RGN Elite Match Day 2 Review

 

Round two of games got under way with El Rey and leOmeS sitting pretty at the top of the table. Little did they know, they would soon be far ahead of the chasing pack by the end of the weekend.

leOmeS kicked off week two with a Friday evening win over KirosZ; an emphatic 5-0 trashing. It may only be the start of the season, but the dreaded R-word is starting to loom over KirosZ. Remember that the bottom two players at season's end will be relegated to the open category.

El Rey then matched leOmeS stride for stride, as he stormed to a 7-1 win over KunKun on Sunday. The youngster from Singapore currently hangs on to top spot by virtue of goal difference - a dream start for someone whom many expected would struggle in his first regional competition.

leOmeS and El Rey put some daylight between themselves and the rest of the field

Elsewhere, the weekend's first live broadcasted match ended in an uneventful 0-0 stalemate between si_jali and Nonii9, the first goalless draw of the league. It was a truly dull affair, with neither player managing to muster even a single shot.

 

Nonii9 has so far shown a willingness to play for draws. He passed the ball around his back line for long periods against si_jali, as was the case against hibidi in week 1. Nonii9 had 65% of the ball against si_jali at the end of the first half, which is remarkable given the latter's knack for playing a possession game.

In contrast, the all-Singapore clash between Zarate and hibidi was a pulsating affair. The 2-time WCG Singapore champion made a perfect start, pressing Zarate high up the pitch to win the ball, before unleashing a howitzer into the top corner from 25 yards.

Hibidi's Hulk opens the scoring with a long range shot in the 3rd minute

Zarate regrouped and immediately was presented the chance to equalize with Oscar, but spurned it with Julio Cesar scrambling the ball off the line. The WCG silver medalist kept pushing forward and was finally rewarded in the 59th minute, when hibidi made a massive blunder to give Zarate's Hulk a free run on goal from 40 yards.

Hibidi made a late surge in the final minute and would have snatched a winner, if not for a vital interception by Zarate's Luis Felipe. The game ended 1-1, with both players feeling they should have come away from the game with more than a point.

 

Match Day 2 results:

leOmeS 5-0 KirosZ
KunKun 1-7 El Rey
si_jali 0-0 Nonii9
Zarate 1-1 hibidi
Vin P-P Hakumenfo