Challenge

Elvio Maore
Spectators: 43 (Terracing: 33, Seating: 10, VIP seats: 0) Colombia's Abram Sarmiento started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. In the 3rd minute Abram Sarmiento shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Franc Armani saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. 4 minutes into the match, Colombia's goal looked a bit too open when Nicolas De La Cruz came free, but Pedro Manzanares reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Pedro Manzanares didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Nicolas De La Cruz went, in the 7th minute, to the upper right corner, 1-0 was the resulting score. After some careless play in the Invisible defense, Abram Sarmiento kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Franc Armani. The Invisible fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Franc Armani should have stopped the shot. After 19 minutes Invisible's defender was forced to head the ball over the line for a corner. It was Axel Montenegro who took care of the corner kick. Colombia's Axel Montenegro was first on the ball when the corner was shot and he dangerously headed the ball towards goal, but Franc Armani in the goal jumped up to prevent it from getting in. In the 27th minute, Nicolas De La Cruz ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Pedro Manzanares was frozen by the shot and now it was 2-2. When Invisible's Nicolas De La Cruz in the 30th minute got a chance for a shot 30th didn't hesitate and placed the ball to the right of the goalie. A beautiful save bye Colombia's goalie prevented a goal. Pedro Manzanares was a little too slow when Nicolas De La Cruz got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 35th minute. The score was now 3-2. 39 minutes into the match, Colombia's goalkeeper Pedro Manzanares had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Lucas Beltrán. The audience was convinced that Nicolas De La Cruz's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Pedro Manzanares was relentless in the 40th minute of the game. Pedro Manzanares came out of the goal in the 42nd minute to try and stop a shot by Invisible's Nicolas De La Cruz. But to his dismay, Nicolas De La Cruz quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 4-2. Franc Armani took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Abram Sarmiento, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Invisible made a substitution. Gonzalo Martínez replaced Nicolas De La Cruz. Colombia's attacker deliberately struck the ball against an opponent to win a corner for his team. The corner was taken by Axel Montenegro in the 49th minute. Leandro Gonzalez Pirez thought of kicking away a contribution in front of goal but messed it up so badly that the ball went to the right of an astonished Franc Armani, a very annoying self made goal in the 50th minute which led to 4-3. 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.

The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Gonzalo Martínez was the one to do the kick off. 54 minutes into the match, Invisible's Gonzalo Martínez sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Pedro Manzanares narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Gonzalo Martínez in the 60th minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Pedro Manzanares prevented the ball from getting in the gole. Gonzalo Martínez received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 65th minute. Pedro Manzanares tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 66th minute Santiago Simon shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Pedro Manzanares saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 71st minute Santiago Simon shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Pedro Manzanares saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Colombia's Abram Secada was substituted for Axel Montenegro. Colombia made a substitution. Ignacio Mastache replaced Abram Sarmiento. The corner ended in Ivael Tercero almost managing to get the ball behind the net, but Colombia's Pedro Manzanares did a great save. When the match clock showed 73 minutes, the score became 5-3 when Ivael Tercero sped through Colombia's defense and sent away a curving shot that went into the net to the right of Pedro Manzanares. Colombia's Pedro Manzanares played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Santiago Simon in the 76th minute of play. Invisible's Santiago Simon got a good chance for a goal in the 80th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Santiago Simon fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 81st minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Pedro Manzanares having to interfere. When Laureano Gorbea came up free with the goalie in the 83rd minute, the Invisible fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Laureano Gorbea couldn't finish the play. Invisible's Santiago Simon got a good chance for a goal in the 86th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Franc Armani made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Ignacio Mastache in the 87th minute of play. In the 90th play minute Ignacio Mastache came free and shot an unsuspected shot which went into goal from the right pole behind a surprised Franc Armani. 5-4. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Pascual Carballar during the 95th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. In the 95th minute, Pascual Carballar hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Ignacio Mastache could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 97th minute of the match, but Franc Armani made a huge save. After a defensive mix-up in Colombia's zone, Santiago Simon stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Pedro Manzanares came out of the goal and Santiago Simon tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Invisible's supporters were delighted with their team's performance and swarmed onto the pitch at the end of the match to celebrate the victory with the players.