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| The starting XI of the final |
Cyprus BXL
FC lost 4-2 to Romania in tonight’s Euroleague final, missing their great
opportunity for championship glory. It was just one of those days for Cyprus, where
things went wrong from the word go. They left the pitch in disappointment
knowing that history will hardly ever remember the runner-up of a final, but they
also know where they were and where they got to this year: from mid-table
mediocrity, they came all the way to the final and challenged for the title
with all they had. And you can be sure that come September, they will be fighting
with the same passion to be back here for more.
The game
got off to a blatantly wrong start, Rossides missing a clear chance in the
second minute of the game, and Romania scoring its first seconds later with a
shot after a corner clearance from the Cyprus defense. The clock hadn’t even
reached the tenth minute when Romania got their second with a masterful free
kick into the bottom left corner. Cyprus BXL FC got one back with Rossides from
a rebound, but Romania exploited a defensive mistake to make it 3-1. The
rollercoster first half was not done yet however, and Anastasiades scored a
beautiful backward header from the edge of the box for Cyprus for the 3-2.
The game
was squarely in Romanian territory: loose defending, open spaces, Cyprus
stretched all over the pitch trying to claw their way back – yet there was still hope, and another dramatic twist was in store. Ten minutes
into the second half, the referee awards a penalty to Cyprus and Agorakis takes
it. The Romanian goalkeeper saves it, the ball rebounds to Severis, who is brazenly
tackled from behind. The ref gives a second penalty to Cyprus! Agorakis takes
it again, only to receive another resounding NO from the keeper. The stuff of
nightmares for the Cypriots, two penalties missed in the game of their lives?
It was only
minutes later that, capitalising on another defensive mistake in the Cypriot
defence, Romania made it 4-2 from a corner. The game was safely tucked away for
the Romanians, and despite the decent efforts for Cyprus, nothing changed till
the final whistle.
It’s hard to
look back on this game without feeling the agony of what could have been had
things gone Cyprus’ way. A unique opportunity has been missed. But the best
team on the day won, and it won fairly, displaying some impressive attacking
virtues.
Cyprus BXL
FC was never the impregnable fortress it has been all season (interesting bit
of trivia: the only other time this happened this year was in the regular
season game against Romania, where the game finished 4-2), its midfield lacking
in creativity and its attack simply not making much of the few chances it got
to score. Things didn’t go their way the same way they did in the semis against
Spain, but they didn’t provoke their luck very much either. Desperately unlucky
day for Agorakis with the two penalties, but who can forget how much he has
given all season with two bad moments in the last game, and his courage to take
both penalties with all the pressure piling up?
Cyprus BXL
FC end a stellar season with a massive anticlimax, but they have no other
choice but to build on their presence in this final and come back stronger next
year. They owe it to themselves and to the effort they have put into their
football in the course of this year. They also owe it to their fantastic supporters,
whose raucous voices in the wind and rain of the Ixelles stadium made the whole
year worth it.
Starting XI: Gogakis, Antonakopoulos, Dellopoulos,
Telemachou, Louka, Severis, Anastasiou, Agorakis, Voudouris, Anastassiades,
Rossides
Substitutions: Georgakoudis, Charalambous, Karides.
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Well done, boys!
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