucur chance (min 37):



Iorga chance (min 57):



Chances of Gado and Tanasa (min 67):



Pena chance (min 77):