February 22, 2021
The top flight in Romania has now reached round 24, with just 6 games to go after this in the regular league season. After 30 matches the top 6 will play each other twice in a Championship round, with the other 10 sides entering the play-off round and playing each other once. The best two sides of the play-off round will play each other for the right for a match against the side in the last European qualification place in the Championship round.
At the winter break Botosani were in 7th place in the table, but a run of 6 wins and two losses since the resumption had seen them move into 5th place and looking good for a top 6th finish. They were on a run of four consecutive wins. Away from home they had a 5-2-4 record, with wins at Arges Pitesti ( 3-2 ), Viitorul ( 2-1 ), Gaz Metan ( 2-1 ), Politehnica Iasi ( 1-0 ) & Chindia Targoviste ( 3-2 ).
Last season Botosani finished fourth overall to qualify for the Europa League, where they achieved a 2-1 win in Kazakhstan against Ordabasy before slumping to a 0-1 defeat at home to FK Shkendija of North Macedonia. That was only their second ever European adventure.
Botosani is 440km north of the capital Bucharest, and with a population of around 120,000 is the 19th largest city in Romania
Ex-St Etienne French striker Hamidou Keyta has been key to Botosani’s success this season with 13 goals so far, putting him third in the goal scoring chart for the division.
Midfielder and captain Jonathan Rodriguez is Argentinian and French midfielder Hervin Ongenda has played for Paris St Germain. Goalkeeper Hidajet Hankic is Austrian, ex Wattenscheid and Fortuna Sittard right-back Christophe Braun is German and midfielder Enriko Papa is Albanian. Attacking midfielder/forward Mahmoud Al-Mawas has won 68 caps for Syria
Uzina Textila Arad, or UTA Arad, or just UTA as they are known, have won the Romanian championship on six occasions, although the last success was in 1969/70. Last season they were convincing winners of Liga II to return to the top level of Romanian football, and at the winter break they were safely in mid-table in 9th place. Although they remained in 9th before today’s match, they were now only 6 points off 6th place, having a 3-2-2 record since the resumption. However, they have the worst home record in the league, with only one win ( Chindia Targoviste 1-0 ), four draws and six defeats. It is their impressive 6-4-2 away form, including a 3-2 win at Botosani in October, that has put them in reach of a high finish in the table.
Arad is 580km north-west of Bucharest, and with a population of approximately 160,000 is the 12th largest city in Romania. Botosani faced a journey of over 675km for today’s match, or over 9 hours by road.
UTA play at the impressive all-seated 12,700 capacity Francisc van Neuman stadium, which was opened in August 2020 after extensive renovation. However, due to matches being played behind closed doors this season due to the Covid pandemic, it is yet to house a paying spectator ! Despite this, virtual tickets are sold for home games, and a free digital 4 page matchday programme is published.
Midfielder Cristian Albu was a member of Romania’s most recent national squad, but is yet to win his first cap. He had appeared in all but one of Arad’s matches so far this season. Midfielder Nelut Rosu had also figured in all bar one match, although 7 appearances were off the bench. Albanian left-back Simon Rrumbullaku played in every game up to the winter break, but has been missing from recent matches.
There are two Brazilians in their squad, ex-Riga FC forward Roger, and centre-back Erico da Silva, who is the top scorer with 4 goals.
Readers of these diaries will recognise two recent signings from Lithuanian side FK Zalgiris, with Lithuanian International midfielder Modestas Vorobjovas ( 9 caps ) and Romanian forward Liviu Antal ( 1 cap ) being signed in January. Russian defender Evgeni Shiyakov also arrived in January from financially strickened FC Tambov. Offsetting these signings though, forward Vlad Morar, who scored twice in the early win at Botosani, left the club to join Gaz Metan Medias.
The kick-off was at 17.30 local time ( 15.30 UK ) with a temperature of around 11 degrees after a dry day, although temperatures were forecast to plummet as the night went on. This was probably a relief to both sides after playing their last two matches in icy or snowy sub-zero conditions.
The match was streamed live on Bet365.com, who had Botosani as 10/11 favourites, with Arad at 3/1. The draw was offered at 11/5.
Botosani made just one change to their starting line-up from last week’s win over Gaz Metan Medias, with 17 year old David Croitoru replacing Alexandru Caia at centre-forward. On the other hand UTA made 5 changes from their draw at Chindia Targoviste with Dragos Balauru replacing captain Florin Iacob in goal, new signing from Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol Andrei Peteleu coming in at right back for his full debut, Albu and Vorobjovas returning after one match absences, and ex-international Adrian Hora ( 2 caps ) coming in up front.
UTA wore their usual home kit of all red with white stripes on the front of their shirts, whilst Botosani wore their change kit of all blue but with one white short sleeve and the other dark red/burgundy, something that Blackburn Rovers may have worn !
It took just 48 seconds for the first bad foul to be committed, with UAT’s Hora clattering into Ongenda. The referee failed to issue a deserved yellow card, and merely pointed to his watch as if to say it was too early to book anyone.
Something surprising happened after 8 minutes, when young Croitoru was substituted without any apparent injury. Subsequent research revealed that sides in Romania are obliged to field at least one under 21 Romanian in their starting line-up, and it is far from unusual for this to occur in the Casa Liga. Indeed, the week before Botosanu substituted 17 year old Caia after 10 minutes. Ironically, today the substitute Tircoveanu was himself substituted in the second half.
The referee continued to be lenient in the opening stages of the game, letting some robust challenges go in an effort to keep the play going, and when Botosani’s Chindris fouled Hora with a naughty tackle, the yellow card still remained in the referee’s pocket.
Arad also made an early substitution but in this instance it looked legitimate, as Albu looked to have a pretty serious groin strain and hobbled off after 18 minutes.
It took until the 23rd minute for the first attempt on goal, but Keyta’s shot from outside the penalty area went well wide, and three minutes later, Ongenda’s effort from a similar distance was deflected wide for a corner with Arad’s keeper flat-footed.
UTA’s first serious raid into the Botosani half was on the half-hour mark and saw a teasing cross from the left by Shlyakov chested down by Antal, but the ball ran away for keeper Hankic to grab. The replay showed Antal was offside anyway.
A minute later Botosani had some half-hearted appeals for a penalty when a cross from the left wing may have hit a defender’s hand, but again the referee was having none of it.
In the 35th minute Keyta won a free-kick in a dangerous position by running into two Arad defenders, but Ongenda’s cross was sent harmlessly over the bar, which was pretty indicative of the game up to that point. Three minutes later Ongenda sent another long range effort in a similar direction.
The first 40 minutes had been high on endeavour but low on quality, with Botosani the dominant side. However, Arad then sprung into life. Another curling cross from the left by Shlyakov was met beyond the far post by Erico, but his header from a fairly tight angle was straight at Hankic, who gathered at the second attempt. Then on the stroke of half-time, Rusu played an inch-perfect pass inside the left back to put Hora clear, but Hankic was off his line quickly to close him down and made a good point blank save.
A goal-less score at half-time was a fair reflection. Botosani had dominated but created very little, but Arad had created two reasonable chances.
UTA made another change at half-time, replacing Hora with Voinea, but this had little impact on the pattern of play. Botosani continued to have most of the possession, and after 55 minutes it was Tircoveanu’s turn to send a free-kick harmlessly over the bar. Three minutes later Chindris was able to get his head to a better delivered free-kick, but his effort went a couple of feet wide of the post.
The lively Al Mawas then made a good run from his own half, beat two defenders but the ball ran out of play before he could get a cross in.
The first chance of the second half for UTA came in the 62nd minute. Chindris’ attempted cross-field pass was intercepted and played for Voinea to run onto, but he fell to the floor under a challenge by Braun. Again, the referee was not impressed, and showed the yellow card to the Arad substitute for simulation. VAR in the English Premier League may well have overturned that decision……….
At least Ongenda was enjoying the game, and played with a smile on his face. When Peteleu won a throw-in by playing the ball off the Frenchman, the pair were able to share a laugh and a joke.
Botosani’s best chance of the match upto this point came in the 74th minute. Rodriguez’s free-kick from inside his own half, went over the static defensive line. Keyta stole in behind them but his effort was well blocked by Balauru from close range.
Arad’s final chance came in the 79th minute. Rodriguez was caught in possession and robbed by Roger midway in the Botosani half. The ball was moved wide but Shlyakov’s crossed was headed off for a corner before Roger could head home at the back post.
The last piece of meaningful action occurred in the 83rd minute. Al Mawas made another impressive run from his own half, but his cross was anticipated and intercepted by Balauru to deny the advancing Rodriguez the opportunity to head home.
After this the game petered out even further, with both sides looking content with the point. In summary, two evenly matched sides cancelled each other out, and to use the old cliché, if they played until midnight there probably still wouldn’t be a goal !
UTA Arad : Balauru – Peteleu, Erico, Albu ( Ilie ), Shlyakov – Antal ( Buhacianu ), Isac ( Rosu ), Vorobjovas, Rusu – Roger, Hora ( Voinea )
FC Botosani : Hankic – Braun, Chindris, Seroni, Tiganasu – Papa, Rodriguez, Ongenda ( Florescu ) – Croitoru ( Tircoveanu, Fili ), Al Mawas, Keyta ( Toutouh )
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdWEp8c0sFQ
Match Programme : https://www.facebook.com/uta1945arad/photos/pcb.10160432198803942/10160432198138942/
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