League Play-Off

Estádio Diorama
Spectators: 32 (Terracing: 25, Seating: 7, VIP seats: 0) The mood of the audience was pleasant when Cícero Trigo made the kick off which started today's match. In the 3rd minute of the match, Cícero Trigo tried to roll the ball into the goal by the right post, but Décio de Lara saw his intentions and got control of the ball before it passed the line. Sílvio Luís Fernandez's late challenge caught a Congo EC's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Sílvio Luís Fernandez helped the player get up and apologised. A collision led to Diorama getting a freekick after 6 minutes play. Sílvio Luís Fernandez hit a great ball. Umberto Zilles showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Emerson Zonta in the 12th minute of the match. Congo EC's Rony Rocha got a good chance for a goal in the 14th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Diorama's Umberto Zilles played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Emerson Zonta in the 16th minute of play. 20 minutes into the game, Arnaldo Matorin was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Diorama's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Congo EC the free kick. The referee blew the whistle for a penalty in the 20th minute of the game. One of Diorama:s players had nearly got his shirt torn off by an opponent while getting free in front of Congo EC:s goal. The referee gave Congo EC a penalty, 22 minutes into the game. The penalty shot was made by Eliseu Pernambucano, who made a well placed shot into the net to the right of Diorama's Umberto Zilles. 0-1. The supporters of Diorama booed when Congo EC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 27 match minutes in a wonderful position. Emerson Zonta didn't get a good kick on the ball. Rony Rocha received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 30th minute. Umberto Zilles tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 32nd minute, Emerson Zonta 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. An unexpectedly hard shot by Rony Rocha in the 33rd minute of play forced Diorama's goalkeeper Umberto Zilles to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Jorge Antunes hit a great freekick 36 minutes into the match. After a rather tough play, Diorama's Carlos Augusto Travassos got a free kick in the 41st minute. Décio de Lara made a fantastic save in the 46th minute, when Hélio Madureira sent off a good shot on target. After the first half Congo EC were leading 0-1. They had played with great self confidence throughout the first half and fully deserved their lead.

In the 52nd minute, Carlos Augusto Travassos hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. 54 minutes into the match, Congo EC's Rony Rocha sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Umberto Zilles narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Emerson Zonta sent away a hard shot on goal in the 59th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Umberto Zilles didn't succeed in stopping the ball in the 68th minute, which inside left pole to 0-2. Hélio Madureira's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Décio de Lara read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 71st minute of play. Luiz Fernando Massa fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 74th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Décio de Lara having to interfere. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by André Leite during the 76th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. André Leite hit a great freekick 76 minutes into the match. The audience was convinced that Emerson Zonta's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Umberto Zilles was relentless in the 77th minute of the game. 79 minutes into the match, Congo EC's goal looked a bit too open when Carlos Augusto Travassos came free, but Décio de Lara reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Décio de Lara showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Hélio Madureira, who was totally free with the ball in the 82nd minute. If Emerson Zonta had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 92nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Hélio Madureira fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 97th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Décio de Lara having to interfere. The away crowd were delighted with the way their team had played and cheered loudly when the final whistle sounded. Congo EC walked away with the win, even though the match was close until the end.