Challenge

Estadio Olímpico
Spectators: 47 (Terracing: 36, Seating: 11, VIP seats: 0) The mood of the audience was pleasant when Daniel Zorita made the kick off which started today's match. When the match had gone on for 6 minutes, Agustín Saelices took a quick shot and it went in 1-0 without a chance for Ilias Seichanidis to make any attempt to save it. Daniel Zorita recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 12th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Daniel Zorita sent away a hard shot on goal in the 14th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. A collision led to Ecuador getting a freekick after 15 minutes play. Felix Montes hit a great ball. Julio Vera showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Augusto Landero in the 16th minute of the match. ΟΦΗ's Ilias Seichanidis proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 17th minute of the match, managed to save ΟΦΗ from getting a goal against them. Ilias Seichanidis was a little too slow when Daniel Zorita got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 17th minute. The score was now 2-0. Daniel Zorita in the 21stth minute had a little luck and got a chance for a shot in front of the goal. Without hesitation aimed to the right of Ilias Seichanidis, who managed to lunge to the right direction and made a save. In the 26th minute of the match, Daniel Zorita got a very nice opportunity to score, but Ilias Seichanidis was well-placed and pushed the ball away from the goal at the left post. After having played for 31 minutes, Cristian Sancho managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Ecuador's supporters crossed their fingers, but Cristian Sancho was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Julio Vera came out of the goal in the 32nd minute to try and stop a shot by ΟΦΗ's Nasos Papadis. But to his dismay, Nasos Papadis quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 2-1. Cristian Sancho might have been able to make a better finish in the 35th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Ilias Seichanidis. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Cristian Sancho ran back to his position shaking his head. The supporters of ΟΦΗ booed when Ecuador was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 36 match minutes in a wonderful position. Felix Montenegro didn't get a good kick on the ball. Ilias Seichanidis made a fantastic save in the 39th minute, when Cristian Sancho sent off a good shot on target. In the 40th minute Augusto Landero shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Julio Vera saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Cristian Sancho fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 41st minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Ilias Seichanidis having to interfere. An unexpectedly hard shot by Augusto Landero in the 47th minute of play forced Ecuador's goalkeeper Julio Vera to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. No-one was surprised that the home team were leading 2-1 at half-time.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Augusto Landero to make the kick off. Julio Vera made an important save on a dangerous shot by Apostolis Kalopoulos in the 54th minute. ΟΦΗ's Akis Karaoulanis was substituted for Babbis Theodorakakos. 60 minutes had been played when some careless play by ΟΦΗ's defense caused the ball to cross the line for a corner. Daniel Zorita was slow to take the kick. During this time Ecuador's players had a chance to rest. The corner went over the outstretched arms of ΟΦΗ's goalie and right to Felix Montenegro. He fired away a shot at goal, but the shot had too much spin, and it went just outside the goal. ΟΦΗ's manager breathed a sigh of relief on the sidelines as his team had managed to escape an almost certain goal. Ilias Seichanidis took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Luis Andino, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Ilias Seichanidis made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Cristian Sancho in the 81st minute of play. Apostolis Kalopoulos kicked well hit freekick during the 83rd minute of the match. Ecuador's Julio Vera played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Augusto Landero in the 85th minute of play. If Cristian Sancho had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 89th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. Julio Vera came out of the goal in the 92nd minute to try and stop a shot by ΟΦΗ's Augusto Landero. But to his dismay, Augusto Landero quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 2-3. After some fancy dribbling in the 95th minute, Daniel Zorita managed to get in a good position for a shot. Ecuador's supporters rose to their feet, but Daniel Zorita was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Ilias Seichanidis breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. When the final whistle went the supporters of ΟΦΗ were delighted that their team had defeated the much more dominant Ecuador side.