Vidi were more than a match against Kiev for sixty minutes in Marbella
Videoton were very much in the match up until the hour mark of this friendly fixture in Marbella, Spain. Paulo Sousa had started with a settled looking side, which saw Bozovic start in goal. Brachi and Silva occupied the full back positions, with regular central defensive pair, Vinicius and Caneira in the middle. The midfield included Oliveira in his now usual position out on the right, with Walter on the left. Toth, Mitrovic and young debutant Istvan Kovacs lined up in the central area, with Nikolic up front.
Anyone looking at the final result will think that the game was a simple walk for the Ukrainian giants, although the true picture was some what different. Vidi provided a stern test for Kiev for the opening hour of this game. There was only one real chance inside the first period, which saw a Brachi free kick narrowly miss the target. The match itself was a tough affair, perhaps even tougher than the average Hungarian league game, but Vidi coped with what was thrown at them. The game also saw a very promising debut from recent signing Istvan Kovacs, who made several good runs and neat touches during his time on the pitch. Worthy praise also went to the back four of Brachi, Silva, Caneira and Vinicius who held things together nicely at the back in the opening half.
The second half saw several star players come on for Dinamo, including Dudu, Milevsky and world famous Shevchenko. It was their introduction that changed the face of the game as goals began to go in past the Videoton keeper. They raised their game in the final half hour of the match, which was clear to see for the watching public. Although several substitutions had been made by that time by Paulo Sousa, the Ukrainian side were finding it easy to get through the Vidi defence.
Kiev deserved this friendly win at the end, although Vidi showed plenty of organization and passing football earlier on. Confirmation of whether Videoton FC will play another friendly match on Saturday, and against which opponent, has still not been received. The Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk - KS Krakov match did not take place after Dnipro failed to appear. This could result in Videoton finishing third in the tournament, as they would have faced the losing side in that match. Further details will be appear online shortly.
Author: David Rechnitzer