LUnion Saint-Gilloise won the Belgian Cup final on Thursday, defeating Antwerp at the King Baudouin stadium (1-0). Thanks to a goal from Koki Machida from a corner, just before the break (45th+1), the Unionists were able to lift their first Cup since 1914, 110 years ago.
In the first half, Antwerp chose to lock down the match with a five-man defense that lost the ball. Antwerp relied on long balls and counterattacks to threaten the opposing goal, while the Union was keen to build actions. Around the Antwerp rectangle, the USG stumbled on a compact block without managing to strike.
Ultimately, the solution came from a stopped phase. Castro-Montes’ corner was unintentionally deflected by Van Den Bosch, and the ball landed in Machida’s path, in front of goal. The central defender only had to finish from close range, to make the yellow and blue bench and half of the stadium explode with joy (45th+1).
In the second half, Antwerp showed new intentions but the Union held back. Like the Unionists in the first period, Antwerp struggled to find the opening and shoot on goal. The freed up spaces allowed the Brussels residents to threaten on the counterattack, but Lammens only had to do very little.
Throwing all its strength into the battle, Antwerp ratcheted up the tension a notch in the final minutes. The defense held firm, and the scorer did not move any further.
This is the first trophy for Union Saint-Gilloise since 1935, when the club won its 11th and last Belgian championship title. In the Belgian Cup, the Unionists had triumphed twice, in 1913 and 1914, 110 years ago.
){kind=link}