Match Report
Levante 3 v 4 AFCB
20 July 2019
Bournemouth and Levante played out an entertaining first half goal fest in La Manga. The Cherries had gone 0-2 up in the first 11 minutes through goals from Hyndman and Defoe and yet Levante struck back with three goals before half time, as Boruc was left exposed with some clever movement and some cool finishing from Boateng and Roger Marti. The second half was less open with the managers having had a word to close things up and it took Bournemouth until the last five minutes to find a way through. Lewis Cook provided it with a fabulous winning drive from some 25-30 yards out.
Match Description
Boruc makes an early third minute save from Levante's right winger. Bournemouth score a well worked goal on eight minutes with Fraser moving the ball out to the right to Mahoney, before a pull back laid the goal on for Hyndman. Fraser then popped a cross from the left that Defoe flicked past the keeper for 0-2 on 11 minutes. Boruc then saves well after Steve Cook had made a poor clearance.
Hyndman made a mistake in the middle of the park and was booked for pulling back a Levante midfielder. Boruc wanted to take goal kicks just to the edge of his box that caused some alarm. Levante's number 23 made a strong run into the box which was blocked, but the ball fell to Roger Marti who made it 1-2 scoring in the bottom right corner on 17 minutes. Boruc has to make another save high to his right from Remeseiro but he keeps it out.
Bournemouth are trying to get their passing going but a ball over the top to Boateng leaves him one on one with Boruc and he slips it under the Bournemouth keeper on 21 minutes to make it 2-2. Bournemouth start forcing the pace with a free kick and then a corner. The Cherries have the wind with them this half.
Fraser gets taken down by Levante's 17 who is booked. Levante have made an early sub on 27 minutes. Hyndman plays a lovely one-two to get him in the box and while he goes down Defoe's shot is blocked. Boateng is having to come off for Levante on 33 minutes.
16 cuts up the right before Levante's Roger Marti moves between Simpson and Cook and finishes well on the angle, across Boruc, to make it 3-2 to Levante on 34 minutes. Mahoney puts in a cross but it's just too high for AFCB's players. Mousset is struggling to get into the game. A corner to Bournemouth. Mahoney takes and Jack Simpson meets it at the far post with a header to make it 3-3 on 41 minutes.
Bournemouth are just a bit careless in giving the ball away in midfield and allowing Levante to break. So it's 3-3 at half time.
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Second half
AFCB have made 11 changes at half time. Levante were on the attack straight away. But Bournemouth soon had a corner after Brooks hit the post. A run straight through the middle by Levante's number nine forced a save from Boruc with AFCB's central defenders outpaced. Bournemouth are putting a strong high press on. Levante manage to escape though. Lewis Cook and Gosling are not having it all their own way in midfield.
A couple of corners are cleared by Levante. King is a bit of a loan figure up front even if Brooks is trying to get the ball to him. Adam Smith gets a corner on 65 minutes. Ibe pulls a ball back for Surman to strike but he's blocked. Both teams are getting back well to defend when they lose the ball.
King gets to fire a ball across the box but it is cleared by Levante. Begovic takes a clean catch from the right wing. Brooks still looks a difficult player to keep quiet playing just off King. I like the look of him in an advanced position.
Both teams look much more set up to stop goals this half. Brad Smith has taken a knock. Bournemouth defend the corner well. A good run up the right from Adam Smith sees King chest down to Pugh who fires a volley off that the keeper touches over on 79 minutes.
Levante take a corner short and Begovic has to punch over the bar this time. Aké makes a mistake coming out with the ball and Lewis Cook has to rush back to get a block in. Brooks has got loads of running in him and wins the ball back well. A shot from King is just kept out before Lewis Cook smashes in a long right footed drive bottom left on 85 minutes 3-4. Cook's first goal for Bournemouth was worth waiting for.
King gives a foul away on Levante's number five. That's it.
Summary
While it was pleasing to see some goals the protection for Boruc was minimal at times and Levante slipped balls in for their strikers without much pressure from the Bournemouth players in the first half. The goals that Bournemouth made showed a good understanding for the first with Hyndman, proving perhaps that he deserves more time in a Bournemouth shirt on his performance. Hyndman was putting plenty of crosses in but usually they were too strong. Fraser was as usual a handful for the Levante defence. But it was interesting to see how Aké and Mings would cope with the Levante attack in the second half. They were far more in control and the player that caught the eye was David Brooks with his blond bonce chasing and running at players. Lewis Cook had been having a quiet game until his strike just at the end which settled matters in Bournemouth's favour. There will be plenty to contemplate from this match for Eddie Howe, and he'll be pleased that the players closed things up after half time. But the way Levante scored their goals will be less savoured by Bournemouth's manager.
AFCB
Boruc (Begovic), Francis (A Smith), S Cook (Aké), Simpson (Surman), Daniels (B Smith), Mahoney, (Mahoney) Arter (Gosling), Hyndman (L Cook), Fraser (Ibe), Mousset (Pugh), Defoe (King)
Star players - Emerson Hyndman, David Brooks and Lewis Cook.
AFCB Subs
Begovic, A Smith, Mings, Surman, Aké, Daniels, L Cook, Brooks, Gosling, Ibe, King, Wilson. Ofoborh
Levante
Oier, Toño, Chema, Roger, Bardhi, Postigo, Rochina, Verza, Pedro López , Boateng, Jason
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