Cyprus BXL FC march into the semis!

Cyprus BXL FC made the big step to the top-4 teams of the BXL Euroleague last night, with a sweet, fully inconsequential 0-1 defeat to Italy in the return leg of their quarter-final tie. The Cypriots had been hovering around the top 4 of the league table all season, and the feeling last night was that they got their just desert. Italy had the upper hand for most of the game, but Cyprus BXL FC submitted once again their credentials in passion, dedication and focus in defense to secure a result that sends them to the semi-finals for the first time in their seven year history.
As widely expected, last night’s affair was a scrappy one. Much more a game of elbow and muscle than skill and strategy, Italy came into the tie wanting to get an early goal and pile up the pressure on the Cypriots' 2-0 lead from the first game. In the event that didn’t happen for the first twenty minutes, Cyprus BXL FC being as orthodox in its defensive posture as it has been all season, and not allowing the Italians much space to create threats. That changed as the half was progressing, the Cypriot midfield starting to backpedal under constant pressure and letting the Italians much closer to their 16-yard box. Chances were created by Italy, and in the end, seconds before the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half, a defensive mistake gave Italy a 1-0 lead.

It was bound to be a stressful affair in the second half, as Italy needed just one more goal to equalize the result of the first game. Coach Nikolian tweaked his lineup bringing Agorakis behind Rossides and moving Anastasiades on the right wing, helping the team plug some holes in midfield. The Italians continued to tighten the screws on the Cypriot defense however as the game went on, and it was clear that it would go down to the wire. 

Italy was missing chance after chance during this period, but Cyprus BXL FC weathered the storm with a combination of unbelievable defending, a bit of luck and Panikos making a couple of fantastic saves that averted catastrophe. The Cyprus coach added Voudouris and Orphanides to the mix, and then Georgakoudis and Tsangaris, slowly but surely steadying the ship. The team went forward in the last ten minutes and could have easily scored at least one goal to put the game away for good.

That didn’t happen, but little did it matter as the referee blew the final whistle, sending the delighted Cypriots for the first time in their history to the semis! At the beginning of this season, there was glimmering hope among some in this team that this would be the year when that extra step would be made; that this team deserved a bit more than a single playoff game and elimination by the ‘big boys’ of the league; that a combination of hard work, organisation and commitment would bring in the achievement they have craved for the past seven years. Last night, all this came to life.

In the light of all this, they will go into the semis against Spain without anxiety and with almost zero pressure - save for their hunger for some more. Spain is last year’s champions, and a team that has a record of 20 wins and just 1 draw this year. Anything that comes from now on to the Cypriots will be icing on the cake of a great season that saw them rise from mid-table mediocrity to top-4 recognition.

Man of the match for last night - what an irrelevant question when the whole team pulls together to achieve wonders.

Starting XI – Panikos, Karides, Telemachou, Antonakopoulos, Louka, Severis, Alexoui, Papoutsas, Agorakis, Anastasiades, Rossides
Subs: Orphanides, Voudouris, Tsangaris, Georgakoudis