League Play-Off

José Amalfitani
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. Basilio Romildo started the match with the kick off. In the 3rd minute, Rogelio Bernaldo hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Dionisio Niguel took a chance and fired a shot far from the goal in the 7th minute, but it turned out to be a dangerous situation for Felipe Mitxel. villa pelayo's goalkeeper really had to stretch himself to stop the ball from crossing the goal line. Esteve Quilino received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 9th minute. Felipe Mitxel tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Marcos Restu sent away a hard shot on goal in the 11th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. The crowd rose to their feet as Vélez Sarsfield's Esteve Quilino slotted home a wonderful shot that went in to the left of Felipe Mitxel. That made the score 1-0 after 13 minutes of play. A hard shot 17 in the game by Marcos Restu from a close distance when the talented Felipe Mitxel managed to make a qualified save. villa pelayo's players were relieved. After 17 played minutes villa pelayo got a freekick which was hit by Rogelio Bernaldo. Guillermo Checa made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Abelardo Montrelle in the 20th minute of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Abelardo Montrelle in the 22nd minute of play forced Vélez Sarsfield's goalkeeper Guillermo Checa to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. After 26 minutes Vélez Sarsfield's defender was forced to head the ball over the line for a corner. It was Jonathan Sadurni who took care of the corner kick. Felipe Mitxel showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Esteve Quilino in the 32nd minute of the match. Vélez Sarsfield's Marcos Restu got a good chance for a goal in the 34th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. When Marcos Restu came up free with the goalie in the 37th minute, the Vélez Sarsfield 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 Marcos Restu couldn't finish the play. Humberto Xabat struck a weak shot in the 42nd minute. Felipe Mitxel didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Vélez Sarsfield. In the 43rd minute, Rogelio Bernaldo hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. When the referee blew for the end of the half the home team players were clearly happier, as they went in to the break leading 1-0.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Esteve Quilino stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. Esteve Quilino fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 52nd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Felipe Mitxel having to interfere. Marcos Restu sent away a hard shot on goal in the 53rd minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Esteve Quilino sent away a hard shot on goal in the 55th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Marcos Restu might have been able to make a better finish in the 58th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Felipe Mitxel. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Marcos Restu ran back to his position shaking his head. Felipe Mitxel showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Esteve Quilino in the 59th minute of the match. Basilio Romildo blasted a shot towards the goal in the 61st minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Guillermo Checa having to make a save. Leandro Somoza blasted a shot towards the goal in the 64th minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Felipe Mitxel having to make a save. In the 65th minute Marcos Restu shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Felipe Mitxel saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After some careless play in the villa pelayo defense, Leandro Somoza kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Felipe Mitxel. The villa pelayo fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Felipe Mitxel should have stopped the shot. Maximiliano Eztebe kicked well hit freekick during the 77th minute of the match. Vicente Rivas was probably a little too eager to shoot when he, in the 78th played minute, shot the ball from way out. The shot was hard, but the ball flew wide of the goal. In the 89th minute, Abelardo Montrelle fired away a killer shot towards the goal that, to the delight of Guillermo Checa, passed just outside the right post. Guillermo Checa showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Basilio Romildo in the 91st minute of the match. Guillermo Checa showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Basilio Romildo in the 92nd minute of the match. 93 minutes into the game, Abelardo Montrelle recieved a splendid long ball, split the defenders, and gently placed the ball to the left of Guillermo Checa. Abelardo Montrelle showed that you don't have to tear a hole in the net to score, 2-1. Vélez Sarsfield walked away with a well-earned victory that was much celebrated by the crowd.