Craitland provisional squad and friendlies 2017
Re: Craitland provisional squad and friendlies 2017
*played 2 July*
Craitland's camp in Moroni in Senya was well underway, and the 4-times World champions played a friendly at the Politzëa Stadium, the home of local club Politzëa FK Moroni. Although it won't be used at the tournament, the 21,000 capacity stadium was packed as the Craites took on Fort Kolgrad, who narrowly missed out on the World Cup having lost on penalties to Jingdao in the AEFA play-offs.
Fort Kolgrad, playing in their light blue away kit, found it difficult to cope early on with the Craites, with Will Zóma and Freddie Gaärsen being afforded plenty of room in the initial stage of the match. Zóma hit the post within the first few minutes before Gaärsen flashed a header onto the crossbar, as the Fort Kolgrad defence was tested. However, up against a defence which has essentially been copied over from Senyan Third League side AFC Colgrad, it was fairly inevitable that they would find a way through, and on the twenty-third minute mark they did, with Zóma holding up the ball and playing in Gaärsen, who rounded the goalkeeper before tapping the ball into the empty net. With the goal, Craitland were in the ascendancy, and doubled their lead within ten minutes, with Hänä Zensen climbing highest in the box to head home at the near post following a corner kick routine. It could have been three before the break, but Gaärsen's effort from close range forced a save from Marcel Amsel.
At half time Gaärsen was taken off, most likely to save him from scoring his 100th international goal in a meaningless friendly against weaker opposition, and replaced by Aidan Keĵinz, though the neutrals in the crowd weren't too happy, perhaps recalling the JR striker's goals down the years against Politzëa. However, it was the other striker, Zóma, who had the biggest role in the lead up to the third goal, beating several players with a mazy run before smashing a shot low which the keeper could only divert in the path of Markko Christiansen, who tapped home for his first goal for his country. Shortly afterwards Zóma was tripped up in the box by Benjamin Schaefer, with Zóma stepping up and converting a deserved goal, straight down the middle in the roof of the net, for his nation's fourth goal of the afternoon. Craitland were relentless, and substitute Adám Perryman made it five with a long range effort that took a deflection on its way past Amsel late on to complete a rout.
Craitland 5-0 Fort Kolgrad
23' Freddie Gaärsen
33' Hänä Zensen
57' Markko Christiansen
63' Will Zóma (pen.)
78' Adám Perryman