Challenge

COLOSSEUM
Spectators: 40 (Terracing: 31, Seating: 9, VIP seats: 0) Panama's Tomas Berganza 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. Aaron Barrios's late challenge caught a MAFFIAN's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Aaron Barrios helped the player get up and apologised. Aaron Barrios kicked well hit freekick during the 6th minute of the match. Aron Dahlbom showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Isidoro Sarmiento in the 10th minute of the match. After having played for 12 minutes, Alex Vallin managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. MAFFIAN's supporters crossed their fingers, but Alex Vallin 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 17th minute, Tomas Berganza 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. After a rather tough play, MAFFIAN's Gunde Svan got a free kick in the 23rd minute. Abraham Alguacil received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 24th minute. Aron Dahlbom tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 25th minute, Gunde Svan hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. The supporters of Panama booed when MAFFIAN was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 27 match minutes in a wonderful position. Alf Säfström didn't get a good kick on the ball. After 28 played minutes, Panama's Abraham Alguacil shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Aron Dahlbom came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in Panama reached it. Panama's Marcos Cotilla proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 31st minute of the match, managed to save Panama from getting a goal against them. Isidoro Sarmiento received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 32nd minute. Aron Dahlbom tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 34th minute, Gunde Svan hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. After 34 played minutes Panama got a freekick which was hit by Abraham Alguacil. If Tomas Berganza had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 39th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Alf Säfström during the 42nd minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. After a rather tough play, MAFFIAN's Alf Säfström got a free kick in the 43rd minute. Tomas Berganza fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 43rd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Aron Dahlbom having to interfere. The away team players looked dejected as the walked off the pitch at half time. They had fought hard, but were still losing 1-0.

In the 52nd minute, Gunde Svan sent off a long shot on goal, but the shot was nowhere near the goal and Panama's Marcos Cotilla didn't even have to move. Isidoro Sarmiento came free with the goalkeeper in the 54th minute of the match, and shot straight on target. The shot was a little too simple and Aron Dahlbom could save by the left post. In the 55th minute Tomas Berganza shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Aron Dahlbom saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After 56 minutes of play, the referee blew the whistle. It was a penalty for Panama! MAFFIAN's Hugo Nyman was substituted for Rudolf Josefsson. MAFFIAN made a substitution. Dennis Edström replaced George Svensson. MAFFIAN's Torgny Mogren was substituted for Thomas Wassberg. Tomas Berganza might have been able to make a better finish in the 65th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Aron Dahlbom. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Tomas Berganza ran back to his position shaking his head. In the 67th minute, Greger Broberg hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Panama's Tomas Berganza got a good chance for a goal in the 74th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Marcos Cotilla took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Dennis Edström, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. In the 85th minute Tomas Berganza shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Aron Dahlbom saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 86th minute, Torgny Mogren left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The MAFFIAN fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 3-0. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Dennis Edström in the 91st managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Marcos Cotilla saved Panama from getting behind. The referee blew his whistle, and the match came to a close. The players exchanged shirts and headed down the tunnel. The MAFFIAN fans cheered their team off the field, for while Panama had put up a good fight, they were unable to come out of the game with any points to show for their effort.