|
Courtesy of:- Ray Lo, and the Spurs List.
NextGen Series, Group 1
Vfl – Stadion am Elsterweg, Wolfsburg
Wednesday 22nd August 2012, 6.30pm
Vfl WOLFSBURG v SPURS
(All Green) (All White)
4-4-1-1 4-3-3
2(1) 3(0)
Carl Klaus Lawrence Vigouroux
Marvin Kleihs Alex McQueen
Moritz Sprenger Kevin Stewart (C)
Jonas Sonnenberg Giancarlo Gallifuoco
Dennis Strompen Dominic Ball
Philip Hauck(C) Milos Veljkovic
Albion Avdijaj Kenneth McEvoy
Maximilian Arnold Laste Dombaxe
Philipp Muller Souleymane Coulibaly
Julian Brandt Nabil Bentaleb
Niclas Tille Alex Pritchard
Niklas Klinger Darren McQueen
Joshua Buschling Luke McGee
Lennart Wiswe Shaquile Coulthirst
(Gallifuoco 60)
Frederico Palacios Ruben Lameiras
(Avdijai 60) (McEvoy 76)
Tolcay Cigerci Conor Ogilvie
(Hauck 86) (Ball 68)
Kerem Bulbul
Paul Seguin
Scorers:-
Hauck 14pen Coulthirst 63
Brandt 90+2 Lameiras 80
Pritchard 86
Booked:-
Muller 33(U.G.C) Pritchard 33(U.G.C.)
Strompen 76(Late) Ball 53(Holding)
Gallifuoco 55(Late)
Dombaxe 81(Foul)
Coach:-
Dirk Kunert Alex Inglethorpe
Refaree:- J. Luddecke
Assistants:- B. Martens, F. Cacalowski
4th Official – C. Stein
Attendance:- 693
Spurs' opening game in their group was played on a warm evening at the old Wolfsburg stadium. With Barcelona drawing with Anderlecht last week, this was an opportunity for one of today's teams to gain an early advantage in their group.
Spurs lined up with Ball and Veljkovic in front of Vigouroux with Alex McQueen at right back and Stewart on the left. Dombaxe and Bentaleb provided the creative element of the midfield with Gallifuoco shielding the back four. Up front Coulibaly had McEvoy on his right and Pritchard on his left.
Spurs kicked off attacking the south end with both sides probing the others defences without stretching themselves. Strompen and Arnold both put chances wide before Pritchard fired wide. Arnold then got into the area and drew a foul from McQueen, instead of having an attempt on goal, and won a penalty. Hauck stepped up to take the penalty sending Vigouroux the wrong way.
McEvoy was proving to be the main threat down the right flank having provided a couple of good crosses which led to him receiving some close attention that brought free kicks. Bentaleb released him with a long pass that the winger reached at the line and crossed first time. Klaus failed to hold the ball under pressure from Coulibaly but the Ivorian could not turn on the ball and the chance was gone.
Another foul on McEvoy provided the opportunity for Pritchard to float his kick into the six yard box for Gallifuoco to head straight at the keeper. When McEvoy was checked in mid-flight Pritchard found Gallifuoco again but this time his header was wide. Pritchard then clashed with Muller after he had released the ball and the referee booked both players.
Klaus saved Coulibaly's effort from a McEvoy cross before Pritchard fired over, and then Coulibaly took the ball round the keeper on the left but a defender got back to block his effort at the expense of a corner. In the last minute of the half Coulibaly headed over from Pritchard's corner.
There were no changes for the second half with the first chance falling to the visitors when Pritchard sent Coulibaly away but Klaus was out quickly to block. Ball was booked when he was turned and he pulled back the player. He was followed into the ref's book by Gallifuoco who caught Arnold late.
Bentaleb tested the keeper from long range, winning a corner. Inglethorpe replaced Gallifuoco with Coulthirst who went to the right side with McEvoy trying his luck on the left and Pritchard having a free role behind them. Wolfsburg made a change as well with Palacios quickly drawing a save from Vigouroux.
Coulthirst came inside and worked an opening on the edge of the area for a shot. His effort was deflected over the keeper for the equaliser. The goal galvanised Spurs as well as putting Wolfsburg on the back foot.
Coulthirst drew a save while Vigouroux had an easy save from a weak Arnold effort and then conceded a corner from Muller. Coulthirst fired over before Spurs made another change. Ball was replaced by Ogilvie who went to left back allowing Stewart to move inside.
Pritchard was making runs at the German defence taking on two defenders and generally getting the better of them. Having fired over at the end of one run Strompen was booked for stopping another. Lameiras came on for McEvoy after the Spurs winger was left limping following a tackle in the area.
Pritchard sent his free kick over following a foul on Bentaleb. Pritchard cut in from the left and forced Klaus to concede a corner. From the corner Coulibaly headed wide of the far post. Klaus then gave the ball away to Pritchard on the left. He drove into the area and squared the ball to Coulthirst who fired wide.
Wolfsburg could not clear the ball and it came to Coulibaly on the right of the goal. He whipped in a shot that Klaus could only push into the path of Lameiras, who was coming in at the far post. Ruben finished with aplomb to put Spurs in the lead.
Dombaxe was booked for a foul on Arnold as Spurs began to run down the clock. The Germans conceded another free kick centrally just over 20 yards out. Pritchard sent the ball over the wall and dipping under the bar. Klaus got his hands to it but could not stop it from crossing the line to give Spurs a 3-1 lead.
With Spurs taking their foot off the gas, Wolfsburg went in search of a goal. Brandt fired wide from Tille's cross and then worked the ball along the edge of the area before whipping in a shot that beat Vigouroux to make it 2-3. With the game in added time there was no time left for the home side.
The game had started slowly with the home side having the better of the play and Spurs first chance not coming until halfway through the first half. Spurs gradually began to get into the game until they were creating the most chances. Replacing the defensive midfield player with another striker increased the attacking threat. Pritchard was finding space behind the front three and driving forward, which caused panic in the German defence. It almost became one way traffic. In the first half it took the players a while to get to grips with the refereeing style, conceding free kicks while winning the ball and not getting other decisions they wanted.
Spurs top the group with this win and face Barcelona at White Hart Lane next on the 13th September.
Ray
Top of page | Back to Youth Team Fixtures Index
|
