League Play-Off

Myriam A. Bianchi
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The mood of the audience was pleasant when Danilo Manex made the kick off which started today's match. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Esteban Maura during the 3rd minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. In the 3rd match minute, Deportivo Santa Gilda was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Esteban Maura to maneuver through the defense. Lino Mazza didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Armando Amor went, in the 5th minute, to the upper right corner, 0-1 was the resulting score. Armando Amor received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 10th minute. Lino Mazza tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. If Carlos Ayala had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 14th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. Armando Amor sent away a hard shot on goal in the 17th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. In the 19th match minute, Tiomayo AFC was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Denis Henrico to maneuver through the defense. In the 23rd minute, Danilo Manex got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. Carlos Ayala blasted a shot towards the goal in the 26th minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Albino Galsino having to make a save. After 28 minutes, Placido Teofilio mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Deportivo Santa Gilda and the Tiomayo AFC players grew even worse after the yellow card. In the 28th minute, Placido Teofilio hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. After some fancy dribbling in the 30th minute, Carlos Ayala managed to get in a good position for a shot. Deportivo Santa Gilda's supporters rose to their feet, but Carlos Ayala was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Albino Galsino breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. After 36 played minutes Tiomayo AFC got a freekick which was hit by Eleuterio Nalo. In the 41st minute Siro Isauro shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Albino Galsino saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. When Mariano Sancho came up free with the goalie in the 47th minute, the Deportivo Santa Gilda fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Mariano Sancho couldn't finish the play. After a very even first half the match was still tied. The players went to their respective dressing rooms to discuss the tactics for the second half.

If Carlos Ayala had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 52nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Deportivo Santa Gilda's Lino Mazza proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 54th minute of the match, managed to save Deportivo Santa Gilda from getting a goal against them. Mariano Sancho sent away a hard shot on goal in the 56th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. In the 58th minute, Carlos Ayala left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Deportivo Santa Gilda fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 2-1. An unexpectedly hard shot by Carlos Ayala in the 65th minute of play forced Tiomayo AFC's goalkeeper Albino Galsino to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Leopoldo Ulizes during the 66th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. In the 69th minute, Eleuterio Nalo fired a really elegant long shot, but Lino Mazza threw himself and managed to get hold of the ball just in front of the right post. If Siro Isauro had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 72nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 75th minute Danilo Manex shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Lino Mazza saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Siro Isauro hit a great freekick 82 minutes into the match. Eleuterio Nalo, 83 minutes into the match, dribbled the ball up the side of the field and decided to take a long shot at the goal. Unfortunately, the ball was poorly hit and landed closer to the corner than to the goal. Lino Mazza made an important save on a dangerous shot by Armando Amor in the 85th minute. For all the effort they put into the match, the Tiomayo AFC players left disappointed. They had fought hard, but couldn't break down the home team's defense. The match ended in a win for Deportivo Santa Gilda.