Cusco FC drew (again) 2-2 with FBC Melgar and remain in the most dangerous part of the table

Wednesday, 4 August 2021, 2:30 pm local time (7:30 pm UTC), San Marcos Stadium, Lima, Peru, the 4th round of the Stage 2, Peruvian First Division (Liga 1).

Cusco FC continue their weak form this season, and even when they play better, they fail to win. In their last matches, they luckily drew 2-2 with last classified Binacional (which had plenty of opportunities to score many goals), and then they lost 3-2 to Alianza Universidad, though they came back from 1-0 and 2-1, but were not able to equalize after the third goal of the opponents. The match against Melgar was truthfully considered as more difficult than these previous games, so Cusco FC prepared properly and were ahead most of the match, leading 1-0 (for just a few minutes) and then 2-1 for most of the second half, but Melgar succeeded to equalize in the final minutes and could even have won but Hermoza saved a couple of shots.

The match started very well, with goals from both sides and lots of chances. First, the match has just begun and Édson Aubert scored for Cusco from a free kick: 0-1 (2'). Not long after, a wisely devised attack by Melgar finished with Bordacahar crossing from the right to Iberico at the far post: 1-1 (6'). Melgar had more ball possession, but Cusco responded very well on the counter and used every set piece to inflict danger to the opposite goal. Royón's shot was blocked (11') and Corrales headed the ball to the post (12'). 

The game became less interesting in the middle of the half, with few opportunities for both sides. Melgar maintained the overall control of the game, but rarely reached the opposite goal. Cusco players tried to send large balls to Royón, who sometimes resisted the defenders, and once was able to give the ball back to Ramúa, whose long-range shot (from more than 30 meters!) went straight to the upper-left corner of Cáceda's goal: 1-2 (39'). It is one of the most beautiful goals of the season.

Melgar's attacking pressure immediately increased, but Cusco was able to defend properly until the break. In the second half, the game was mostly the same, with Melgar attacking and Cusco defending. Melgar's manager, Néstor Lorenzo, sent in Kevin Quevedo and Jhonny Vidales for the last 15-20 minutes or so, and the quality of Melgar's attacks increased. Pressure mounted, and Hermoza had several saves which kept Cusco in advantage.

Cusco FC could have also scored, but Carrillo missed a good chance (75'). On the other hand, Vidales (77') and Quevedo (79') were closer to the equalizing goal, which finally arrived: after a collective attack, Vázquez found the needed space on the right side, and his cross was headed in by Vidales: 2-2 (86').

Jhonny Vidales (in red and black, on the ground) scored the equalizing goal for FBC Melgar. Source: Diario Correo

The same Jhonny Vidales could have brought all the points to Arequipa, but his header was saved by Éder Hermoza spectacularly (90'+2').

Both teams were probably unhappy with the final result. Néstor Lorenzo was very much helped by his subs, while Claudio Vivas only made a couple of substitutions, which did not bring anything to Cusco's game, and the bench did not have much to offer.

Melgar: Cáceda - Ibáñez (Vidales 74'), Pereyra, Luján, Reyna - Orzán (Tandazo 78'), Arias (Sánchez 78') - Bordacahar, Vázquez, Iberico (Quevedo 66') - Cuesta. Manager: Néstor Lorenzo.

Cusco: Hermoza - Velásquez, Rizzo, Figueroa, Corrales - Tello, Aubert - Abisab, Ramúa (Espinoza 69'), Rivera - Royón (Carrillo 69'). Manager: Claudio Vivas.

Referee: Edwin Ordóñez.

Yellow cards: Orzán 41, Pereyra 51', Tandazo 89', Vázquez 89' - Rizzo 64', Abisab 89'.

Melgar remain top of the Stage 2 table, and will face Alianza Universidad in the next round, on Monday. Cusco are however more interested in the aggregate table, where they are among the last and in relegation position. Their next match is on Sunday, against newly-promoted Alianza Atlético de Sullana.

Full results, schedule and tables:

Round 4 (2-4 August 2021)

 

Ayacucho – Universidad de San Martín 1-0

Cienciano – Deportivo Municipal 2-3

UTC – Universidad César Vallejo 0-0

Carlos A. Mannucci – Sport Huancayo 1-1

Sporting Cristal – Universitario 2-2

Alianza Atlético – Binacional 0-3

FBC Melgar – Cusco FC 2-2

Alianza Universidad – Sport Boys 2-0

Alianza Lima – Academia Cantolao 2-1

 

Stage 2 (Clausura) table

 

1	FBC Melgar	4	2	2	0	11-4	8	Qualified for the play-off
2	Alianza Lima	4	2	2	0	6-2	8
3	Alianza Universidad	4	2	2	0	6-3	8
4	Universidad César Vallejo	4	2	2	0	4-1	8
5	Deportivo Municipal	4	2	2	0	7-5	8
6	Carlos A. Mannucci	4	2	1	1	7-4	7
7	Cienciano	4	1	2	1	7-5	5
8	Sporting Cristal	3	1	2	0	7-5	5
9	Binacional	4	1	2	1	7-8	5
10	Universitario de Deportes	4	1	2	1	6-7	5
11	Ayacucho FC	4	1	1	2	5-8	4
12	Alianza Atlético	4	1	1	2	3-7	4
13	Sport Boys	4	1	1	2	3-7	4
14	UTC	4	0	3	1	1-2	3
15	Cusco FC	4	0	2	2	6-8	2
16	Academia Cantolao	4	0	2	2	5-8	2
17	Sport Huancayo	4	0	2	2	1-5	2
18	Universidad San Martín	3	0	1	2	1-4	1

 

Rules for classification (except for first place): 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) drawing of lots.

A play-off is needed to decide the winner if two or more teams are tied on points on top of the table at the end of the tournament.

 

Round 5 (6-9 August 2021)

 

Deportivo Municipal – Ayacucho

Sport Huancayo – Sporting Cristal

Binacional – UTC

Universidad César Vallejo – Carlos A. Mannucci

Universitario – Cienciano

Cusco FC – Alianza Atlético

Academia Cantolao – Sport Boys

Universidad de San Martín – Alianza Lima

FBC Melgar – Alianza Universidad

 

Aggregate table (Stage 1 + Stage 2)

 

1	Sporting Cristal (AW, Q)	12	9	2	1	25-11	29	Qualified for the play-offs & CL
2	Univ. César Vallejo	13	7	5	1	21-9	26	Qualified for the play-offs & CL
3	Alianza Lima	13	6	6	1	18-8	24	Qualified for Copa Libertadores
4	Cienciano	13	5	4	4	21-17	19	Qualified for Copa Libertadores
5	Ayacucho FC	13	4	7	2	21-18	19	Qualified for Copa Sudamericana
6	Carlos A. Mannucci	13	5	4	4	20-18	19	Qualified for Copa Sudamericana
7	Universidad San Martín	12	6	2	4	11-10	19	[1] Qualified for Copa Sudamericana
8	Universitario de Deportes	13	5	5	3	18-18	19	[1] Qualified for Copa Sudamericana
9	FBC Melgar	13	4	5	4	22-16	17
10	Alianza Universidad	13	5	3	5	14-16	17	[1]
11	Deportivo Municipal	13	4	3	6	13-20	15
12	Alianza Atlético	13	4	2	7	13-16	14
13	Sport Huancayo	13	3	5	5	9-14	14
14	UTC	13	3	4	6	10-14	13
15	Sport Boys	13	4	2	7	15-21	13	[1]
16	Academia Cantolao	13	3	3	7	13-21	12	Relegation / promotion play-offs
17	Cusco FC	13	1	7	5	18-21	9	[1] Relegation to Segunda División
18	Binacional	13	2	3	8	15-29	9	Relegation to Segunda División

 

Q – Qualified for the play-offs

AW – Stage 1 (Apertura) Winners

CW – Stage 2 (Clausura) Winners

R – Relegated

 

Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) drawing of lots; 5) play-off (only if needed to decide teams for relegation)

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[1] Universidad de San Martín, Universitario de Deportes, Alianza Universidad, Sport Boys and Cusco FC have been all deducted 1 point in the aggregate table for financial irregularities.

Bourj FC are winners of the 2021 Lebanese Challenge Cup, 4-2 over AC Tripoli in the final

Sunday, 1 August 2021, 5 pm local time (2 pm UTC), Fouad Chehab Stadium, Jounieh, Lebanon, Challenge Cup final.

Abou Baker Al Mel (left) and Hussein Al Outa both scored a double for Bourj FC in the Challenge Cup final. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page / Abdallah Mahfouz

Bourj FC won for the second time in a row the Lebanese Challenge Cup, after winning the 2019 and 2021 editions (the competition was not held in 2020). In the 2021 final, Bourj FC faced AC Tripoli, a team they have already defeated in the group stage, but now the victory was even clearer.

Bourj FC starting XI in the Challenge Cup final. Source: elmaestrosport.com

Bourj scored early: Abou Baker Al Mel passed to Hussein Al Outa in the box, and the striker found a perfect shot, above the goalkeeper, into the crossbar and then into the net: 1-0 (5').

Hussein Al Outa (in yellow), one of the heroes of the final for Bourj FC. Source: elmaestrosport.com

Most of the first half, Bourj FC played rather conservatively, though they had several opportunities, especially by Abou Baker Al Mel, very active on the right side. The Tripoli side tried to slowly move the game in their favour, bur only had a couple of dangerous long-range shots.

This situation largely persisted in the second half, when the number of chances increased however. Both teams missed one important chance in the first 20 minutes of the second half, but the real show was in the last 20 minutes or so, when five goals were scored. Ali Merkabaoui, who just came in as a sub, had a great run on the right side, and was stopped only by a foul inside the box (69'). The penalty was transformed by Abou Baker Al Mel: 2-0 (71').

Some of the Bourj FC players celebrating at 2-0. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page / Abdallah Mahfouz

The match seemed solved, but there was much more to come. On a counter, Hussein Ibrahim assisted Hussein Al Outa, who splendidly dribbled the opposite defender and finished in style: 3-0 (75'). This proved the qualities of this footballer, usually playing as a winger, but this time as a central forward, giving full satisfaction in any position.

AC Tripoli had eventually a response, when Mohammad Korhani perfectly executed a free kick from the edge of the box: 3-1 (80'). The last minutes fully belonged to AC Tripoli, as they attacked with all their lines. But, on another break, it was Bourj FC that scored again, by Abou Baker Al Mel, who eventually sent the ball in, after another great run by Ali Merkabaoui, this time on the left side, and an initial shot saved by a defender: 4-1 (83'). The referee awarded easily a penalty for AC Tripoli after a contact between Mohammad Al Faour and a striker. Mohammad Korhani transformed the penalty, which established the final score: 4-2 (88').

Bourj FC: Abdelkarim Saleh - Mohammad El Dor, Hassan Bitar (Khodor Hallak 83'), Shadi Skaff, Youssef Anbar (Ibrahim Abou Hamdan 13') - Hussein Ibrahim "Al Saaouk" (Ali Kharoubi 79'), Mohammad Al Faour - Abou Baker Al Mel "Bako", Abbas Atwi "Onika", Samih Damaj (Ali Merkabaoui 68') - Hussein Al Outa (Hussein Ghanem 80'). Manager: Fouad Hijazi.

AC Tripoli: Ahmad Korhani - Mohammad Korhani, Ahmad Moghrabi, Abdelrazzak Dakramanji (Omar Khayed 76'), Ghazi Hussein, Bassam Zakaria (Mohammad Omar Sadek 56'), Adnan El Kheir (Ghazi Ramzi Hussein 76'), Jihad Eid, Fouad Eid (Mohammad El Samrout 66'), Ali El Rachid, Samir Abdelrahman (Alex Rattel 89'). Manager: Saad Jamil.

The ceremony after the end of the match has not progressed properly, because of a conflict generated during the match between some of the Bourj FC leading figures and some of the Lebanese FA leading figures regarding the access of several Bourj FC fans in the stands.

Disastruos start for 1. FK Svidník in the new season: a 12-0 loss at Odeva Lipany

Saturday, 31 July 2021, 4:30 pm local time (2:30 UTC), Odeva Stadium, Lipany, Slovakia, 1st match day of the Slovak Third League - East Group.

1. FK Svidník have luckily remained in the Slovak Third League, because Družstevník Plavnica did not enroll for the 2021-2022. The last two seasons were very weak indeed, as the club financial situation suffered a lot, and the situation turned from bad to worse, ending up in a relegation at the end of the 2020-2021 season, which was eventually overturned due to a lucky event, as specified.

As weak as it was, 1. FK Svidník still had a number of good players, able to play at the level of the Slovak Third League. Time for reconstruction has definitely arrived, but it would have been advisable that at least some of those players stayed. However, with very few exceptions, most of the these players moved to other teams, probably fed up with all the issues that the club had in the past two seasons.

New players indeed arrived, and a new manager, but there was no time for them to train properly, and the first competitive match was scheduled on 31 July. The opponents - Odeva Lipany - are one of the strongest teams in the group, among the favourites to claim the top spot and to promote to the Second Division.

The match was clearly won by Odeva Lipany, the score, 12-0, says everything. 

Odeva Lipany (in green) crushed 1. FK Svidník 12-0 on Saturday. Source: Odeva Lipany Facebook page

However, a few more details are necessary. The first two goals were scored in the middle of the first half, by Štefan Kollár (1-0, 23') and Peter Vitovič (2-0, 29'), the second one by a penalty.

Goalkeeper Anton Dzupina almost saved the penalty executed by Peter Vitovič, but the score became 2-0. Source: Odeva Lipany Facebook page

The disaster began to take shape in the 38th minute, when goalkeeper Anton Dzupina made a foul in his own box and was sent off. A field player (Rafael Guman) had to be replaced by the substitute goalkeeper, Mário Mulík, who saved the penalty executed by the same Peter Vitovič (39'). However, with one man less, 1. FK Svidník were clearly dominated by Odeva Lipany, and Pavel Popovec made it 3-0 right before the break (44').

The situation got worse for the visitors in the second half, as Radoslav Kamenec (52') and Marcel Vysočan (64') made it 5-0. Then, in just four minutes, the score went to 8-0, as goals were flowing, by Lukáš Micherda (69'), Pavol Popovec (71') and Branislav Poremba (72' - from penalty). These consecutive goals came very hard for the young Svidník team. The last of them was scored from a penalty caused by another foul in the box, made by Timotej Čabala, who was also sent off, so the visitors had to play the last 18 minutes in just nine men!

In these conditions, it was easy to imagine that everyone in Lipany squad wanted to score, and four more goals were therefore added, scored by Pavol Popovec (78', hat-trick), Kristián Gul'áš (86'), Roman Kovalčík (88') and Vladimír Pyda (90'). The final whistle of the referee came as a relief for the visitors, otherwise the score could have reached even higher dimensions.

Lipany: Bartoš - Kamenec (Bujňák), Dlugoš, Popovec, Vitovič (Gul'áš 58'), Poremba, Kovalčík, Kollár (Micherda 66'), Pyda, Vysočan (Blaško 66'), Štroncer (Marchevka 58'). Manager: Pavol Vytykač.

Svidník: Dzupina - Košč (Haňak 69'), T. Čabala, Blanár, Makara, Guman (Mulík 39'), Shliakhov, Daňo (Janek 82'), Paňko, D. Čabala, Oravec. Manager: Alexander Tyč.

Referee: Radoslav Bobko.

Red cards: Dzupina 38', T. Čabala 72'.

It is interesting to note that no yellow cards were given, but two straight red cards!

For 1. FK Svidník, other difficult matches are just around the corner. One reason is that the Slovak rules regarding the schedule of matches make that the best teams (in the previous season) would play the weakest teams in the first rounds. So, 1. FK Svidník will face all the best classified teams (in the previous season) in the first match days. The first of these matches will be Wednesday, 4 August, at home, against the main favourites for promotion, 1. FC Tatran Prešov.

Bourj FC won 2-1 over AC Sporting and will play the 2021 Challenge Cup final

Sunday, 25 July 2021, 5 pm local time (2 pm UTC), Amin Abdelnour Stadium, Bhamdoun (Aley), Lebanon, semifinals of the Lebanese Challenge Cup.

AC Sporting, newly-promoted to the Lebanese Premier League, played very well against the favourites Bourj FC, but the yellow-and-black title holders came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 and qualified for the Challenge Cup final for the second time in a row. Will they win back-to-back Challenge Cup titles? They will be again favourites in the final, when they will face AC Tripoli, a team which they gave already defeated in the first match of Group A. However, it would probably be a different story in the final.

The match against AC Sporting was not an easy one. Bourj FC dominated large parts of the game and had the first big chance, when Abou Baker Al Mel "Bako" shot went to the crossbar (32'). Sporting gave a good response and missed a great opportunity right before the break (41').

The goals arrived only in the second half, when the match became very disputed. Sporting broke the deadlock, as Hassan Fardous scored from a penalty: 0-1 (57'). Bourj players took complete control of the game and attacked ferociously, winning also a penalty for a hand ball. Abou Baker Al Mel took the responsibility and equalized: 1-1 (66').

Abou Baker Al Mel (in yellow) played an important part in Bourj FC's win. Source: elmaestrosport.com

The final minutes were very tense. Each team tried to score the winning goal, but Bourj FC seemed more determined, and eventually their willingness paid off. A ball sent home by a Sporting defender was taken in his hands by goalkeeper Mohamad Zahr, as he was pressed by Abbas Atwi "Onika". The referee gave an indirect free kick for Bourj FC. The same Abbas Atwi "Onika" had the inspiration to take the free kick, sending a perfect cross (while everyone expected a short pass) to Youssef Atriss, who headed the ball in: 2-1 (85'). 

Bourj FC: Abdel Karim Saleh - Youssef Anbar (Mohamad El Dor 70'), Khodor Hallak, Hassan Bitar, Ibrahim Abou Hamdan - Hussein Ibrahim, Abbas Atwi "Onika" - Abou Baker Al Mel (Samih Damaj 75'), Mohamad Kassem (Youssef Atriss 70'), Hussein Al Outa (Hassan Ghanem 75') - Ahmad Moghrabi (Ali Merkabaoui 13'). Manager: Fouad Hijazi.

The Challenge Cup final will probably be played next Sunday, the 1st of August, in the afternoon, and most likely at Fouad Chehab Stadium in Jounieh. The match will be broadcasted either by MTV Sports or by the FA Lebanon channel on YouTube.

Bourj FC qualified for the Challenge Cup semifinals as winners of Group A after 2-0 over Shabab El Bourj

Tuesday, 20 July 2021, 5:30 pm local time (2:30 pm UTC), Fouad Chehab Stadium, Jounieh, Lebanon, Challenge Cup, Group A, match 3.

Bourj FC and Shabab El Bourj met again in a local derby in the last match of Group A. Their rivalry was visible in the field, and also the score reflected that there is no "cooperation" between the two: Bourj FC were already qualified to the semifinals, while Shabab El Bourj needed at least a draw... but Bourj FC had no mercy of their neighbours, and this result actually determined that AC Tripoli is the second classified in the group and therefore qualified for the semifinals, while Shabab El Bourj are out of the competition.

Bourj FC are again in the semifinals of the Challenge Cup. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

Indeed, during the match, it was easy to see that Bourj FC played with no pressure, they created lots of opportunities, while their opponents seldom reached the opposite box. Just like in the previous game, the first goal came right before the break: after a corner from the left side, the ball reached Youssef Atriss at the edge of the box, and he scored with a beautiful shot, to the left of the goalkeeper: 1-0 (43').

In the second half, despite their need to equalize, Shabab El Bourj seemed unable to create any danger, while Bourj FC continued to control the game and to have numerous goal chances. Three minutes after he came in as a sub, Samih Damaj reached the ball a second before the goalkeeper and scored with a header, finalizing a cross from another sub, Ali Merkabaoui: 2-0 (72').

Bourj: Abdel Karim Saleh - Mohammad El Dor, Hassan Abdallah Bitar, Shadi Skaff, Youssef Anbar (Ibrahim Abou Hamdan 69') - Mohammad El Faour (Ali Kharroubi 78'), Abbas Atwi "Onika" - Abou Baker Al Mel (Samih Damaj 69'), Youssef Atriss (Mohammad Kassem 76'), Hussein Al Outa (Ali Merkabaoui 69') - Akram Moghrabi. Manager: Fouad Hijazi.

Shabab El Bourj: Hadi Khalil - Ali Harb, Bilal Nasrallah, Yasser Achour, Mohammad Baker El Husseini, Hassan Dib, Hassan El Hajj, Mehdi Tlays Abou Mohsen, Mohammad Sibaii "Wartan", Moussa Zayyat (Mohammad Saleh 69'), Hassan El Kadi, Ali Imad Moussawi. Manager: Mohammad Nasser.

In the semifinals, on Sunday, Bourj FC will face newly-promoted Sporting Club Beirut, while AC Tripoli will play against the other newly-promoted team, Hikma / La Sagesse (winners of Group B).

Cusco FC lost 1-0 to Universidad César Vallejo in the first round of Stage 2 - Peruvian First Division

Monday, 19 July 2021, 1:15 pm local time (6:15 pm UTC), Monumental Stadium, Lima (neutral ground), Peru, round 1, Stage 2, Peruvian First Division.

Cusco FC is in a surprising relegation position after Stage 1, and was expected that they would try to improve their squad during the mid-year transfer window. However, the technical staff led by manager Claudio Vivas probably considered that there is no such need for better players, and just a few were added to the already existing roster. Víctor Cedrón was the only new player who actually played from the beginning in the first game of Stage 2, but he did not show why he was brought in.

Actually, Cusco FC as a team failed to justify the trust that many had, that they would play much better in Stage 2, and would get better results, to avoid relegation. Their game was dull, decent sometimes, but not at all meant to get a win. Universidad César Vallejo was the better team, and fully deserved to win, as they were the only ones who really looked for a winning goal. They controlled the game most of the time, attacked more and more, while Cusco defended well and only tried to capitalize on the speed of their wingers, especially Carranza, on the counter.

José Daniel Rivera (Cusco FC, in black) had little chances against Emiliano Ciucci (Universidad César Vallejo). Source: andina.pe

In the first half, there were no real goal opportunities, as the teams closed down all the possible ways to get near the goal. Universidad César Vallejo increased their pressure in the second half, when opportunities started to emerge, one after the other, while Cusco FC manager did not nothing to stop the offensive waves of the opponents. Goalkeeper Nicosia saved several times, the defenders did their job, even the referee was on Cusco's side when he did not award a penalty for César Vallejo, after a clear foul of Rossi on Vélez. 

But this could not go forever like this, and eventually Universidad César Vallejo did score the winning goal: Millán found a miraculous pass to Vásquez, whose shot was saved by Nicosia, the ball came back to Santiago Silva, whose shot was saved by Céspedes, and the ball came back again to Jairo Vélez, who finally found the gap between the goalkeeper and Céspedes to send it home from close range: 1-0 (71').

It was only after the goal that Cusco FC tried to do something in the attack. They had a few chances, the biggest of them all was a shot by Edson Aubert from just outside the box, but Grados saved spectacularly (82'). They also might have been given a penalty, for a hand ball inside the box, but the referee overlooked (again), so 1-1 for penalties not given.

UCV: Grados - Morillo (Quinteros 60'), Ciucci, Fleitas, Vásquez - Figuera, Ysique, Millán, Vélez (Rodas 90'+2') - Mena, S. Silva (Da Silva 77'). Manager: José Del Solar.

Cusco: Nicosia - Orbe, Rizzo (Velásquez 77'), Rossi, Céspedes - Tello (Espinoza 77'), Abisab - Carranza, Ramúa (Montes 65'), Cedrón (Aubert 72') - Rivera. Manager: Claudio Vivas.

Referee: Joel Alarcón.

Yellow cards: Vélez 29', Ysique 45'+1', Mena 52' - Cedrón 54'.

The next match for Cusco FC would be Sunday, 25 July, against last classified Binacional. They would really need to get a win again - their only win in Stage 1 was against Binacional, but the pressure is even bigger right now. Another problem is that Gonzalo Rizzo was injured and had to be replaced, and Cusco FC does not have too many centre backs able to play at this moment, as Diego Minaya is also injured (from the beginning of the season). Carlos Orbe played as centre back in the final minutes of the game against Universidad César Vallejo, but it would be unusual for him to be used in that position from the beginning of the match. 

The other problem seems to be in the attack. Ramúa seems to be out of form, and nobody else is creative enough to break the opponents' defence. Moreover, few balls get to the striker, who might be again Montes, as he has just recovered after an injury and played the last 30 minutes or so against César Vallejo, but rarely in a position to score goals. Rivera is an excellent player, but not in the no. 9 position, while the wingers, such as Carranza or Rengifo, are good on counterattacks, when speed is needed, but are not so useful in a game when Cusco FC is supposed to have the ball and to control every attack, especially when there is nobody to finalize, to get the final touch of the ball, to send it in.

Bourj starts the 2021 Challenge Cup with a 1-0 win over AC Tripoli

Tuesday, 13 July 2021, 5:30 pm local time (2:30 pm UTC), Fouad Chehab Stadium, Jounieh, Lebanon, match 1 of Group A, Lebanese Challenge Cup.

The 2021-2022 season started in Lebanon with the Elite Cup (for the top six teams of the previous season) and the Challenge Cup (for teams classified 7 to 10 and the two newly-promoted teams). Bourj only classified seventh in 2020-2021, so they started again the Challenge Cup, where they are in fact defending champions, as they won the last edition in 2019. The 2020 Elite and Challenge cups were not held due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Bourj FC had an interesting transfer window. They lost several key players - captain Walid Ismail to Hekmeh / La Sagesse, striker Fadel Antar to Shabab Sahel, and the talented young forwards Zain Al Abidin Farran and Mohammad Nasser to Al Ahed. However, they brought in many new players: playmaker Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika", from Ansar, who came back to Bourj after almost 20 years (he last played for Bourj in 2001-2002!), winger Abou Baker Al-Mel, who returned from Malaysia, midfielder Youssef Atriss, who came back after several years, last playing for Shabab Al Ghazieh. Hassan Abdallah Bitar and Youssef Anbar, both from champions Ansar, as well as Shadi Skaff, from Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley, are meant to strengthen the defense. Strikers Akram Moghrabi, from Safa, and young Ali Merkabaoui, from Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley, would fill the place left by Fadel Antar. Hassan Hammoud "Nouna" from Shabab Al Ghazieh and Ali Kharoubi from Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley are good additions for the midfield, while goalkeepers Hassan Moghnieh from Ansar and Mohammad Issa from Al Islah Al Bourj Al Shimaly would compete with Abdel Karim Saleh. 

 Bourj FC starting XI. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

The match against AC Tripoli in the first round of the Challenge Cup provided a good opportunity to try out some of the new players and to work on their integration with the existing players. Abbas Atwi "Onika" became the new captain.

The two captains, Ahmad Moghrabi (left, AC Tripoli) and Abbas Atwi "Onika" (Bourj FC) before the start of the game. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

The match was largely controlled by Bourj FC, which attacked more and created more goal chances. In the first half, a few long-range shots by Abou Baker Al-Mel were not enough to break the deadlock. The goal finally came right before the break: Hussein Al Outa, on the left side, launched Akram Moghrabi in the box, and his shot to the far side hit the post and then came in: 0-1 (45').

Akram Moghrabi (in yellow) and Tripoli's goalkeeper, Ahmad Korhani, are both watching as the ball slowly moves towards the target. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

In the second half, Bourj FC had several opportunities to double their advantage, but their strikers missed. AC Tripoli only started to seek for the equalizing goal in the last 10 minutes, when Abdel Karim Saleh had two great saves, keeping a clean sheet and the three points for Bourj FC.

AC Tripoli: Ahmad Korhani - Mohammad Korhani, Abdelrazzak Dakramanji, Ahmad Moghrabi (cpt.), Adnan El Kheir (Mohammad Arja 46') - Bassam Zakaria, Ghazi Hussein (Ghazi Ramzi Hussein 65'), Said El Ali (Khaled El Jassem 46') - Alaa Ezzo (Omar Khayed 84'), Ali El Rachid, Samir Abdelrahman (Fouad Eid 74'). Manager: Saad Jamil.

Bourj FC: Abdel Karim Saleh - Mohammad El Dor, Ahmad Al Khatib, Shadi Skaff, Ibrahim Abou Hamdan (Hassan Bitar 46') - Mohammad Al Faour, Youssef Atriss (Mohamad Kassem 68'), Abbas Atwi "Onika" (Ali Kharoubi 82') - Abou Baker Al Mel (Samih Damaj 78'), Akram Moghrabi, Hussein Al Outa (Ali Merkabaoui 68'). Manager: Fouad Hijazi.

Yellow card: Mohammad Al Faour 64'.

In the second match of Group A, on Saturday, AC Tripoli and Shabab El Bourj drew 1-1. Due to this result, Bourj FC are mathematically promoted to the semifinals of the Challenge Cup, where they will most likely face one of the two newly-promoted teams. In the meantime, they will have to play the decisive match for Group A, against their local rivals, Shabab El Bourj, on Wednesday, 21 July, at 5:30 pm. All matches of Group A are played at Fouad Chehab Stadium in Jounieh.

If Bourj do not lose the match against Shabab El Bourj, they will win Group A and will play against the second classified in Group B in the semifinals. If they lose, they will only classify second, and will play against the first place of Group B in the semifinals.