World League

Joaquin muñoz
Spectators: 7507 (Terracing: 5631, Seating: 1726, VIP seats: 150) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Yan Zhi Chuan started the match with the kick off. Lennie Rusby was out of position in the 2 minute of play, and Yan Zhi Chuan capitalized on the mistake with a soft shot into the goal. Yan Zhi Chuan really showed his touch with that goal: 1-0. Ilkka Markkula showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Todd Griffiths in the 7th minute of the match. With an all-out effort, Club Deportes Santa Cruz's Lennie Rusby threw himself towards the right post 10 minutes into the match and grabbed hold of the ball from Yan Zhi Chuan, which otherwise would have been placed in the net. In the 14th minute Phil Naylor shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Ilkka Markkula saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Lennie Rusby showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Hüseyin Rahmi Toper in the 16th minute of the match. Ilkka Markkula showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Todd Griffiths, who was totally free with the ball in the 17th minute. Ross Clark's late challenge caught a Club Deportes Santa Cruz's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Ross Clark helped the player get up and apologised. The supporters of Club Deportes Santa Cruz booed when Heavenly Hooters was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 20 match minutes in a wonderful position. Ross Clark didn't get a good kick on the ball. In the 21st minute, Marty King 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. In the 25th minute Yan Zhi Chuan shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Lennie Rusby saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Yan Zhi Chuan could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 25th minute of the match, but Lennie Rusby made a huge save. Lennie Rusby made an important save on a dangerous shot by Podador Raheiro in the 28th minute. 33 minutes into the match, Club Deportes Santa Cruz's goal looked a bit too open when Marty King came free, but Ilkka Markkula reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. When the match had gone on for 34 minutes, Todd Griffiths put it in 1-1 from a short distance just to the right of Ilkka Markkula. In the 39th minute Raimundo Tupper shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Lennie Rusby saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Phil Naylor scored 1-2 in the 41st match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Ilkka Markkula, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. In the 45th minute, Brandon Wright ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Ilkka Markkula was frozen by the shot and now it was 1-3. Even after changing tactics the home team jogged off the field with a 1-3 deficit. They would have to work harder if they wanted to turn things around in the second half.

The supporters of Heavenly Hooters booed when Club Deportes Santa Cruz was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 51 match minutes in a wonderful position. Hugo Holflod didn't get a good kick on the ball. In the 55th minute, Hugo Holflod hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. If Yan Zhi Chuan had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 57th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. Club Deportes Santa Cruz's Gilberto Sandoval quite brazenly broke a throw-in by Lico Aldazabal, made in the 65th minute of the game. Lico Aldazabal made in the 68th minute of the game a sloppy throw-in which Luo Feng Feng however managed to control. Club Deportes Santa Cruz's attentive Shi Yuan managed to snatch the ball when Luo Feng Feng made a throw-in in the 71st minute of the game. 75 minutes in the game Lico Aldazabal did a throw-in, and the ball was quickly in game thanks to Luo Feng Feng. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Yan Zhi Chuan in the 76th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Lennie Rusby saved Heavenly Hooters from getting behind. Yan Zhi Chuan might have been able to make a better finish in the 78th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Lennie Rusby. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Yan Zhi Chuan ran back to his position shaking his head. Heavenly Hooters's Lennie Rusby played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Yan Zhi Chuan in the 78th minute of play. Yan Zhi Chuan might have been able to make a better finish in the 81st minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Lennie Rusby. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Yan Zhi Chuan ran back to his position shaking his head. Lico Aldazabal charged in rather forcefully in the 83rd minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Lico Aldazabal the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. After a rather tough play, Heavenly Hooters's Lico Aldazabal got a free kick in the 83rd minute. Lennie Rusby showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Yan Zhi Chuan, who was totally free with the ball in the 84th minute. Yan Zhi Chuan sent away a hard shot on goal in the 86th minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. Lennie Rusby showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Yan Zhi Chuan in the 86th minute of the match. In the 89th minute Club Deportes Santa Cruz were awarded a corner. Vágner Linares went to the cornerflag to take it. It was a well-played corner which Eduardo Elia managed to volley towards the net. Unfortunately, he didn't get a great hit on the ball and it went out into the grandstand. With a little luck, Club Deportes Santa Cruz's Ilkka Markkula got control of the ball when Pedro Luiz de Moraes tried to sneak it across the goal line. With his leg Ilkka Markkula managed to avoid a goal in the 94thth minute, when Heavenly Hooters's Todd Griffiths fired away a shot with a lot of spin towards his right hand side. Lennie Rusby came out of the goal in the 97th minute to try and stop a shot by Club Deportes Santa Cruz's Raimundo Tupper. But to his dismay, Raimundo Tupper quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 2-3. The Heavenly Hooters supporters could be heard counting down the last seconds of the match. They errupted in celebration when the whistle blew, knowing Heavenly Hooters would go home with victory in their luggage after a match that easily could have ended differently.