League Play-Off

Ruival
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Cristiano Garcia started the match with the kick off. Lucas Cunha's late challenge caught a Rio's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Lucas Cunha helped the player get up and apologised. A collision led to Ruival getting a freekick after 3 minutes play. Lucas Cunha hit a great ball. Mário Pereira fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 5th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Júlio Leão having to interfere. In the 8th minute there was a penalty for Rio. Afonso Barbosa stepped forward and shot the ball to the right of a diving Júlio Leão. 0-1. Mário Pereira struck a weak shot in the 17th minute. Júlio Leão didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Rio. In the 19th minute Mário Pereira shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Júlio Leão saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. If Alexandre Tavares had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 20th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. After a rather tough play, Ruival's Abel Matias got a free kick in the 27th minute. Rio's attacker deliberately struck the ball against an opponent to win a corner for his team. The corner was taken by Afonso Barbosa in the 29th minute. Catarino Pires kicked well hit freekick during the 30th minute of the match. Catarino Pires was in a good position and ended up with the ball after Rio's free kick, but he didn't get a good hit on the ball and blazed it high and to the right of the goal. Joel Amaral's late challenge caught a Ruival's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Joel Amaral helped the player get up and apologised. Cristóvão Morais took a chance and fired a shot far from the goal in the 34th minute, but it turned out to be a dangerous situation for André Borba. Rio's goalkeeper really had to stretch himself to stop the ball from crossing the goal line. Álvaro Carvalho recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 38th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. André Borba made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Abel Matias in the 41st minute of play. After 43 minutes, Afonso Barbosa mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Rio and the Ruival players grew even worse after the yellow card. The supporters of Ruival booed when Rio was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 43 match minutes in a wonderful position. Afonso Barbosa didn't get a good kick on the ball. Ruival's Lucas Cunha shoveled away a really nice long shot in the 45th minute of play. The shot was stopped by André Borba but with some difficulty. After a rather tough play, Rio's Amadeu Viegas got a free kick in the 46th minute. Rio's defense didn't have a chance, in the 47th minute, when Cristiano Garcia scored to the left of an out of position André Borba, making the score, 1-1. After fighting hard for a draw in the first half, the players were able to take a much needed rest.

Álvaro Carvalho fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 53rd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without André Borba having to interfere. Cristiano Garcia fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 54th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without André Borba having to interfere. Joel Amaral was shown his second yellow card after 56 minutes, following a rather ugly tackle on opponent. That was the end of his participation in the match. Joel Amaral kicked well hit freekick during the 56th minute of the match. Álvaro Carvalho struck a weak shot in the 57th minute. André Borba didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Ruival. André Borba stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Cristiano Garcia's shot from short distance in the 59th minute. Álvaro Carvalho received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 64th minute. André Borba tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Rio's André Borba played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Cristiano Garcia in the 72nd minute of play. Alexandre Tavares's late challenge caught a Ruival's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Alexandre Tavares helped the player get up and apologised. A collision led to Rio getting a freekick after 73 minutes play. Alexandre Tavares hit a great ball. In the 74th minute, Cristiano Garcia ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. André Borba was frozen by the shot and now it was 2-1. In the 91st minute, Ruival's goalie took a deep sigh of relief after Mário Pereira fired away a hard shot that went just outside the left post.