Challenge

Thunderdome
Spectators: 43 (Terracing: 33, Seating: 10, VIP seats: 0) Maarten Colen made the kick off and thus started the match. In the 3rd match minute, MVV Maastricht was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by John Pothuizen to maneuver through the defense. Dean Verbruggen made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Eliseo Noboa in the 5th minute of play. Dean Verbruggen showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Axel Tasis in the 8th minute of the match. The audience was convinced that Axel Tasis's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Dean Verbruggen was relentless in the 8th minute of the game. A collision led to Costa Rica getting a freekick after 19 minutes play. Juan Rubio hit a great ball. In the 26th minute, Lautaro Puig ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Dean Verbruggen was frozen by the shot and now it was 0-1. Costa Rica's Benito Sanz played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Ricky Mol in the 36th minute of play. 39 minutes into the match, Maarten Colen had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Benito Sanz. Costa Rica's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Maarten Colen was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 1-1. The audience thought a goal was coming when Maarten Colen got free with Benito Sanz in the 47th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. In the 47th minute, Alan Moruga hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. The score stood at 1-1 when the half time whistle went. Both sets of players seemed reasonably pleased with how the match was going.

If Maarten Colen had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 52nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 57th minute Gilbert Fleur shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Benito Sanz saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After 59 played minutes, MVV Maastricht's Hans Roelofsen shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Benito Sanz 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 MVV Maastricht reached it. Maarten Colen recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 63rd minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. In the 64th minute, Eliseo Noboa hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Maarten Colen took the ball and in the 67 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Benito Sanz. Benito Sanz dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 2-1. When MVV Maastricht's Maarten Colen in the 71st minute got a chance for a shot 71st didn't hesitate and placed the ball to the right of the goalie. A beautiful save bye Costa Rica's goalie prevented a goal. Benito Sanz showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Gilbert Fleur, who was totally free with the ball in the 75th minute. When Gilbert Fleur came up free with the goalie in the 77th minute, the MVV Maastricht 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 Gilbert Fleur couldn't finish the play. Benito Sanz took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Mathijs de Zee, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. After a rather tough play, Costa Rica's Juan Rubio got a free kick in the 84th minute. After some fancy dribbling in the 85th minute, Maurits Ruben managed to get in a good position for a shot. MVV Maastricht's supporters rose to their feet, but Maurits Ruben was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Benito Sanz breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Eliseo Noboa recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 87th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. The supporters of MVV Maastricht booed when Costa Rica was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 89 match minutes in a wonderful position. Aaron Alcocer didn't get a good kick on the ball. With 93 minutes on the clock, Alan Moruga commited a dangerous tackle. The referee had no choice but to show him the red card. 92 minutes into the game, one of Costa Rica:s players got tackled near the goal, and the referee blew for a penalty. If Maarten Colen had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 96th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 98th minute the ball was on its way in behind MVV Maastricht's goalkeeper Dean Verbruggen, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. When the referee ended the match the MVV Maastricht players were able to celebrate. They had won a fair victory and recieved the ovations of their fans.