Challenge

CARDINAL STADIUM
Spectators: 41 (Terracing: 32, Seating: 9, VIP seats: 0) The field was rather wet after several days of rain when Tomas Illescas took the kick off in the first half of the match. In the 3rd minute, Deng Kun Xu ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Jonathan Ferrant was frozen by the shot and now it was 1-0. In the 9th minute, Tomas Illescas left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Venezuela fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 1-1. Deng Kun Xu could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 13th minute of the match, but Jonathan Ferrant made a huge save. In the 15th minute, Tomas Illescas 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. Jonathan Ferrant had in the 18thth minute some difficulties stopping Herminio Vincente's well aimed penalty as it nearly passed him on his left side, but he still managed to hold the ball. In the 18th match minute, Venezuela was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Jose Correa to maneuver through the defense. 22 minutes into the game, Herminio Vincente cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 2-1. Jonathan Ferrant was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Iordache Donici received a nice pass, split the defenders, and ran untouched towards the goal. Jonathan Ferrant came out and tried to block the shot, but Iordache Donici slotted it home off the left post making it 3-1 in the 25th minute. After some fancy dribbling in the 29th minute, Cazimir Bărbătescu managed to get in a good position for a shot. C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's supporters rose to their feet, but Cazimir Bărbătescu was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Jonathan Ferrant breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. The supporters of Venezuela booed when C Ａ R D I N Ａ L was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 32 match minutes in a wonderful position. Gu Hui Liang didn't get a good kick on the ball. After 33 played minutes, Venezuela's Tomas Illescas shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Yang Ming Ran came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in Venezuela reached it. Jonathan Ferrant didn't succeed to prevent the ball from going into goal when C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's Iordache Donici shot an unexpected shot in the crossbar's under edge and made 4-1 in the ordered_time% minute. Tomas Illescas received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 44th minute. Yang Ming Ran tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. A collision led to Venezuela getting a freekick after 46 minutes play. Rigoberto Mina hit a great ball. All the noise was coming from the home fans when the whistle went for half-time. The home team had fought hardest to put themselves in a deserved lead.

If Deng Kun Xu had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 51st minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. An unexpectedly hard shot by Herminio Vincente in the 55th minute of play forced Venezuela's goalkeeper Jonathan Ferrant to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. When Horea Vrejiu fell near the penalty area in the 60th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's protests and gave Horea Vrejiu a yellow card for diving instead. In the 60th match minute, C Ａ R D I N Ａ L was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Horea Vrejiu to maneuver through the defense. In the 66th minute Herminio Vincente shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Jonathan Ferrant saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Cezar Rizea charged in rather forcefully in the 68th minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Cezar Rizea the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. A collision led to C Ａ R D I N Ａ L getting a freekick after 68 minutes play. Cezar Rizea hit a great ball. C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's Sergiu Panaitescu was substituted for Iordache Donici. After a rather tough play, C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's Cezar Rizea got a free kick in the 69th minute. Venezuela's Jonathan Ferrant played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Herminio Vincente in the 75th minute of play. In the 77th minute, Tomas Illescas left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Venezuela fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 4-2. Jonathan Ferrant made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Herminio Vincente in the 84th minute of play. After 87th play minutes Herminio Vincente shot 5-2, a short shot which went by Jonathan Ferrant and just under the crossbar into goal. There were very few away supporters still in the ground by the end of the match. Most of them had left early, disgusted by the way their team had been torn apart. C Ａ R D I N Ａ L fully deserved thier win.