For the first time in three full decades, FC Dinara played on an open-air field, but the celebration of their return to the big stage was not seasoned with a victory. This was largely due to the biased “injustice” on the field at the Hebron Soccer Club in Indiana, which directly led Dinara to a 0-1 defeat in the first match of the new Premier Soccer League Chicagoland season.
Everything looked promising in the first half. The boys in white kept possession, putting pressure on the “Schwabens,” but luck wasn’t on their side. Toward the end of the first half, Dinara’s key player Vlado Zadro got injured, and their fortunes began to turn.
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At the very start of the second half, Schwaben took the lead, and Dinara went on the offensive. Things likely would have been different if, shortly after SC Schwaben’s opening goal, the referee had pointed to the penalty spot following a blatant foul on Dinara’s center-forward Kuduz at the edge of the penalty area.
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Instead, the whistle remained silent, and the rest of the match turned into a circus. The officiating trio stumbled from one mistake to another, fueling frustration among the Dinara players. By the end, they had received three red cards and faced the final whistle in a “handball formation.”
This premiere—Dinara’s first match in an open-air league in 30 years—could have ended more happily, as Dinara was the superior side and held more possession. However, there are still many “battles” ahead and 15 matches left to gather points.
The unfortunate loss did not, however, stop the celebration of the return to the grand football scene. On the contrary, songs broke out, gourmet delicacies arrived, and club president Vasil Kolar made sure to play the perfect host to everyone on-site—fans, journalists, and players from both clubs.
The crew from IMPULSO Pizzeria fired up the oven in their mobile kitchen, churning out delicious pizzas like an assembly line, and the party officially began.
Until next week, the next game, and—we believe—the first victory!
Text/Photo/Video: Antonije Kovačević
