Greetings Kankas and Kankies.
Our initial foreboding proved correct. The Black Sea Storm duly arrived and blew Ankaragucu away !
ANKARAGUCU 0 Trabzonspor 2
The 'Four Muskateers' met up in the Beer Bus Bar to watch 10 man Liverpool almost beat Arrrrrsssssinal but having to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Battle Damaged Kanka Damon, Maniac Kanka Harun, Kaleci Kanka Tansu and I were not our normal cheery and optimistic selves pre-match and on reflection I think we will need more than optimism pills this season !! After two competative matches we are still waiting to see Ankaragucu's first goal of the season !
I was further affected by a wave of pessimism when Maniac Kanka told me that Murat Duruer was in the starting line-up ........ whaaaaaaaat ??!! When is Umit Bey going to wake up to the fact that the team can't afford to carry passengers ?? He did two-fifths of effall last night, apart from taking a couple of throw-ins !!!
The line-up .....
Guven, Rajnoch, Zewlakow and Aydin
Hurriyet, Adem, Sestak, Duruer
Meye and Sapara
2nd Half substitutes used - Ozgur, Metin and Kaan
Both teams started the match tentatively which I suppose was understandable when they are both used to playing in front of large noisy crowds. It was an eerie atmosphere which I'm sure affected most of the players.
Both teams parked themselves in midfield and seemed happy enough to spread the ball around and pass it back to the goalkeepers.
The Ankaragucu defence was playing very tight on dangerman Teofilo (destroyer of Bursa last week !) and I was happy enough to see them snuff out the attacks which came their way.
At the other end, Meye was also being kept under control and there was little or no danger to Onur in goal apart from one shot from Sapara which he saved well.
Shortly before the half time whistle Ankaragucu had a stroke of luck when a well struck shot from Burak rebounded off the post with Ozden well beaten. Thankfully it fell to an Ankaragucu defender and was hastily hooked away to safety. An omen of things to come in the 2nd half ?!
Trabzon came out in the 2nd half and moved up a gear. Pressure was being applied and the Ankaragucu defence was having to work overtime. However, to their credit they were coping and trying to bring the ball out of defence rather than hoofing it anywhere.
With 20 minutes to go I would have been extremely happy with a 0-0 result, but I could sense the storm coming.
Trabzon was moving up a further gear and their superior fitness level was beginning to show. They were taking control of the match and Teofilo, Alanzinho, Yattara and Umut were finding more space and causing panic in the defence.
Then the storm arrived and it was 'the predator' Teofilo who did the damage being in the right place at the right time after Alanzinho had opened up the defence for the first goal and then Umut for the 2nd one.
Meye did have a coup;e of efforts on goal towards the end, but there really wasn't any way back for Ankaragucu.
Would Vittek's presence have made a difference to the result ? No, I doubt it ! However, if Umit Bey persists in playing Murat Duruer in his starting line-up I may decide not to buy a Kombine Ticket ...... that is, if we ever have the chance of buying one !!!
So, a clinical and well deserved win for Trabzon. Their striker, Teofilo, will take some stopping this season and may be the piece in the jigsaw that Senol Gunes has been looking for to take Trabzon all the way to the top this season. I for one wouldn't bet against it !
All the best from Eski Kanka Jim