Challenge

La Bombonera
Spectators: 40 (Terracing: 31, Seating: 9, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Lionel-Andrés Messi started the match with the kick off. Lionel-Andrés Messi in the 4thth minute had a little luck and got a chance for a shot in front of the goal. Without hesitation aimed to the right of Julio Vera, who managed to lunge to the right direction and made a save. Denis Paulin made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Cristian Sancho in the 6th minute of play. Teofilo Esdras charged in rather forcefully in the 7th minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Teofilo Esdras the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. Lionel-Andrés Messi fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 10th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Julio Vera having to interfere. After 11 played minutes Ecuador got a freekick which was hit by Daniel Zorita. Julio Vera made a fantastic save in the 13th minute, when Lionel-Andrés Messi sent off a good shot on target. Godfredo Gau recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 17th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Lionel-Andrés Messi in the 19thth minute had a little luck and got a chance for a shot in front of the goal. Without hesitation aimed to the right of Julio Vera, who managed to lunge to the right direction and made a save. Lionel-Andrés Messi had several of the Ecuador's defenders around him in the penalty area when he, after 19 minutes of play, received a pass and succeeded in some way to shoot a shot which went straight ahead into goal. This resulted in a 1-0 score and a disappointed Julio Vera as he didn't even see the shot coming. When Jonathan Raphael fell near the penalty area in the 22nd minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Defensores de Lombroso's protests and gave Jonathan Raphael a yellow card for diving instead. The supporters of Ecuador booed when Defensores de Lombroso was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 22 match minutes in a wonderful position. Jonathan Raphael didn't get a good kick on the ball. Denis Paulin took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Daniel Zorita, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. An unexpectedly hard shot by Cristian Sancho in the 27th minute of play forced Defensores de Lombroso's goalkeeper Denis Paulin to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Defensores de Lombroso's Uriel Ferrer got a good chance for a goal in the 33rd minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. In the 35th minute the ball was on its way in behind Ecuador's goalkeeper Julio Vera, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. Denis Paulin made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Daniel Zorita in the 42nd minute of play. After 46 minutes of play, Ecuador's Daniel Zorita made it 1-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Denis Paulin was left in no man's land by his defense there!

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Daniel Zorita stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Uriel Ferrer hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. In the 54th minute of the match Daniel Zorita shot from a long distance. The ball could have gone into the goal to the right of the goalkeeper, but Denis Paulin showed his good shape when he easily got hold of the ball. After some careless play in the Ecuador defense, Lionel-Andrés Messi kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Julio Vera. The Ecuador fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Julio Vera should have stopped the shot. Felix Montenegro recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 63rd minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Cristian Sancho fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 67th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Denis Paulin having to interfere. In the 83rd match minute, Defensores de Lombroso was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Ubaldo Gelacio to maneuver through the defense. Denis Paulin made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Daniel Zorita in the 84th minute of play. Denis Paulin made a fantastic save in the 86th minute, when Daniel Zorita sent off a good shot on target. Julio Vera made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Lionel-Andrés Messi in the 90th minute of play. 92 minutes had been played when some careless play by Ecuador's defense caused the ball to cross the line for a corner. Godfredo Gau was slow to take the kick. During this time Defensores de Lombroso's players had a chance to rest. Teofilo Esdras made a great header on Defensores de Lombroso's corner, it was just that Ecuador's Julio Vera managed to reach the ball for a save. Defensores de Lombroso's Denis Paulin proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 94th minute of the match, managed to save Defensores de Lombroso from getting a goal against them. Federico Pirro's late challenge caught a Ecuador's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Federico Pirro helped the player get up and apologised. After a rather tough play, Defensores de Lombroso's Federico Pirro got a free kick in the 98th minute. The Defensores de Lombroso support was delighted with a win in a match that could easily have ended differently.