The white-violet team won the Romanian Cup IV round game played at the arena in the Sânnicolau Mic district of Arad. It was 2-1 (1-0) for Politehnica Timișoara against third league side Șoimii Lipova. Our team’s goals were scored by Daniel Benzar and Tudor Moțiu.

Our team came to the pitch also known as “Banatul” with a very young team. Two youngsters from Politehnica U19 (Cristian Zetu and Narcis Popovici, both born in 2004) were part of the team for the first time and the most recent transfer – Răzvan Prodan – was on the bench.

The game was quite balanced in the first half. The first important chance came from Benzar, who sent a 29th minute shot wide of the goal from inside the box with only goalkeeper Buta in front. But the same goalkeeper of the hosts would give him a gift ball in the first minute of extra time of the first half. The ball thrown by it was picked up by Daniel Benzar in about 20 meters and our offensive midfielder did not forgive, scoring with a low shot to the right of the goalkeeper, to the satisfaction of the visiting sector, filled to the brim. Just a minute earlier Murariu had denied the hosts the opening goal, denying Trabalka in a one-on-one duel.

The second half brought a controversial moment in the 66th minute, when after a Murariu-Bozian duel for the ball in the box, referee Claudiu Ștef indicated the penalty spot. Trabalka (68th minute) restored parity with a shot to the left of our goalkeeper. Politehnica came back into the attack and a quarter of an hour before the end Ursu’s cross was headed into the goal by Tudor Moțiu, with all the opposition of Buta. This is the first senior goal for the kid, also born in 2004 and brought up in his own academy!

2-1 was also the final score for Politehnica Timișoara, the team that advances to the next round of the Romanian Cup, a phase of the competition in which League I groups will also participate. The next game of the white-violet team will be in the championship, also away, on Saturday, September 11, at 13.00 (televised) against Metaloglobus Bucharest.

Lipova Falcons: Buta – Suslak, Polgar (81, Dolga), D. Popa, Aldan – Gavrilă (88, Al. Hațegan), Salhi, Simion (76, T. Bodri) – Ban (88, Brad), Trabalka, Bozian (88, Ciubăncan). Reserves: Iliescu – Stoin, An. Rusu, C. Abrudan. Coach: Flavius Sabău

Politehnica Timișoara: Murariu – Moțiu, Scutaru (captain; 46, Mera), Bocșan, Pamfile – Ignea (46, Lazăr), Zaluschi – Minteuan, Benzar (46, Ursu), S. Costea (57, Sofran) – Hațegan (76, Bîrnoi). On the bench: Devenish-Meares – N. Popovici, Zetu, Prodan. Coach: Dorin Toma. 1-2