Cyprus BXL FC lose 2-3 to Bulgaria in tight friendly

Cyprus BXL FC lost 2-3 in its friendly game against Bulgaria at the ISB tonight, but their performance left hopes of much better days ahead. With a number of key players missing (Telemachou, Anastasiades, Karides, Dellopoulos, Voudouris), the friendly was an opportunity for the rest of the team to show what it's made of, and for new arrivals to the team to get crucial play time on the pitch.



Cyprus BXL FC was stuttering in the early stages of the game, and Bulgaria was soon up by 2-0.The scoreline would have been even bigger  had it not been for goalkeeper Panikos, who put in some extraordinary saves during the first period. The Cypriots were hard pressed to create chances up front, and the midfield was tightly squeezed by the Bulgarians.

In the second half, Cyprus BXL FC found some of the creative fluidity it had shown in previous games, and with some good passing in midfield, managed to regain the upper hand. A long range free kick by Papoutsas ended in the back of the net after a series of errors in Bulgaria's defense, and minutes later, a brilliant combination of 4 Cyprus players sent Papoutsas through into the box, 2-2.


The Cypriots were demanding more, creating some clear chances, but a defensive mistake allowed the Bulgarians to go eyeball to eyeball with Panikos and easily make it 3-2.

Panikos was hands down man of the match for the Cypriots, not only with his fantastic saves, but also with his constant guidance to his defense. Georgakoudis put in an excellent performance from a variety of roles in the midfield, as did newcomer Trikoutsis as centre-back. Antonis Leontiou made a very promising comeback after his long-term injury, reminding everyone of his mercurial days on the right wing. Papoutsas was once again massively influential, scoring two goals and constantly frustrating Bulgarian attacks as a defensive midfielder.


The next game for Cyprus BXL FC is on Thursday October 20 against France at the ISB.