22 Aug 2014, 04:49 pm
*Played 15th August*
Quote:Craitland 1-0 Birgeshir
24' - T. Isrdlvarien
Watch this match here!
Quote:Mercury 3-2 Elwynn
11' - R. Emiri
30' - W. Fizeau-Blake
38' - S. Rydberg
64' - D. Sakhimzedeh
83' - J. Partridge
Last year's runners-up Mercury survived a scare from débutants Elwynn to secure a second consecutive semi-final appearance, but lost their clean sheet record for the tournament. Elwynn began the game with high spirits and caught the Mercurians unaware early on, with the match's first on-target shot finding its way past Kieran Mercury in goal. Razdjani Emiri was picked-out by Peyman Eslamzadeh's accurate angled lob forward, and the forward had no trouble in sliding the ball through Mercury and in one-on-one. Elwynn continued to press forward, showing no signs of nerves, but some Mercurian defensive coördination halted their quest for a quick second. With the half-hour mark near, Mercury managed to steal an equaliser following some solid Elwynnese play. The Group B winners forced a corner from Folki Öldrikkari's saved from Joe Foxon's shot, and Wilmont Fizeau-Blake swung it in. Although cleared by Arvið Frå Bakkinon, the ball dropped to Stephen Rydberg, who sprayed it wide to Fizeau-Blake again. The wideman took one touch to bring the ball inside slightly before releasing a cracking, curled effort with his left boot from the top corner of the box which flew past Öldrikkari and into the opposite side of the net. Fizeau-Blake's strike shifted momentum for a short while, time enough during which Mercury were able to take the lead before the break. Fizeau-Blake was again involved, with a cutting run past Frå Bakkinon before a low cross back inside, which was met by Rydberg first time. The midfielder's contact level with the near post managed to dink the ball just inside the upright from eight yards to nestle in the net with Öldrikkari motionless. While Elwynn hit back before half time, Emiri's run clear ended with a low shot wide of the base of the left post.
The second half opened with Mercury dominant, but with futile efforts at increasing their lead which came back to bite them halfway through the 45. Both Joe Foxon and his striker partner Matt Fitzgerald, who had scored five between them in the group stages, were unable to have any effect in the final third, with the former's best chance being a rushed chip which Öldrikkari had no troubles in parrying over the bar. Rydberg also registered a shot from distance before the hour mark, but the ball ended-up a few feet wide of the target. With approximately twenty minutes of the half played, it was Elwynn's turn to draw level, thanks to Dario Sakhimzedeh's opportunistic reactions to a defensive mishap. Emiri earnt a corner after having a run out wide stopped by Jason Cameron, whose touch took it behind, with the set piece being taken by Håkon hin Ældri. Hin Ældri's delivery was initially claimed by 'keeper Mercury it seemed, but the ball found its way free within a scrum of players colliding in the middle of the box. Although Stephen Charlton attempted a clearance, it rebounded off the torso of Emiri, and Sakhimzedeh's immediate reaction to stick out a leg deflected the ball into the ground to bounce into the unguarded net. Despite their positive approach in the first half, after getting back into the game again, Elwynn were more reserved and Mercury created more chances once more. Fitzgerald was replaced by Jack Partridge with twelve minutes to go, and the substitute, who recently sealed a move to Dynamo Deacon, was an inspired change ultimately. An attack formulated by Rydberg and Joe Foxon's combination was finished with a deep cross by Fizeau-Blake, picking-out Partridge unmarked at the back post. Partridge's acrobatic diving header directed the ball upward, just under the crossbar, and into the top of the goal, as Elwynn's stopper tried his best to get near it backpedalling. The final ten minutes were nerve-wracking for the Mercurians whose committed defending saw Jason Cameron and Chris Deacon both booked for tough fouls as the back four held-out for the victory, which came after some lengthy stoppage time. Mercury can count themselves lucky with this win, given how they advanced from their group with relative ease, but will need to be at the top of their game whoever they face in the semis, while Elwynn's first World Cup can definitely be considered a successful one with a good display and a knock-out rounds appearance.