Recap
Expats Set-Piece Woe
The Dragoons slipped to their first away defeat of the 2025/26 season as SF Fairant scored twice without reply to take the points.
Following a 5-2 opening-day victory against Zwierzyniecki, the Expats went into the encounter full of confidence.
⚽️ LINE UP ⚽️
Here’s how Gonçalo Ferreira 🇵🇹 lines up his side this afternoon 👇
🧤 GK: 🇵🇱
🛡️ DEF: 🇦🇷 | 🇮🇹 | 🇵🇱 | 🇮🇹
⚙️ MID: 🇨🇩 | 🇮🇹/🇫🇮 (c) | 🇪🇸
🔥 ATTACK: 🇵🇱 | 🇮🇱 | 🇺🇦COME ON YOU DRAGOONS!!
💙🖤 #COYD pic.twitter.com/OEKWz9sFBW
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) August 31, 2025
Despite that win, Gonçalo Ferreira made several changes to his side. With Gabriel Muñoz unwell, Marcin Obyrtacz returned between the posts for his first start of the season. In defence, two changes saw Simon Calabrese replace Obed Sánchez to partner Kuba Drobny at centre-back, while Francesco Leuci came in for his first start of the season in place of Szymon Urzędowski, with Roman Bilovol continuing at right-back.
Two changes were also made in midfield, with Alonso Garcia-Villa and Omar Atzori dropping to the bench. Corneille Malonga and Fernando Gámez stepped up to start alongside Enrico Forabosco in the middle.
In attack, the Dragoons remained unchanged as Jan Kołodziejski started wide right, Serhii Yelysieiev wide left, and Yuri Samyonov centrally.
Kick Off
Fairant started on the front foot and immediately put the Dragoons under pressure. An early mistake by the defence saw Drobny dispossessed and unceremoniously dumped on his backside just outside his own box. An attempted chip was sent toward the Dragoons’ goal, but Obyrtacz got just enough of a touch to divert the ball over via the top of the crossbar.
With six minutes played, another unforced error saw Leuci miss an aerial ball, allowing the hosts space on the right. A ball across goal was only slightly touched by Calabrese to prevent a tap-in, but the danger was not cleared. Another pass came into the box, with Calabrese once again on hand to clear away.
Dragoons Punished
A poor start became worse as Fairant deservedly took the lead in the 10th minute. Statuesque defending allowed Bartosz Chorąży to run free and meet a corner, nodding home the opening goal.
The Expats looked to respond immediately through Fernando Gámez. The Canarian King drove the team forward, picking out Malonga, who in turn found Yelysieiev. The Ukrainian whipped a ball into the box that arrowed toward goal but dropped wide of the upright.
Yelysieiev found himself in the thick of the action again in the 14th minute. He collected Malonga’s overhit cross, drove into the box, but could only find the side-netting with his shot.
From the following goal-kick, the Dragoons pressed high and forced the hosts into an error. Forabosco found Samyonov free on the edge of the box, but the Israeli could only blast over.
Back and Forth
Fairant continued to threaten from set pieces and went close again with a free-kick. The ball found Chorąży free inside the box once more, but his weak header bounced straight into Obyrtacz’s arms.
The hosts also looked dangerous on the break, going close again in the 20th minute as a rasping drive from the right of the box flashed wide.
At the other end, the Dragoons worked a shooting chance of their own. Samyonov found Forabosco in space, but the midfield magician could only drag his attempt wide.
On 25 minutes, Forabosco found himself out wide and laid the ball into Yelysieiev’s path. The forward drove across the edge of the box, and his low strike forced the keeper into a stretching save.
Golden Chances
More good pressing forced the hosts into another error as Malonga touched the ball forward, with the bounce falling to Gámez. The Spaniard unleashed a fierce drive that the keeper parried. Samyonov reacted first to the loose ball but could not sort his feet out to make a telling contact, and the chance passed.
Ten minutes later, the Dragoons created a glorious chance to level the game. Leuci bulldozed his way into the box and threaded the ball to Gámez, who poked it to Samyonov. Despite taking a touch to set himself, the forward somehow slid the ball wide from six yards with only the keeper to beat.
Fairant continued to trouble the Dragoons from dead balls. A free-kick delivery on 37 minutes dropped kindly for an opponent, but fortunately, the shot flew off target.
The Expats carved out another clear chance on 39 minutes. Gámez slipped a superb pass to Kołodziejski, who crossed first-time for Yelysieiev inside the box. The winger hammered goalward, but the keeper blocked the attempt with a good save. Worse followed, as Yelysieiev signalled immediately for a change, holding his hamstring in the process. He limped off, with Adrian Paliś replacing him.
Tempers flared before the interval as the Dragoons began to lose their heads against the dark arts of their opponents. Fairant had a late siege of set-pieces as the Expats conceded needless free-kicks. A chance came when the ball bounced around the box, but a half-volley went wide.
The half-time whistle blew with the Expats a goal down and deeply frustrated at not dragging themselves level.
Second Half
Coach Ferreira made a change at the break, with the ever dependable Szymon Urzędowski replacing Leuci.
The Dragoons started the half on top, winning a number of set-pieces to deliver into the box. However, the Expats never looked likely to win aerially against the hosts’ giant defence.
Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession, the Expats looked clueless in the final third. Each time the ball went wide, the Dragoons failed to breach a disciplined defence. Even after bringing on Obed Sánchez in attack, they continued to send aimless long passes toward the flanks.
Fairant continued to remain a threat from deliveries into the Dragoons’ box. On 76 minutes, the ball bounced around dangerously, and an attempt rolled just wide.
Late Knockout Blow
The hosts struck the killer blow in the 90th minute. Another set-piece caused chaos, with the Dragoons once again unable to clear. The ball fell kindly for Chorąży, who lost his marker and rifled home from close range to end the contest.
Soon after, the final whistle blew on an extremely disappointing performance. Fairant showed heart, defended well, and used their physicality and experience to bully the Dragoons. The Expats not only lost the physical battle but also looked completely out of ideas in attack. Too often, poor decisions on whether to hold the ball or cross it led to squandered possession. Simply put, Fairant played to their strengths, worked harder, and wanted the win more.
With Adrian Paliś suffering a broken collarbone and Serhii Yelysieiev also injured, the Dragoons must find a way to create chances and score goals. It was an eye-opener for Coach Ferreira, with old habits dying hard as the team slumped to a poor defeat.
🇮🇹🎖MAN OF THE MATCH🎖🇮🇹
Despite a tough 2–0 defeat to Fairant this past weekend, Enrico Forabosco 🇮🇹 stood tall with a tireless captain’s performance on a day where it just was not meant to be.
Well deserved, skipper! 👏#COYD💙🖤 pic.twitter.com/2sSSBuwGIl
— Krakow Dragoons FC (@DragoonsFc) September 1, 2025
Next Up
The Dragoons face winless Opatkowianka Opatkowice at home in their next fixture.
Opatkowianka sit second-bottom, with the Dragoons needing to bounce back quickly after defeat.
The two sides have met five times previously, with the Expats winning four and Opatkowianka once. Their last meeting came in Klasa B, the season the Dragoons won promotion.
That day, a 7-1 victory saw the Expats cruise home, with Rohit Chandran, Enrico Forabosco, a Yuri Samyonov brace, and a hat-trick from Josh Dawson completing the rout.
