THE CUP IS OURS!!! FK Javor - FK Partizan 0:2 (Serbian Cup, final)

WE WON!!!

WE WON!!!

WE WOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!

Oh. My. God. And what a game it was. It was raining heavily, the field was bumpy and there were Grave Diggers on the stands chanting on the top of their voices.
Match atmosphere. How long it has been absent from Partizan’s games.

Precioussss... It was on display before the game

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Warming up before the match

Starting eleven

(photos: partizan.rs)

At the beginning of the game Javor had a heavy start. They probably thought to surprise us with a quick goal, and after that they might take control over the match. This lasted only until the 7th minute, but during those 7 minutes we got stuck to our half.
The 7th minute was the first time we could reach their penalty area. Gogoua sent a distant, sudden shot to their box from 25-30 metres, the goalkeeper saved. A minute later Golubović crossed to the middle, where Mihajlović got the ball and headed it to the box, but it was too high.
In the 10th minute Bogosavac and Mihajlović had some great teamwork after a free kick, then Mihajlović crossed to the middle, where Bogosavac was waiting for the ball. He immediately shot, it was too high.
At this point of the game we put Javor’s box under fire, though so far with no result. In the 12th minute Brašanac shot to the box, it was too high. In the 16th minute Javor’s goalkeeper Đogatović caught a dangerous corner kick from us. Finally in the 19th minute Team Ivanjica could break out of the bunker with a 40-metre free kick.
It was a spectacular, exciting match with great atmosphere. Yet it lacked actual goal attempts, even if someone tried to shoot, it was either too high or too wide. In the 24th minute Mihajlović was dribbling on the left side, then crossed to the middle, but it was imprecise.
In the 27th minute Josović headed the ball to our box after a corner kick. It was just wide enough to avoid our goal line, but it still caused cardial arrest. We were very lucky that it didn’t end with the ball inside the net.
In the 29th minute Mihajlović got a fantastic pass on the right (I didn’t see it clearly, but probably from Vulićević). He immediately shot, the goalkeeper had a great save. In the 34th minute Saša Ilić crossed from the left to Brašanac in the middle. Brašanac shot from at least 30 metres, barely missing the box. A minute later Mihajlović ran up on the left side. He dribbled, then crossed to the middle, where Vulićević received it and shot. The attempt ended in a corner kick.
Mihajlović walked to the left corner flag to do the kick. He crossed it into the goalmouth, where Jovanović jumped up, raised high and headed the ball into the middle of the net with a classic movement. GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!! 0:1!!!

Jovanović heads the ball into the box...

(photo: partizan.rs)

...then runs to the tribune to celebrate with the fans

He went to the heaven

(photos: hotsport.rs)

He scored a goal, he won the Cup and he got a high five from The Boss. Today was a good day

(photo: partizan.rs)

Meanwhile fans hung a giant banner to the stands to remember the 1966 European Cup Final that was exactly 50 years ago.

The Cyrillic words’ meaning: "50 years of proud memories" with the image of the starting eleven of the 1966 team

(photo: Facebook/Верни Гробари)

In the 43rd minute Javor got a free kick about 25 metres from the box. (I’m not sure, maybe Gajić was the one who shot.) Nevertheless the ball widely flew away. Two minutes later they got another free kick, now from 40 metres. They shot even this one to the box - respect to them for not giving up trying.
The beginning of the second half tore all Partizan-fans’ remaining nerves to pieces. In the 47th minute Josović got a deep cross almost from the half-line. No flag up, defenders were all left behind. Šaranov ran out of the box, Josović wanted to jump over him with the ball, but he tripped in Partizan’s goalkeeper arriving with a slide and fell. The ball rolled ahead and hit the left goalpost. Javor-fans complained for penalty, but the referee just waved "go ahead".
Hell broke loose some time at this point. No, it wasn’t Javor’s fans who made a fuss, but Partizan’s. They threw firecrackers - it’s just one thing they threw them onto the pitch, but they even hit the linesman. It looked serious, Partizan’s doctor immediately gave him some first aid.
Despite this scene Partizan-fans didn’t stop throwing firecrackers, so referee Mažić decided to put the game on hold and sent the teams back to the tunnel.
Here is a video about this fantastic (not) episode.

A message to these idiots: you’re all retarded. You’re surely very proud of yourselves now, but the truth is that you are in fact real Balkanian assholes. FSS will kill Partizan for this little "fun" you had, and you will be to blame for all the upcoming games behind closed doors and for the thousands, if not millions of dinars Partizan will have to pay as a punishment. All these because of you. Faithful fans, my a.....

Finally Saša Ilić had to go to the stand to have a few words with the fans.

And then this. I’d be ashamed to death if the team’s veteral captain had to ask me to stop acting like a hooligan and behave. 
You’re all idiots. Every single one of you.

Then in the 57th minute the teams returned to the pitch and the game could continue with a Partizan free kick

meanwhile smoke covered the pitch, fans surely brought a truckful of pyrotechnics

about 25-30 metres from the box, almost at the left sideline. Mihajlović shot, the ball rolled out to corner kick.
Meanwhile Gogoua and Stojaković, Javor’s captain had been wrestling with each other. The captain of Team Ivanjica got fed up after a time and while he tackled Gogoua, he delicately knocked the ankles of Partizan’s defender together. He seemed to be perfect with this trick, because the referee didn’t whistle for any foul. (The slow motion replay showed Stojaković touching the ball before knocking Gogoua down.) Gogoua fell to the ground and stayed there for quite a while (but then he could continue the game).

(photo: partizan.rs)

In the 63rd minute Mihajlović ran up on the left. He crossed to Everton in the middle, who was immediately surrounded by Javor-defenders. They put Everton under heavy fire so the Brazilian could not shoot, instead he slid out to the right side and passed to Vulićević. Vulićević forwarded the ball to Brašanac in the middle. Brašanac shot, it ended in a corner kick.
The 67th minute was that rare case when Javor got a corner kick. It caused a big goalmouth scrumble, Crnomarković was wrestling with Partizan-defenders. He finally headed the ball towards the box, Šaranov saved.
In the 69th minute Brašanac got the ball after a spectacular action. He shot, but defenders blocked him right there. Two minutes later Vulićević came up with the ball on the right. He crossed it to the middle, the goalkeeper jumped to catch it, but he caught a butterfly instead... The ball rolled away, Bojinov was there, but before he could do anything, the goalkeeper quickly grabbed the ball.
At this point of the game there were a lot of fouls and sly, nasty tricks. It wasn’t an easy match, at least not for referee Mažić.

He did a very good job though (even if many will hate me now). Apart from that scene in the beginning of the second half, when Josović fell through Šaranov he kept the control in hand, he was consistent and strict.

In the 74th minute Mihajlović crossed a free kick inside Javor’s penalty area. Vlahović just pushed the ball a bit, right in front of Brašanac. Finally the goalkeeper inactivated us.
In the 83rd minute Đokić had a distant shot to our box, it was too high. In the 85th minute Javor again attacked. A cross arrived from the left, Dražić headed it to the box (meanwhile he and Jovanović were wrestling there), it was too wide. A minute later Mihajlović ran up on the left. He dribbled, but eventually he was blocked.
In the 90+3rd minute (9 minutes of extra time was added) Javor started a counter-attack after a Partizan-corner. Josović shot again, now from the distance, Šaranov saved. In the 90+6th minute he punched a Javor free-kick downfield (but the referee has already whistled it off for offside). Then in the 90+7th minute Everton passed the ball to Stevanović on the right. Stevanović crossed it to the middle. Every Javor-defender seemed to fall asleep, but not Vlahović. He jumped up and headed the ball right into the middle of the box. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL, 0:2, THE CUP IS OURS, NOBODY CAN TAKE IT FROM US!!!!!

Vlahović heads the ball to the box...

...and then with his shirt off in the heavy rain he runs to the fans to celebrate with them

(photos: partiizan.rs)

The very last, 90+9th minute brought one last Javor-attempt. Eliomar had a distant shot from the right, but it was way too wide.
Then referee Mažić gave the final whistle and it was time to celebrate.
(Now you’ll get a LOT of photos and videos :))

Players raised Saša Ilić on their shoulders

(photos: partizan.rs)

You can watch it here:

Then came the ceremony. First the officials received plaquettes.

(photo: partizan.rs)

Then Javor’s players and coach staff received their medals. Hats off for Partizan-players: they greeted Javor with applause and high fives. Fair play at its best.
Then came what we were all waiting for.
First Partizan’s coach staff...

...the whole team had these cool T-shirts for the ceremony

(photo: partizan.rs)

...and finally the Serbian national team’s newly elected head coach, Slavoljub Muslin gave the Cup to Saša Ilić.

(photos: partizan.rs)

Then it was time to pose with the Cup in groups...

...like Jovanović, Brašanac and Bogosavac...

...or Kosović and Bogosavac...

(photos: partizan.rs)

...or just alone with The Preciousssssss...

...like Saša Ilić, the Captain and the Record Holder - it was his 14th Cup winning

Dušan Vlahović, the young titan

Nemanja Mihajlović

Darko Brašanac

Saša Lukić

Miladin Stevanović

Cédric Gogoua

(photos: partizan.rs)

Marko Jevtović

(photo: hotsport.rs)

It was time to scream, sing and jump...

(photos: partizan.rs)

(photo: hotsport.rs)

And last but not least, posing for a group photo with the Cup

(photo: hotsport.rs)

(photo: partizan.rs)

The team also got a 10-million-dinar prize

(photo: partizan.rs)

Here is a video about the match’s last minutes, the celebration and the ceremony:

Here is SOS Kanal’s short highlights, but you can watch again the entire match if you click on this link:

Then the party continued in the locker-room.

(photo: partizan.rs)

Partizan has earned the right with this victory to enter the European competition series - as for which one, it wil depend on which place of the league table we’ll end the championship.

Facts:

Venue: FK Metalac stadium, Gornji Milanovac
Number of spectators: 5000
Referee: Milorad Mažić (assistants: Milovan Ristić, Dalibor Đurđević - 4th assistant: Nemanja Petrović - goal line assistants: Danilo Grujić, Nenad Đokić)

FK Javor: Đogatović, Josović, Docić, Ajuru (Eliomar, 65.), Dražić, Stojaković, Crnomarković, Miletić, Đokić, Milović, Gajić (Vujović, 78.)
Head coach: Mladen Dodić

FK Partizan: Šaranov, Vulićević, Jovanović, Gogoua, Bogosavac, Everton, Brašanac, S. Ilić, Golubović (A. Stevanović, 90+5.), Mihajlović, Bojinov (Vlahović, 72.)
Head coach: Ivan Tomić

Goal scorers: Jovanović (35.), Vlahović (90+6.)
Yellow card: Bogosavac (38.), Gogoua (45.), Stojaković (61.), Miletić (70.), Everton (83.), Jovanović (90+5.), Vlahović (90+8.)

Spartak Subotica - FK Partizan 0:3 (Serbian Cup, semifinal, return match)

We won. We surely won’t put this game into the window on display, but we won and qualified to the final.

During the first 20 minutes of the match I tried to bring an apparently dead stream link back to life. I failed. I could find then a working stream, but I missed out almost half of the first part. I try to re-construct it by the official match report.

We didn’t waste time. It was just the 2nd minute when Bandalovski and Stevanović played pinball at Spartak’s penalty area. Then Bandalovski crossed to the middle, where Mihajlović arrived. He thanked and immediately shot it from the goalmouth right into the box. 0:1

Bandalovski forwards the ball, Mihajlović is arriving...

...then celebration time

In the 8th minute again Mihajlović had a try, but this time defenders inactivated him. In the 14th minute Spartak came up for a counter-attack to our penalty area. Mrkela possessed the ball, he shot, it was too wide. Then in the 18th minute they got a free kick 20 metres from our box. Again Mrkela tried, this time Brašanac threw himself into the way.
In the 25th minute Bandalovski ran up in the middle. Jočić kicked him to the ground, the referee whistled, free kick for Partizan.

Could someone tell me why Bandalovski received a yellow card here?

Mihajlović stood behind the ball, he shot it into the goalmouth, but Farkaš kicked it downfield. We still possessed the ball, Stevanović passed to Gogoua, but Partizan’s defender started to run backwards for seemingly no reason in the middle of an attack.
In the 28th minute Spartak attacked. Milošević came up on the left side with the ball, wrestling with Bandalovski. Then the Subotica-based player fell on the ground inside the penalty area. It was a very spectacular movement from him, but it didn’t really touch the referee, he didn’t whistle just waved "go ahead". In the 33rd minute again Spartak attacked, now on the right side. Milić (or Šljivić, I didn’t see the shirt number clearly) got a huge pass from deep. He ran up, Šaranov jumped out of the goalmouth and threw himself into the way.

Compared to league matches we played earlier this one was a fast, combative game. I don’t say it was a good game, because there were too many imprecise passes/crosses and mistakes only a beginner can make, but at least players ran a lot, tackled, wrestled, fought, and it was definitely a positive turn.

In the 40th minute Mrkela crossed from the left, but our defenders headed it downfield. We started a counter-attack, but that died away. A minute later Spartak attacked again, our defenders again blocked it, again we started a counter-attack, but Stevanović was stopped. Then in the 44th minute Kosović crossed to the middle, but the defenders were faster than Brašanac.

For the second half head coach Tomić arrived wearing this substitute marker shirt. I had a slight hope he might put himself into action as a substitute player.

In the beginning of the second part Spartak attacked heavily. In the 47th minute Milić had a distant shot from 20 metres, it was too high.
The pace was still fast, just like in the first half, but it slowly turned into a "much ado about nothing"-alike scene. Players made too many mistakes on both sides, being too hasty, while seemingly suffering from the lack of ideas about what to do.

I have to put it here, Saša Ilić can (still) keep the ball like a real professional. These children around him could all learn from him. In the 50th minute he played merry-go-round with a Spartak-player, the opponent wanted to grab the ball from him, but Ilić didn’t allow, leaving the other one puzzled.

The 54th minute brought a Spartak-attempt. A weak shot came from the left, but flew out not even approaching the goalpost.

Meanwhile they were doing nothing on the field, but at least they did it in a very spectacular way.

In the 59th minute Stevanović shot suddenly, from 20 metres, the goalkeeper had a great save.

Lost balls. Imprecise passes/crosses, kicking into the air instead of the ball - that can be the summary of this period.

In the 65th minute Spartak missed out a huge chance. Partizan-defenders fell asleep, the ball dropped here and there causing a goalmouth scramble. Finally Jovanović headed it, but it wasn’t too successful. Then the ball dropped off from Šaranov, too. For our great luck it didn’t end up as a goal for the home team.
In the 69th minute Tomić sent a pass to Stefan Ilić from the half-line. Ilić ran up, Bandalovski was close behind him. Spartak’s player finally shot, Šaranov had a great save. In the 72nd minute Šaranov presented another big save - Partizan’s defense line was again out of order, Novaković took advantage of it and shot, Partizan’s goalkeeper did his job.
In the next few minutes we had a number of attempts. It was mostly Mihajlović, who dribbled himself in front of the box, but the defenders blocked him. The pace of the game slowed down, though mistakes and lost balls came more often. In the 80th minute the referee showed the red card for Mudrinski (after his second yellow card).
In the 84th minute Mihajlović dribbled on the right side, then crossed to the middle. Vlahović arrived and headed the ball right into the net. 0:2

The pace slowed down completely. Spartak seemed to resign themselves to the defeat, though the coup de grace was still left.
90th minute. Mihajlović arrived with the ball on the left side. He crossed it to Stevanović in the middle, he forwarded it out to the right side to Bandalovski. The Bulgarian shot, the ball rolled ahead dropping and hopping all the way, passing by the goalkeeper, hitting the left goalpost, ending his way in the net. 0:3

The final takes part on 11th May, we'll play against Javor Matis.

Highlights:

Facts:

Venue: City stadium, Subotica
Number of spectators: 3000
Referee: Bojan Nikolić (assistants: Vladimir Jovanović, Nenad Kurčubić - 4th assistant: Srđan Minić - goal line assistants: Dejan Dimitrijević, Petar Piper)

Spartak Subotica: Mirković, Jočić, Kovačević, Mrkela (Torbica, 46.), Milošević, Milić (Novaković, 63.), Šljivić (Makarić, 77.), Stefan Ilić, Farkas, Mudrinski, Tomić
Head coach: Andrei Chernisov

FK Partizan: Šaranov, Bandalovski, Jovanović, Gogoua (M. Stevanović, 46.), Bogosavac, Brašanac, Kosović, Saša Ilić (Lukić, 89.), Mihajlović, A. Stevanović, Bojinov (Vlahović, 63.)
Head coach: Ivan Tomić

Goal scorers: Mihajlović (2), Vlahović (84.), Bandalovski (90.)
Yellow card: Bandalovski (25.), Mudrinski (45.), Torbica (70.)
Red card: Mudrinski (80. - second yellow card)

(photos: partizan.rs)

FK Partizan - Radnik Surdulica 3:2 (superliga, round 28)

A terrible match against a weak opponent.
The problem is that this weak opponent could still lead for the entire first half.

Not sure if anyone noticed there’s no blogpost about the previous, 27th round. There won’t be any. On one hand I was overwhelmed with the championship title of the ice hockey team, on the other the football team played at the very same time as the ice hockey players (who organized it to be like this?...) and I saw approx. the last 25 minutes of the football match. Even those 25 minutes were so awful that later I had no energy enough to waste for the highlights. So, this 27th round is missed out, apologies if I don’t apologize.

Someone please tell me how we can produce such a horror game level, for weeks now. It’s a pain to watch these matches. Soulless, horrible play that lacks every kind of idea, boring ball-shuffling, scratching, anti-football. Even the infamously crappy Hungarian football is better than this. Shame, but that’s the truth.

10 minutes before the start. The stadium was this empty

(screenshot)

(photo: Twitter)

The official match report talks about 3000 spectators.
WHERE??? ON WHICH PLANET???

(screenshot/partizan.rs)

Since then this number raised to 5000.

What kind of hallucinogene drug is this? Can you give me the dealer’s phone number? I have to try out this stuff.

Update: there were really at least 2500 people in the stadium.

In the first minutes of the game a brass-band was playing in the guests’ sector. They made a carnival-alike atmosphere, being a million times more interesting than the game.

(screenshot)

It came to my mind, I should miss out writing even about this game. Seriously, what can you write about nothing?... Then I continued to make notes for the blogpost. I’m obviously a mazochist.

The 4th minute brought the first shy attempt. Bandalovski got a pass from Saša Ilić and forwarded the ball to Bogosavac, but the goalkeeper threw himself into the way.
In the 14th minute Radnik came up to a counter-attack after a weak shot by Brašanac. Deletić ran up with the ball on the right and crossed to Suraka. Šaranov threw himself into the way in the last moment.
In the 19th minute Radnik led another counter-attack after a corner. The cross came from the depth, first Deletić shot, but Šaranov performed a fantastic save. But then Owusu jumped out of the blue and headed the ball into the box next to Partizan’s goalkeeper, who slowly fell on the ground. 0:1
In the 21st minute Bogosavac passed to Mihajlović on the left. Mihajlović crossed to Stevanović in the middle, he had a try, but the goalkeeper saved. Corner-kick, the ball dropped to Mihajlović, he shot, too high.
Then we fumbled ahead. It’s sad, but even though we attacked more, Surdulica was still leading and our attempts were fruitless.  We played an entire half without any striker on the front line.
Though I think we would have played this very terribly even with striker.

I wonder why Fofana was called back to ul. Humska, when he is just a bench-warmer

(photo: partizan.rs)

Saša Ilić was a physical pain to watch. Independent of his performance in the 2nd half he plays more and more like a pensioner. Radnik-defenders tackled him easily, they might have even told jokes to each other.

In the 30th minute Jevtović got a pass in the middle. He shot from 20 metres, the goalkeeper had a great save.
In the 33rd minute we had two shots to the goal after a corner-kick within a few seconds. First Stevanović, then Saša Ilić, but both times a defender standing on the goal line cleared. Then the opponent ran up for a quick counter-attack. Owusu passed to Deletić, he immediately shot and scored. 0:2
It was especially painful that while Radnik had these very quick counter-attacks (they had yet another in the 45th minute, Marković ran up all alone, eventually he was inactivated), we were totally idle and were wandering around aimlessly. Just like at a 5th league old boys’ match. For the rest of the first half nothing ever happened apart from the counter-attack mentioned above. After the final whistle fans booed at the players walking off, screamed "Pustite nas da igramo" (Allow us to play) hinting that even they would have a better performance.
Then the players walked to the southern tribune instead of the locker-rooms and all we could see was them talking to the fans. (Then ArenaSport quickly switched to the replay of the first-half action.)

(photo: Twitter)

Still no info on what they were talking about, but they obviously didn’t exchange high fives and kisses.

At the beginning of the second half Mihajlović headed the ball towards the box after a corner-kick, a defender blocked. A minute later Suraka tackled Bogosavac (Partizan’s defender was fumbling too long, the Ghanian just walked there and stole the ball from him) and ran towards the goal. Finally Šaranov threw himself into the way.
In the 51st minute Vlahović got a pass from the left and headed it to the goal. The ball hit the crossbar.
Then 3 minutes later he could hit the box. Mihajlović crossed from the left, Vlahović raised high and headed. 1:2

It was his first ever goal for Partizan

(photos: partizan.rs)

A few minutes later Saša Ilić had a distant shot, the goalkeeper saved to corner-kick. In the 64th minute Mihajlović had another distant shot, hitting the right goalpost.
In the 65th minute Bandalovski passed to Saša Ilić. The Captain shot ruthlessly from 16 metres and scored. 2:2

(photos: partizan.rs)

In the 69th minute Radnik again had a very quick appearance at our penalty area, but this time we started a counter-attack after Šaranov saved. Mihajlović had the ball, he ran up with it and crossed. Saša Ilić arrived in the middle and scored. 3:2
The level of the game didn’t change despite that we switched the standing from 0:2 to 3:2. It was just beyond critics. Radnik seemingly resigned themselves to the defeat, while Partizan just shuffled the ball here and there, without any useful idea about what to do. The match did not contain any football, not even in traces. Alen Stevanović missed out a chance in the 78th minute (he shot too high after long fumbling), other than this nothing happened that is worth to mention. As if it weren’t a team with a victorious past, but a bunch of skinners who plays for the local off-league amateur team.

Yes, we won and everything, but our play still lacks any high standard (or even just standard)

(photo: partizan.rs)

Highlights:

Facts:

Venue: Partizan Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 5000 (???)
Referee: Róbert Kis-Csepegi (assistants: Dejan Potočan, Dragan Peranović - 4th assistant: Dragan Bogićević - goal line assistants: Novak Simović, Nemanja Gajdobranski)

FK Partizan: Šaranov - Bandalovski, M. Stevanović, Jovanović, Bogosavac - Lukić (Vlahović, 46.), Jevtović (Kosović, 46.), Brašanac - A. Stevanović, S. Ilić (Birmančević, 90+1.), Mihajlović
Head coach: Ivan Tomić

Radnik Surdulica: Ristić - Milovanović (Simonović, 46.), Vuković, Vučetić (Mutavdžić, 69.), Suraka (Stanković, 59.) - Gojković, Owusu, Pejčić, Putinčanin - Deletić, Marković
Head coach: Miloš Veselinović

Goal scorers: Owusu (19.), Deletić (33.), Vlahović (54.), S. Ilić (65., 69.)
Yellow card: Ristić (71.), Brašanac (74.), Marković (76.)

Current championship standings:
1. CZ 78 points
2. Partizan 48 points
3. Čukarički 47 points
4. Radnički Niš 45 points
5. Borac 44 points
6. FK Voždovac 40 points
7. Vojvodina 40 points
8. Surdulica 37 points
9. Javor 35 points
10. Mladost 32 points
11. Metalac 31 points
12. Novi Pazar 28 points
13. OFK Beograd 27 points
14. Rad 23 points
15. Spartak Subotica 23 points
16. Jagodina 22 points