Benfica came into this game in second place with 26 points and a +/- of +14.  Croatia was sporting a 5-3-4 record and was + 5 on the scoresheet.  The old foes were both coming off big wins however - Benfica 5 - 1 over Chatham, and Croatia 5 - 0 against Wallaceburg.  Even though both of these opponents are newcomers to the Divison, the high scores would seem to indicate that both Benfica's and Croatia's offense had shifted into high gear as of late.  In the opening minutes it was Croatia putting on a show of strength with their midfield play, as they forced much of the action into the Benfica end of the pitch.  Both of these teams appeared fairly evenly matched in terms of size and strength, so the deciding factor for this game would likely rest in the relative effectiveness of team play, communication, or co-operation, possibly along with some other factor.  Indeed that other factor revealed itself in short order - at 18 minutes in to be exact, when Benfica's #11, Eris Tafaj, put on a burst of speed and blew past Croatia defenders and drove a hard shot past their keeper from well within the centre box area.  After this point the main difference between these two teams revealed itself.  Although Croatia often gave Benfica fits with their strong tackling in the midfield, when they did manage to get the ball up to their awaiting strikers they showed some hesitance in sewing together their attempts on goal.  Conversely, when Benfica managed to get the ball up to their forwards, they quickly formulated drives that often put the Croatia keeper to the test.  The nature of the difference between the plus/minus ratings could be seen throughout the match - as the strikers in black appeared to be continually expecting to score.  Although the Tafaj goal was the only one of the game, the better chances on net throughout the match belonged to Benfica.  The few good shots on goal ultimately made by Croatia were all well handled by the Benfica keeper, who no doubt enjoyed earning the shutout.
Play got much tougher through the second half, with numerous yellow cards awarded, but in the end Croatia could in no way solve Benfica's riddle on this particular evening.  With three more points earned, only AEK stood in the way of Benfica climbing to the top of the Premier Division standings.  JHS