Challenge

Croatia Arena
Spectators: 44 (Terracing: 34, Seating: 10, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Toni Mauzer started the match with the kick off. Ilija Skugor made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Edvaldo Bastos in the 5th minute of play. 5 minutes into the game, Damir Pongrac was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Croatia's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Sangue nos Zóio the free kick. After 5 played minutes Croatia got a freekick which was hit by Damir Pongrac. 6 minutes into the match, Croatia's goal looked a bit too open when Edvaldo Bastos came free, but Ilija Skugor reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 7th minute Egídio Ortiz shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Ilija Skugor saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. 11 minutes into the match, Croatia's goal looked a bit too open when Egídio Ortiz came free, but Ilija Skugor reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. 12 minutes into the match, Alfredo de Brito notched a goal, 0-1, to the right of Croatia's Ilija Skugor. Ilija Skugor was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. After having played for 18 minutes, Damir Pongrac managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Croatia's supporters crossed their fingers, but Damir Pongrac was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Ilija Skugor showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Edvaldo Bastos in the 24th minute of the match. After a rather tough play, Croatia's Damir Pongrac got a free kick in the 25th minute. In the 32nd minute, Jeremias Marques left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Sangue nos Zóio fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 0-3. The supporters of Sangue nos Zóio booed when Croatia was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 38 match minutes in a wonderful position. Toni Mauzer didn't get a good kick on the ball. After 39 played minutes Sangue nos Zóio got a freekick which was hit by Remo Galvão. Benjamin Domazet's late challenge caught a Sangue nos Zóio's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Benjamin Domazet helped the player get up and apologised. The supporters of Sangue nos Zóio booed when Croatia was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 42 match minutes in a wonderful position. Benjamin Domazet didn't get a good kick on the ball. Egídio Ortiz sent away a hard shot on goal in the 44th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. The Croatia players were disheartened as they walked off the pitch after the first half. Sangue nos Zóio were winning 0-3.

The wind increased when Egídio Ortiz made the kick off in the second half. 52 minutes into the match, Croatia's Toni Mauzer sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Clemente Esteves narrowly saved just below the crossbar. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Egídio Ortiz in the 58th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Ilija Skugor saved Croatia from getting behind. 60 minutes into the game, Egídio Ortiz cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 0-4. Ilija Skugor was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Ilija Skugor was a little too slow when Jeremias Marques got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 64th minute. The score was now 0-5. Sangue nos Zóio's attentive Igor Aparecido managed to snatch the ball when Teo Gudelj made a throw-in in the 67th minute of the game. After 68 minutes, Martin Bosak mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Croatia and the Sangue nos Zóio players grew even worse after the yellow card. In the 69th minute of the match, Egídio Ortiz tried to roll the ball into the goal by the right post, but Ilija Skugor saw his intentions and got control of the ball before it passed the line. 70 minutes in the game, Alfredo de Brito fired away an excellent shot, which passed to the side of the right post without Ilija Skugor having to interfere. 72 minutes into the match, Sangue nos Zóio's goal looked a bit too open when Dinko Stankovic came free, but Clemente Esteves reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Croatia's Neven Culina got a good chance for a goal in the 78th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. In the 80th minute Egídio Ortiz shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Ilija Skugor saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 82nd minute of the match, Edvaldo Bastos got a very nice opportunity to score, but Ilija Skugor was well-placed and pushed the ball away from the goal at the left post. When Alfredo de Brito came up free with the goalie in the 83rd minute, the Sangue nos Zóio 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 Alfredo de Brito couldn't finish the play. The audience thought a goal was coming when Edvaldo Bastos got free with Ilija Skugor in the 85th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. The crowd rose to their feet as Egídio Ortiz kicked a wonderful shot that went in to the left of a diving Ilija Skugor. That made the score 0-6 in the 86 minute of play. Ilija Skugor showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Jeremias Marques, who was totally free with the ball in the 92nd minute. Edvaldo Bastos could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 96th minute of the match, but Ilija Skugor made a huge save.