Challenge

Lusail
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. Daniel Zorita started the match with the kick off. After 7 minutes, Camilo Gisbert mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Ecuador and the La Scaloneta players grew even worse after the yellow card. Leandro Paredes recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 8th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. In the 10th minute Daniel Zorita shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Dibag Martinez saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Cristian Sancho sent away a hard shot on goal in the 13th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. After a rather tough play, La Scaloneta's Giovani Lo Celso got a free kick in the 20th minute. Dibag Martinez showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Luis Andino, who was totally free with the ball in the 23rd minute. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Cristian Sancho in the 30th minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Dibag Martinez prevented the ball from getting in the gole. When the match had gone on for 30 minutes, Cristian Sancho put it in 0-1 from a short distance just to the right of Dibag Martinez. 34 minutes into the game, Lautaro Martinez cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 1-1. Julio Vera was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. In the 38th 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. 40 minutes into the match, Lautaro Martinez notched a goal, 2-1, to the right of Ecuador's Julio Vera. Julio Vera was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. With a little luck, Ecuador's Julio Vera got control of the ball when Lautaro Martinez tried to sneak it across the goal line. 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.

Lautaro Martinez's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Julio Vera read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 50th minute of play. Cristian Sancho sent away a hard shot on goal in the 55th minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. Dibag Martinez didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Cristian Sancho went, in the 55th minute, to the upper right corner, 2-2 was the resulting score. Lautaro Martinez kicked well hit freekick during the 58th minute of the match. Dibag Martinez made a fantastic save in the 60th minute, when Daniel Zorita sent off a good shot on target. 61 minutes into the match, La Scaloneta's goalkeeper Dibag Martinez had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Felix Montenegro. When Giovani Lo Celso fell near the penalty area in the 62nd minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored La Scaloneta's protests and gave Giovani Lo Celso a yellow card for diving instead. After 62 played minutes La Scaloneta got a freekick which was hit by Giovani Lo Celso. Daniel Zorita could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 64th minute of the match, but Dibag Martinez made a huge save. La Scaloneta's Julián Álvarez was substituted for Lion Messi. Luis Andino hit a great freekick 66 minutes into the match. After 66 played minutes, La Scaloneta's Ángel-Fabián Di María shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Julio Vera 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 La Scaloneta reached it. A collision led to La Scaloneta getting a freekick after 68 minutes play. Ángel-Fabián Di María hit a great ball. La Scaloneta's Dibag Martinez proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 69th minute of the match, managed to save La Scaloneta from getting a goal against them. 71 minutes into the match, Ecuador's Cristian Sancho sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Dibag Martinez narrowly saved just below the crossbar. With his leg Dibag Martinez managed to avoid a goal in the 76thth minute, when Ecuador's Cristian Sancho fired away a shot with a lot of spin towards his right hand side. Cristian Sancho sent away a hard shot on goal in the 77th minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. In the 77th minute Cristian Sancho shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Dibag Martinez saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. With a little luck, La Scaloneta's Dibag Martinez got control of the ball when Cristian Sancho tried to sneak it across the goal line. If Daniel Zorita had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 84th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After 88 played minutes La Scaloneta got a freekick which was hit by Leandro Paredes. Ecuador's Daniel Zorita was first on the ball when the corner was shot and he dangerously headed the ball towards goal, but Dibag Martinez in the goal jumped up to prevent it from getting in.