Pre-season Jaunt, Part 1

It's been a while since we have been on a little pre-season jaunt to foreign parts, but here we are in Austria for a couple of games.  The team have been here on a fitness camp; our opposition will be lower league sides — part timers by all accounts.

The setting for this game  looks spectacular: we are in a deep valley.

On to the game.  With all available players apart from the World Cup personnel here and the fact that we are to play twice in as many days, every one will get some playing time.  It took just 45 seconds for the first attack, Radzinski the provider for the new boy trialist Omar Daley to hit the base of the post from close range.  

To be fair, we are playing against part timers — postmen, binmen, shopkeepers, and the odd bricklayer — we should in most cases run up a cricket score against sides like this.  Tonight we could only manage to put the ball in the back of the net three times... I will put down all the squandered chances to the fact it was our first game of the new season.

The goals came first from Osman with the corner and O'Hanlon with the header down to the bottom left-hand corner.  Five minutes later, Radzinski from a Daley cross found Campbell in the area, his glancing header fell fortunately for the head of Radzinski who saw the ball go into the back of the net.

Bruck took 35 min's to mount an attack — in fact, their only other attempt resulted in a goal.

Half Time: 2-0

The interjection of Rooney saw a bit of movement up front.  A long ball from the back, Southern the provider just before the hour mark... Rooney's pace and strength saw off the defence, then he calmly stroked the ball in the left-hand corner.  He could have doubled his tally but was denied by a spectacular save on a one-on-one situation by their overworked keeper.

Bruck scored a consolation goal on 66 min's when a long ball from the back and a mistake from one of the Everton midfielders saw Huber grab his chance; Gerrard unable to stop the resulting shot.

Steve Milne