Márton Eppel ended his scoring drought this season with a brace against CFR Cluj, but even that was not enough to earn us a point. We made too many mistakes, which the visitors duly punished.
Márton Eppel ended his scoring drought this season with a brace against CFR Cluj, but even that was not enough to earn us a point. We made too many mistakes, which the visitors duly punished.
Neither the pleasant late-summer Saturday afternoon nor the reputation of our opponents was enough to fill the stands of the Municipal Stadium. Although online ticket sales were available for the first time since our promotion to the Superliga, the attendance was only slightly above half capacity. Before kick-off, we commemorated three recently deceased figures from the world of football. This week we lost Ágoston Major, affectionately known as Uncle Guszti, a defining figure in football and youth development in Miercurea Ciuc. He worked at the local sports school for 38 years, teaching the basics of football to hundreds of youngsters from the Ciuc region. We also honoured the memory of former Romania international and Universitatea Craiova player Nicolae Ungureanu, as well as Árpád Szűcs, a legendary figure in Oradea football. Both passed away on 28 August.
The two teams took their time settling into the match on the new pitch at the Municipal Stadium, and it took a quarter of an hour for the first meaningful opportunity to arrive: Meriton Korenica’s long-range effort went wide of Eduard Pap’s goal. Five minutes later, Lóránd Pászka tried his luck from around 25 metres, but the ball sailed over the crossbar.
CFR took the lead in the 28th minute following a serious mistake. Pap initially produced a fine save after Biliboc had been played through, but the visitors won the ball back at the start of the next move. Dražić released Biliboc again and, at the second attempt, he managed to guide the ball past our goalkeeper (0–1).
We responded quickly. In the 33rd minute, Márton Eppel met Pászka’s corner perfectly and headed home from close range (1–1). Our set pieces continued to pose a serious threat. In the 40th minute, another Pászka corner travelled across the face of goal, but Raul Palmeș, arriving at the far post, could only steer the ball into the side netting from beside the foot of the left-hand post.
Just as it seemed the teams would go into the break level, the visitors regained the lead. In the second minute of added time, Ovidiu Perianu unleashed a magnificent strike from around 30 metres into the top-left corner, leaving Pap completely helpless (1–2).
Our team returned for the second half with greater determination and drew level again from another set piece in the 50th minute. The Cluj defenders only partially cleared the cross that followed Pászka’s free-kick, and the ball fell directly to Eppel, who made no mistake from nine metres in a central position (2–2). His brace also earned our striker the Superliga organisers’ Player of the Match award. Five minutes later, Pászka took the free-kick won by Szabolcs Szalay from 18 metres, but sent the ball over the crossbar.
Chances followed at both ends. In the 60th minute, Pap had to bring a spell of danger in front of our goal to an end. Then, in the 75th minute, half-time substitute Szalay broke forward down the right, but his shot lacked both power and accuracy, allowing Vâlceanu to save comfortably.
We came close to completing the turnaround in the closing stages. In the 80th minute, Ádám Czékus found himself in a shooting position after Pászka’s corner from the right, but fired straight into the goalkeeper’s hands from eight metres. A minute later, we threatened from another corner. Palmeș was able to head the ball unchallenged, but he too was unable to beat Vâlceanu.
The missed opportunities came back to haunt us. In the 83rd minute, Pap parried Korenica’s long-range effort, but Dražić was first to the rebound and finished from close range (2–3). In the 86th minute, Szalay’s long-range free-kick narrowly missed the left-hand post, but there was no longer enough time for us to find another equaliser.
Márton Eppel’s first two goals of the season were therefore not enough to earn us a point. After seven league rounds, we remain on one point in the table.
“In the first half, we lacked concentration and made a lot of mistakes. We were dangerous from set pieces throughout the match, which allowed us to come back twice. In the second half, the boys fought hard and put in a great deal of work. However, we conceded three goals at home, and that makes it very difficult to win a match, even if you score twice,” István Szabó said in his post-match assessment.
According to our head coach, the team’s performances continue to be undermined by recurring unforced errors.
“We analyse the footage every week, and we show and explain these situations to the players, yet we continue to make mistakes. As long as we keep making errors like these, it will be very difficult to win matches. We cannot wait for a weaker opponent in this league. We have to manage games in a way that prevents our opponents from scoring as a result of our unforced errors. I am very disappointed because I expected much more from today,” he said.
István Szabó revealed that he had spoken to the players in strong terms at half-time, while also stressing that it would be a concern if better performances always required external motivation.
“The team is good and the players fight hard, but you cannot play football while making this many mistakes because they will come back to punish you. At 2–2, I felt the psychological advantage was on our side. We had dangerous set pieces, transitions and shots on goal. We cannot say that we did not do everything we could, but a lack of results can lead to a loss of confidence. I strongly believe that we will find the right path,” he added.
Asked about his position as head coach, István Szabó replied that the most important thing for him was for the team to achieve its objective.
“I am glad you are so concerned about my future, but it is far more important to me that Miercurea Ciuc remain in this league – whether with me, without me or with another coach.”
Superliga, regular season, Round 7
FK Csíkszereda–CFR Cluj 2–3 (1–2)
Miercurea Ciuc, Municipal Stadium, 29 August 2026, 4 p.m. Attendance: 1,233.
Referee: Horia Mladinovici
Assistant referees: Nicușor Marin, Marius Marchidanu
Fourth official: Mihai Sebastian Lăstun
VAR: Marcel Bîrsan
AVAR: Claudiu Marcu
Match commissioner: Viorel Anghelinei
Referee observer: Sorin Boca
Goalscorers: Eppel (33, 50); Biliboc (28), Perianu (45+2), Dražić (83).
Yellow cards: Czékus (44); Krešić (85), Șfaiț (90+1).
FK Csíkszereda: Pap Eduard Adrian – Szabó Alex, Palmeș Raul Ioan, Csürös Attila (Hegedűs János, 76) – Horváth Artúr (Szalay Szabolcs, 46), Pászka Lóránd, Veres Szilárd (c), Trif Răzvan Alin – Czékus Ádám, Tóth-Pál Előd (Bota Darius, 46) – Eppel Márton (Stahl Albert Tivadar, 76). Head coach: Szabó István.
CFR Cluj: Vâlceanu Octavian Gabriel – Braun Christopher, Krešić Anton, Abeid Aly, Camora Mário Jorge Malico (c) (Pantalon Renato, 88) – Kun-György Viktor, Perianu Ovidiu Ioan – Cordea Andrei Ioan (Șfaiț Andres Emil, 71), Korenica Meriton, Biliboc Lorenzo (Păun Adrian, 82) – Dražić Stefan. Head coach: Marius Șumudică.
Echipa noastră va juca următorul meci miercuri, 2 septembrie, de la ora 18:00, la Bistrița, unde va întâlni formația CS Gloria Bistrița în prima etapă a fazei grupelor Cupei României. Ulterior, în etapa a 8-a a sezonului regular al Superligii, ne vom deplasa la Arad, unde vom întâlni UTA sâmbătă, 5 septembrie, de la ora 17:30.
Rédai Attila
Photo: Pál Zoltán