KSK Beveren 0-0 Arsenal XI
Freethiel Stadium
Wednesday 4th August
Kick Off 7.30pm (Local time)
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ARSENAL XI
Stuart Taylor
Lauren
Sebastian Larsson 63
Justin Hoyte
Philippe Senderos
Olafur Ingi Skulason 63
C Swegler (triallist)
Sebastian Svard 46
Jermaine Pennant
Quincy 46
Cesc Fabregas
John Spicer 75
Mathieu Flamini
Gael Clichy
Robin van Persie
Danny Karbassiyoon 85
Jeremie Aliadière
Arturo Lupoli 46
SUBS NOT USED
Mark Howard
Jordon Fowler
Patrick Cregg
Adam Birchall
KSK BEVEREN
Mark Volders
Mondakan Mahan
Moussa Sanogo 68
Abdoulaye Diawara
Emmanuel Eboue
Kristof Lardenoit
Romaril N'Dri 31
Alexander Topke
Romeo Seka 31
Abdoulaye Djire
Christian Swegler 46
Marco Ne
Alexander Topke 68
Seydou Kante
Julien Zenguignan 46
Moussa Sanogo
Bjorn Vleminckx 46
Abdoulaye Diallo
Yared Ruymaekers 89
SUBS NOT USED
Davino Verhulst
Nick Van Goethem
KSK BEVEREN0
ARSENAL XI0
By Richard Clarke in Beveren
Arsenal completed their pre-season friendlies with a goalless draw at Beveren on Wednesday night.
Although this game hardly hit the heights and the visitors were distinctly second-best on the evening, it did at least preserve the Club’s unbeaten run. Out of eight games, including the two XIs last night and tonight, they have won four and drawn four.
Now only the Community Shield, a game for which a trophy is at stake, separates Arsenal and their new Premier League season.
Tonight’s teams share a ‘technical relationship’. Arsène Wenger has taken players on trial from the Belgian top-flight outfit in recent years while Arsenal have loaned players in the opposite direction.
The ultimate example of their collaboration came in this evening’s friendly. Triallist Cristiano Schwegler began the game at left back for Arsenal then swapped sides at half time and completed the match as the right back for Beveren.
Throughout the 90 minutes, the home side dominated the scoring opportunities. Moussa Sanogo spurned three fine chances in the first half. At the start of the second, Bjorn Vleminckx and Romaric N’Dri blazed over and then Emmanuel Eboue, a recent triallist with Arsenal, sidefooted just wide.
But, in the end, perhaps honour was satisfied on both parts.
Arsenal’s XI, under the stewardship of Reserve coach Eddie Niedzwiecki, was a mixture of first-team and second-string. Eight of the starters had some experience in the main side. The exceptions were new-signings Mathieu Flamini and Robin van Persie, who will both surely put that right soon, plus Swegler.
The young Swiss left back made a good early impression by dispossessing striker Mohamed Diallo as he sprinted clear on the right in the fourth minute.
Beveren had two familiar faces in their line-up. Marco Ne and Eboue had been on trial with Arsenal during their training camp in Austria/Slovenia and the Amsterdam Tournament. They helped the home side dominate, at least territorially, in the early stages.
Beveren, from a town just outside Antwerp, start their League season against Brugges at the weekend. Those two teams contested the Belgian Cup Final last season and although Beveren lost they are still in this season’s Uefa Cup because Brugges finished runners-up in the League and will therefore compete in the Champions League this season. They certainly began the game like a side nearer to the big kick-off.
After Van Persie had steered Arsenal’s only chance of the opening 20 minutes wide of the goal, the Sanogo show began.
First, he raced up the left channel and into the area before lifting his shot over the bar.
Seven minutes later, the 21-year-old controlled a high pass just outside the area, dipped his shoulder to beat his marker and curl a right-foot shot narrowly past Stuart Taylor’s left-hand post.
Arsenal responded. Van Persie steered a near-post header just wide and then saw his free-kick deflected past the post.
But Sanogo again latched onto a long ball before firing low shot at Taylor. And the Ivory Coast frontman should have put Beveren in front four minutes before the break. Ne weighted a perfect pass into his path on the right of the area but he slashed his shot across the face of goal. Taylor was untroubled as Sanogo admonished himself for his error.
Unusually, Schwegler switched sides at half time. It seemed a good move as the home side continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession and opportunities after the break. Romaric N’Dri stung Taylor’s hands four minutes after the break.
Then, within a minute just before the hour, both strikers Bjorn Vleminckx and N’Dri, blazed clear opportunities over the bar.
And possibly the best chance fell to Eboue, who had particularly impressed against Sturm Graz and Ajax while with Arsenal. He raced up the right channel and seemed to have time to pick his spot. Unfortunately for Beveren he chose to roll his effort inches wide of the post.
Arsenal had struggled to get into their rhythm all evening. The usual raft of substitutions during the second half did not help. Their only real chance of the second half came when Van Persie nudged a shot wide eight minutes before the end.
They held on to their draw and their unbeaten record but, in truth, this game will not live long in the memory.
[此贴子已经被作者于2004-8-6 3:23:12编辑过]
