Our Superliga team suffered a highly unjust one-goal defeat against Oțelul in the Cup, and Tuesday night's group match was once again overshadowed by questionable refereeing decisions.
Our Superliga team suffered a highly unjust one-goal defeat against Oțelul in the Cup, and Tuesday night's group match was once again overshadowed by questionable refereeing decisions.
Before kick-off we witnessed a deeply emotional moment: FK Csíkszereda posed with the shirt of Ioó Edvin, our U18 player who suffered a very serious injury in Sunday’s Cup match against UTA. On Tuesday he was still hospitalized at the Harghita County Emergency Hospital, where doctors are doing everything possible for his recovery. The red-and-blacks played tonight also for him. We wish him strength and a full recovery as soon as possible; the club and the Academy and the fans stands by him and his family in this difficult period.
We had already met Oțelul twice this season: a 1–1 pre-season friendly in which new signing Gergely Alpár scored for us, and another 1–1 on September 1st in the Superliga. This time again, there was no real difference between the two sides, even though Ilyés Róbert’s team started with a line-up different from the usual league matches, while the visitors fielded almost their full-strength eleven.
Despite Oțelul having more possession, our team created the more promising chances in the opening half-hour. After the 30th minute, however, Bálint György’s players became more dangerous and took the lead in the 38th minute through Chira, who capitalized from close range after a corner: 0–1.
At halftime, Ilyés brought on Anderson, which immediately changed the rhythm of the match, with FK becoming the more threatening side. Unfortunately, in the 56th minute Pászka received his second yellow card; not only were we forced to continue with ten men, but we also lose him for Saturday’s league match. Even so, FK remained the more dangerous team. In the 77th minute, we equalized fully deservedly: Anderson’s right-side corner was superbly headed in by Eppel, who had just come on.
There were moments when it looked like we might even score the winner, but the visitors gradually started to make use of their numerical advantage. Since a draw was not ideal for them either, they pushed harder. In the 90+2 minute they could have decided the match, but Paulinho narrowly missed at the far post. Two minutes later, Anderson was clearly brought down between two defenders by Živulić, already on a yellow card – at least that’s how it seemed to us – but referee Vădană surprisingly let play continue.
We will never know what might have happened had numerical parity been restored and had we earned the free kick we deserved. What is certain is that the likelihood of being hit on a last-second counterattack would have been much lower. Yet in the final attack of the match Bordun received the ball unmarked on the right side of the box and fired into the far corner. VAR checked for offside at length, but the goal stood, and seconds later the final whistle deprived us of a draw we had earned – even if it would not have changed the qualification scenario dramatically. There will still be one more group-stage round in February, when we will travel to Sporting Liești, but qualification will most likely no longer be on the table for us.
The next few days will once again focus on recovery, as on Saturday we host FC Argeș in a very important league match at 17:00 at the municipal stadium.
Romanian Cup, Group C, Matchday 2
FK Csíkszereda – Oțelul Galați 1–2 (0–1)
Municipal Stadium, Miercurea Ciuc – approx. 1000 spectators
Referees: Sorin Vădană – Adrian Popescu, Cosmin Vătămănu
Fourth official: Eduard Ioniță
VAR: Sorin Costreie
AVAR: Cristina Mariana Trandafir
Goals: Eppel (77) / Chira (38), Bordun (90+5)
Yellow cards: Pászka (37, 56), Csürös (74), Bakos (90+1), Ferenczi (90+3) / Emilian Neicu (51), Lameira (68), Živulić (76), Patrick Fernandes (86), Conrado (90+4)
Red card: Pászka (56)
FK Csíkszereda:
Simon Máté – Pászka Lóránd, Raul Palmeș, Bloj Erwin Szilárd, Csürös Attila – Veres Szilárd, Végh Bence (Bakos Ervin 78), Szalay Szabolcs (Gál-Andrezly Peter 60), Dusinszki Szabolcs (Ferenczi János 78), Soufiane Jebari (Anderson Ceará 46) – Gergely Alpár (Eppel Márton 65)
Head coach: Róbert Ilyés
Oțelul Galați:
Alin Popescu – Cristian Chira, Virgil Ciobanu, Paul Iacob, Dan Cristian Neicu (Denis Marian Bordun 71), Diego Živulić, Lopes Andre Miguel Pinto (Araujo Paolo Rafael Pereira 71), Patrick Dos Santos Fernandes, Fernandes Moreira (Lameira Joao Pedro Santos 46), Silviu Rus, Dan Emilian Neicu (Holz Conrado Buchanelli 60)
Head coach: György László Bálint
Rédai Attila
Photo: Pál Zoltán