Challenge

Iván Elías Moreno
Spectators: 50 (Terracing: 38, Seating: 11, VIP seats: 1) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Xan Revillas got the match started through his kick off. When Tomas Illescas came up free with the goalie in the 3rd minute, the Venezuela 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 Tomas Illescas couldn't finish the play. After 4 minutes, Rigoberto Mina mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Venezuela and the CD Municipal players grew even worse after the yellow card. CD Municipal's Mon Godan was substituted for Xan Revillas. In the 6th minute, Rigoberto Mina hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. CD Municipal's Gaztea Rubin suffered a concussion in the 8th minute, after a hard challenge, and had to leave the field. Jose Correa's late challenge caught a CD Municipal's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Jose Correa helped the player get up and apologised. After having played for 11 minutes, Patricio Costa managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Venezuela's supporters crossed their fingers, but Patricio Costa was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. After 14 minutes, Tomas Illescas made it 0-1 with a short kick to the right side. CD Municipal's Sagrario Paniagua tried to save the shot but he was too slow in reacting to the shot. Orland Urria hit a great freekick 18 minutes into the match. In the 21st minute, Jonathan Venegas hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Orland Urria's late challenge caught a Venezuela's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Orland Urria helped the player get up and apologised. Orland Urria kicked well hit freekick during the 23rd minute of the match. If Tomas Illescas had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 25th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After 29 played minutes CD Municipal got a freekick which was hit by Marcelo Bojorquez. CD Municipal's Sagrario Paniagua played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Tomas Illescas in the 30th minute of play. In the 31st minute of the match Venezuela got a corner. CD Municipal's goalie ran out to the linesman to protest the call, but the linesman resolutely pointed his flag at the cornerflag. Tomas Illescas ran over to the corner to take the kick. Tomas Illescas made a great header on Venezuela's corner, it was just that CD Municipal's Sagrario Paniagua managed to reach the ball for a save. In the 35th minute of the match Tomas Illescas shot from a long distance. The ball could have gone into the goal to the right of the goalkeeper, but Sagrario Paniagua showed his good shape when he easily got hold of the ball. If Joshua Secada had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 41st minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Jonathan Ferrant stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Mon Godan's shot from short distance in the 42nd minute. The crowd was extremely unhappy with the home team's performance in the first half. They were losing 0-1.

The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Tomas Illescas was the one to do the kick off. If Tomas Illescas had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 53rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Jonathan Ferrant showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Mon Godan in the 57th minute of the match. Tomas Illescas's late challenge caught a CD Municipal's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Tomas Illescas helped the player get up and apologised. Tomas Illescas kicked well hit freekick during the 57th minute of the match. Ponciano Bobis took a chance and fired a shot far from the goal in the 58th minute, but it turned out to be a dangerous situation for Jonathan Ferrant. Venezuela's goalkeeper really had to stretch himself to stop the ball from crossing the goal line. In the 60th minute Mon Godan shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Jonathan Ferrant saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 61st minute, Tomas Illescas hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. In the 62nd minute of the match Marcelo Bojorquez shot from a long distance. The ball could have gone into the goal to the right of the goalkeeper, but Jonathan Ferrant showed his good shape when he easily got hold of the ball. 72 minutes into the match, CD Municipal's goalkeeper Sagrario Paniagua had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Tomas Illescas. Venezuela's Jonathan Ferrant played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Mon Godan in the 83rd minute of play. The supporters of Venezuela booed when CD Municipal was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 89 match minutes in a wonderful position. Richie Soto didn't get a good kick on the ball. In the 96th match minute, Venezuela was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Camilo Gaos to maneuver through the defense. Venezuela's Jonathan Ferrant played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Mon Godan in the 98th minute of play. The Venezuela supporters could be heard counting down the last seconds of the match. They errupted in celebration when the whistle blew, knowing Venezuela would go home with victory in their luggage after a match that easily could have ended differently.