Braga B 3-1 Fulham U21

Terrell Works was on the scoresheet as a young Fulham Under-21s side were defeated 3-1 at Braga B on Wednesday afternoon. On a scorching day in Portugal, with temperatures above 30 degrees, our Young Whites gained more valuable pre-season minutes against a strong Braga side. The starting XI featured two U18s and four players who have made the step up to U21s football this summer. One of those players making the step up, Dino Kaiser, produced a strong right hand to deny Braga early on after a short free-kick routine. It was the hosts who threatened early on and they made the pressure count when a slick move down the left was finished off by a flick in the box. Despite plenty of possession, it took until the 44th minute to register our first chance, although it was one that nearly ended up in the net as Tom Wingate’s expertly controlled side-footed volley whistled past the post. An arrowed finish into the corner from the edge of the box made it 2-0 – and it was three soon after as we failed to deal with a whipped corner from the left. Following the introductions of Aaron Loupalo-Bi and Works, we rallied in the closing stages. Loupalo-Bi met a Quinn Schutter cross sweetly on the volley, but he fired straight at the feet of the Braga goalkeeper. Works’ goal was a moment of quality as he latched onto a lofted ball over the top, brought the pass down his left foot before sliding a strike home with his right. He raced through again just two minutes later, beating the offside trap with a smart run, but he narrowly missed the far corner as he aimed to pick out the same spot. Our Academy sides will face FC Porto's U18s and U21s in friendlies on Saturday. Kaiser; De Jesus, Nsasi, Cooke (Slade 60’), Schutter; Nwoko, Gofford (Quashie 45’), Olyott (Works 70’), Wingate (Loupalo-Bi 70’), Sanderson, Ali Wahid.