Lisboa Crumble Against Warsaw

Match Report: Warsaw vs Lisboa MD8

By: Drew Peacock

Eighth place AD Lisboa would travel to Poland to face KS Warsaw this matchday. They would go back to their 4-4-2 formation, with one major change; Kodai Senga would start the match in midfield in their double pivot with Tom John. They have had a respectable start to the season, winning three times, drawing once, and losing three times. Their opponents and the hosts of this matchup, KS Warsaw, went into the matchday thirteenth in the table with just two wins from seven matches, losing the rest. Breakout star Lennox Vito has been vocal about turning this team around in recent weeks and identified this matchup as one to watch. The first big chance of the game would fall to Gabriel Ferrari in the eighth minute. The Lisboa defense could only clear Jorge de Jesus' cross as far as Warsaw's midfield. Pepe Mancini played Ferrari into a position where he could turn and shoot while Lisboa captain Matthew Lennon was recovering. The shot looked to be heading in as it beat the keeper, but it hit the post and went wide where Lisboa LB Bjorn Weizenbaun was able to clear. Another opportunity for Gabriel Ferrari in the 31st minute. Lisboa increased their pressure on Warsaw which allowed Ferrari and Kiu Dos Santos to initiate a strong counter-attack. Ferrari found Dos Santos on the left flank who returned the ball to him for a first time shot. The shot did not trouble Bulka Bango-Bongo and went wide of goal. Would another counter-attack be their way of breaking through this tough Lisboa defense? Not in the first half, at least; the score remained 0-0 as the teams entered the tunnel. Both teams would make changes at half-time, doing anything to break the tie. In the 64th minute, Vito would get his first chance of the game, running in behind Lennon and the Lisbians. His shot had Bango-Bongo beat, but just as his teammate before him, he was unable to beat the post and his attempt ended going out of play for a goal kick. Lisboa survives again, for now... Not long after that sequence, the Lisboa defense was in trouble again, but able to clear for a corner. Lennox Vito stepped up to take and sent in a rocket towards the near post. Substitute Jaycee King was the first to it and sent in in on goal. The pace on the ball was too much for Bango-Bongo to handle and the hosts would grab the lead, 1-0. After conceding, Lisboa captain Lennon would move into attack to get an equalizer, risking being exposed to counter attacks. This would quickly turn sour for the Lisbians as they could not get an attempt on goal before conceding the second goal of the game in the 82nd minute. Dos Santos and the Warsaw attack just outnumbered the Lisboa defense now and a quick counter saw them in on goal again. Dos Santos' ball into the path of three potential scorers for Warsaw was picked up cleanly by Adrian Sanchez and touched past Bango-Bongo with ease. The hosts would take and hold onto the two-goal lead to earn all three points this matchday. The win would take them from thirteenth to tenth! As for Lisboa, the loss would only move them down one place in the table to ninth. Some in the Portuguese media are beginning to question the leadership of Matthew Lennon. Will he be able to win them back over before the transfer period opens? A positive result next matchday would help his case.