5/22/2009

Poli - Steaua 1:0 (1:0)

The white-violets outdid themselves today in terms of risky play, by scoring in the first half and then defending for 45 minutes in a row. I don't think the team managed to pass the half-way line more than ten times in the second half and our only shot on goal came in the 90th minute. But it was enough, as Steaua were as impotent as ever, wasting numerous corner-kicks and free-kicks, despite a glimmer of determination from their side.
The match was decided by an inspirational goal by Parks, who dribbled past two defenders before his shot caught a deflection to go past Zapata in the 32nd minute. And it was enough for today.

Poli: Pantilimon (6) - Badoi (5), Nibombe (6), Cisovsky (6,5), Latovlevici (5,5) - Stancu (5,5), Borbely (5), Alexa (6), Art. Karamyan (5,5) - Bucur (5,5), Parks (6,5)

Schimbări:

Abiodun (5,5) pentru Badoi (min 66).
Magera (5,5) pentru Parks (min 71).
Scutaru pentru Borbely (min 90+2).


Parks goal(min 32):





Golanski shot (min 19):



Borbely shot (min 20):



Abiodun miss(min 90):

5/18/2009

Dinamo - Poli 3:1 (2:1)

I didn't bear to watch this match, because I knew it would have been too hard to endure a loss now. Unfortunately, although the white-violets scored first through Bucur in the 10th minute, three mistakes (Nibombe, Pantilimon and Parks) lead to three avoidable goals, two just before half-time, one immediately after. The lesson of effeciency, which Poli delivered so well in the Romanian Cup, was taught back, for the second time this season, by Dinamo.

The team still has some chance of fighting for the league title if the points come back our way, but that is a very big "if", so perhaps it would be better to just hope for a win against Steaua and see how things develop from there.

Poli: Pantilimon - Bădoi, Luchin, Nibombe, Latovlevici - Stancu, Borbely, Cisovsky, Curtean - Magera, Bucur

Substitutions:

Parks for Nibombe (min 45)
Maxim for Curtean (min 60)
Abiodun for Magera (min 83)

Goal Bucur (min 10):



Goal Ndoye (min 40):



Goal M. Niculae (min 45):



Goal Ndoye (min 48):




Pantilimon save (min 12):



Niculae miss (min 19):



Stancu shot (min 36):



Pantilimon save (min 79):

5/09/2009

Poli - Otelul Galati 1:0 (1:0)

It was a tough win today, especially given that Poli tried to defend a slender lead and almost ended up being equalized in the last minutes of the match.

After a first good chance from Otelul after fifteen minutes, Parks should've scored in the 20th, but his shot wasn't on goal. Just one minute later, Bucur did well to take the ball of a Galati defender and his shot clipped the post before entering into goal! The Poli striker could have made it two in the 31st minute, but his shot from a one on one position hit the side netting.
The second half belonged to Otelul, especially after the white-violets failed on a few occasions to scored a second goal. Two Pantilimon blunders lead to the away side's best scorind chances, but Latovlevici and particularly Cisovsky were there to save the day. In the end, Stancu could have scored, but his shot was saved by Kolev - yet, it was enough for Poli in what should be an important win in this season finale.

Poli: Pantilimon (5) - Bădoi (5), Nibombe (6), Cisovsky (7), Latovlevici (5,5) - Stancu (6), Scutaru (5,5), Magera (6), Art. Karamyan (5,5) - Bucur (6,5), Parks (5)

Substitutions:

Curtean (5,5) for Parks (min 57)
Vrsic (5,5) for Magera (min 68)
Maxim for Karamyan (min 90+3)


Gigel Bucur goal (min 23):




Ibeh chance (min 14):



Parks miss (min 22):



Bucur miss (min 31):



Pantilimon error (min 86):



Stancu (min 91):

5/06/2009

CFR Cluj - Poli 2:0 (0:0)

The white-violets just didn't have enough left in the tank to win this match against CFR, and the difference was made in terms of efficiency: the home side scored on both real scoring chances, while Poli missed five very good opportunities. Defeat is the price that has to be paid for that.

The team's chances to win the league are clearly diminished, particularly if the six points taken by FIFA will not be returned by the end of this month. Nevertheless, it is perhaps too much to be expected from an unexperienced manager and a squad that's been plagued with injuries of late. To my mind, even finishing on the podium is a great achievement.


Poli: Pantilimon (5) - Stancu (5), Luchin (5,5), Nibombe (5,5), Latovlevici (4) - Abiodun (5,5), Cisovsky (5,5), Borbely (5,5), Art. Karamyan (5,5) - Bucur (5), Magera (5,5)

Parks (5,5), Curtean (5,5) and Rusic replaced Abiodun, Nibombe and Bucur.


Goal Ruiz (min 50):



Goal Dubarbier (min 73):




Bucur miss (min 6):



Bucur miss (min 59):



Misses from Stancu and Bucur (min 66):



Magera scissor-kick (min 86):

5/02/2009

Poli - Farul 3:2 (1:1)

It looks a lot like Poli is a team that mimics whoever our opponents are. So when we played Dinamo, we put in a great performance, suitable for the opponent. Today, similar to the matches against Bistrita, Gaz Metan, Otopeni, we played terrible, missed countless chances and almost lost two points to a team that's almost relegated. Not to mention the terrible mistakes made in defence.

Balaj awarded Poli a penalty in the 10th minute, after an alleged handball which did not really happen and Bucur converted. Then the white-violets missed four good scoring opportunities, through Cisovsky, Luchin and twice Bucur. Farul first showed they may be capable of something after the half-hour mark and they completely took advantage of the lack of concentration shown by Poli's defenders. After two saves from Pantilimon, the goalie let the ball slip through his hands in the 45th minute and allowed the away side to equalize.
Poli played similarly in the second half and after two chances from Cisovsky and Nibombe, both saved by the oppositon's goalie, who had a great day, Ben Tekloh sent the ball in his own goal following a Curtean corner. The white-violet's advantage only lasted one minute, as Nibombe and Borbely failed to communicate and Chico easily slotted the ball in. Luck struck again in Poli's favour when another Curtean corner somehow reached Bucur, after some really poor defending from Farul, and the striker scored to make it three. The away side almost equalized in the 90th minute, but their goal was correctly disallowed for an offside position, granting Poli a much needed, if a bit shameful, win. Yet, at this moment in the championship, gathering points is all that matters.


Poli: Pantilimon (5) - Stancu (5,5), Luchin (5,5), Nibombe (5,5), Latovlevici (5) - Abiodun (5,5), Cisovsky (6), Borbely (5), Maxim (5) - Bucur (6), Parks (5,5)

Curtean (6), Rusic (5) and Magera (6) replaced Maxim, Parks and Borbely.

Bucur goal (min 10):



Rusmir goal (min 45):



Ben Tekloh own goal (min 63):



Chico goal (min 64):



Bucur goal (min 71):




Penalty (min 8):



Cisovsky chance (min 20):



Bucur chance (min 26):



Rusmir shot (min 30):



Latovlevici mistake (min 33):



Cisovsky shot (min 54):



Nibombe shot (min 63):



Curtean shot (min 81):



Farul goal - offside (min 90):



Magera's shot saved (min 91):