League Play-Off

Estadio Balanca
Spectators: 32 (Terracing: 25, Seating: 7, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Emílio Matias started the match with the kick off. The audience thought a goal was coming when Armando Aleixo got free with Carlos Pinheiro in the 5th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. If Emílio Matias had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 7th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After 13 minutes, Manuel Vale mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Cardeira and the Balanca players grew even worse after the yellow card. In the 13th match minute, Cardeira was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Manuel Vale to maneuver through the defense. The audience thought a goal was coming when Armando Aleixo got free with Carlos Pinheiro in the 22nd minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. After some fancy dribbling in the 31st minute, Manuel Vale managed to get in a good position for a shot. Cardeira's supporters rose to their feet, but Manuel Vale was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Pedro Moniz breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Humberto Pinto's late challenge caught a Cardeira's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Humberto Pinto helped the player get up and apologised. In the 32nd minute, Humberto Pinto hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. A collision led to Balanca getting a freekick after 33 minutes play. Francisco Guarda hit a great ball. After having played for 35 minutes, Domingos Moniz managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Cardeira's supporters crossed their fingers, but Domingos Moniz was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. In the 36th minute the ball was on its way in behind Cardeira's goalkeeper Carlos Pinheiro, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. When Pedro Aguiar fell near the penalty area in the 37th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Balanca's protests and gave Pedro Aguiar a yellow card for diving instead. A collision led to Balanca getting a freekick after 37 minutes play. Pedro Aguiar hit a great ball. After a defensive mix-up in Balanca's zone, Domingos Moniz stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Pedro Moniz came out of the goal and Domingos Moniz tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Paulo Andrade struck a weak shot in the 49th minute. Pedro Moniz didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Cardeira. The score stood at 0-0 when the half time whistle went. Both sets of players seemed reasonably pleased with how the match was going.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Domingos Moniz stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. When Armando Aleixo came up free with the goalie in the 54th minute, the Balanca 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 Armando Aleixo couldn't finish the play. After a defensive mix-up in Balanca's zone, Paulo Andrade stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Pedro Moniz came out of the goal and Paulo Andrade tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Balanca's Pedro Moniz played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Domingos Moniz in the 76th minute of play. In the 80th minute, Pedro Aguiar hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Cardeira's Paulo Andrade got a good chance for a goal in the 81st minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. In the 87th minute, Emílio Matias 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. If Paulo Andrade had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 93rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. Domingos Moniz fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 95th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Pedro Moniz having to interfere. The away crowd were delighted with the way their team had played and cheered loudly when the final whistle sounded. Cardeira walked away with the win, even though the match was close until the end.