Challenge

Luz 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. Oswin Urfer started the match with the kick off. Tomas Illescas sent away a hard shot on goal in the 4th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Tomas Illescas recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 6th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. 9 minutes into the match, Venezuela's Tomas Illescas sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Hannes Dresdner narrowly saved just below the crossbar. In the 12thth minute of the game Tomas Illescas who was perfectly placed tried to make a shot on goal, but FC Rio Tinto's Hannes Dresdner was lucky and managed to grab hold of the ball. The supporters of Venezuela booed when FC Rio Tinto was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 17 match minutes in a wonderful position. Carlos Rodrigues didn't get a good kick on the ball. Tomas Illescas fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 19th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Hannes Dresdner having to interfere. After 21 minutes of play, the referee blew the whistle. It was a penalty for FC Rio Tinto! FC Rio Tinto:s Hannes Dresdner showed great skill when he stopped Tomas Illescas:s penalty. In the 24th minute Venezuela were awarded a corner. Tomas Illescas went to the cornerflag to take it. It was a well-played corner which Camilo Gaos managed to volley towards the net. Unfortunately, he didn't get a great hit on the ball and it went out into the grandstand. An unexpectedly hard shot by Tomas Illescas in the 26th minute of play forced FC Rio Tinto's goalkeeper Hannes Dresdner to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. The audience was convinced that Tomas Illescas's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Hannes Dresdner was relentless in the 30th minute of the game. 35 minutes into the match, Venezuela's goalkeeper Jonathan Ferrant had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Dominik Cascarella. With an all-out effort, FC Rio Tinto's Jonathan Ferrant threw himself towards the right post 40 minutes into the match and grabbed hold of the ball from Oswin Urfer, which otherwise would have been placed in the net. After 42 played minutes FC Rio Tinto got a freekick which was hit by Carlos Rodrigues. After a rather tough play, FC Rio Tinto's Carlos Rodrigues got a free kick in the 45th minute. Venezuela's attacker deliberately struck the ball against an opponent to win a corner for his team. The corner was taken by Tomas Illescas in the 49th minute. After taking down the ball on Venezuela's corner Tomas Illescas fired away a hard shot, but the defenders efficiently covered the most dangerous angles and Hannes Dresdner quite easily take care of the ball. After the first half the score was level. The break gave the players a chance to catch their breath, whilst the managers went over the tactics with them again.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Tomas Illescas to make the kick off. In the 53rd minute, Rainer Marthaler hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Hannes Dresdner made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Patricio Costa in the 54th minute of play. If Dominik Cascarella had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 55th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 59th minute Colin Verreau 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. In the 60th match minute, Venezuela was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Jonathan Venegas to maneuver through the defense. In the 64th minute, Patricio Costa made a precise shot to the right of Hannes Dresdner. FC Rio Tinto's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 0-1. Jonathan Ferrant came out of the goal in the 67th minute to try and stop a shot by FC Rio Tinto's Oswin Urfer. But to his dismay, Oswin Urfer quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 1-1. In the 70th minute, Oswin Urfer 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 2-1. FC Rio Tinto made a substitution. Vincent Albbrecht replaced Rainer Marthaler. Hannes Dresdner showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Tomas Illescas, who was totally free with the ball in the 75th minute. In the 80th minute Oswin Urfer 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. Reto Felix hit a great freekick 84 minutes into the match. Tomas Illescas's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Hannes Dresdner read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 85th minute of play. Hannes Dresdner made a fantastic save in the 91st minute, when Tomas Illescas sent off a good shot on target. Carlos Rodrigues kicked well hit freekick during the 96th minute of the match. FC Rio Tinto were really happy, having secured the victory after a very even contest. They thanked the players of Venezuela for a fine match.