Challenge

CARDINAL STADIUM
Spectators: 41 (Terracing: 32, Seating: 9, VIP seats: 0) The field was rather wet after several days of rain when Axel Tasis took the kick off in the first half of the match. In the 7th minute, Abel Carballo hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. 17 minutes had been played when some careless play by C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's defense caused the ball to cross the line for a corner. Axel Tasis was slow to take the kick. During this time Costa Rica's players had a chance to rest. Axel Tasis made a great header on Costa Rica's corner, it was just that C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's Șerban Finteșteanu managed to reach the ball for a save. After a rather tough play, Costa Rica's Eliseo Noboa got a free kick in the 20th minute. C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's Nicolae Niculcea quite brazenly broke a throw-in by Hugo Ferrant, made in the 23rd minute of the game. After a rather tough play, C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's Nicolae Niculcea got a free kick in the 28th minute. A sloppy throw-in by Abel Carballo in the 35th minute of the game went astray and was snapped up by C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's Valeriu Donecea. Efrain Moruga hit a great freekick 38 minutes into the match. After having played for 45 minutes, Valeriu Donecea managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's supporters crossed their fingers, but Valeriu Donecea was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. 48 minutes into the match, C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's goal looked a bit too open when Aaron Alcocer came free, but Șerban Finteșteanu reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Luck had favoured the away team in the first, and they walked off with a 0-1 lead.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Sandu Paraschivescu to make the kick off. Costa Rica's Lautaro Puig got a good chance for a goal in the 52nd minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. 54 minutes into the match, Costa Rica's goal looked a bit too open when Sandu Paraschivescu came free, but Benito Sanz reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Șerban Finteșteanu showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Eliseo Noboa, who was totally free with the ball in the 58th minute. The corner led Costa Rica's Axel Tasis to fire away a dangerous shot which Șerban Finteșteanu despite some difficulties managed to get hold on the ball. The throw-in from Efrain Moruga in the 66th minute of the game was unfortunally taken care of by C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's Eugen Popeneciu. In the 73rd minute, Sandu Paraschivescu 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. 76 minutes into the game, Efrain Moruga threw the ball into play from the sideline. C Ａ R D I N Ａ L's Valeriu Donecea quickly snatched the ball and retained possesion. Eliseo Noboa fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 79th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Șerban Finteșteanu having to interfere. In the 80th match minute, C Ａ R D I N Ａ L was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Nicolae Niculcea to maneuver through the defense. With his leg Șerban Finteșteanu managed to avoid a goal in the 81stth minute, when Costa Rica's Aaron Alcocer fired away a shot with a lot of spin towards his right hand side. Șerban Finteșteanu showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Eliseo Noboa, who was totally free with the ball in the 82nd minute. Alan Moruga made in the 86th minute of the game a quick throw-in and Aaron Alcocer immediately put the ball in play. Hugo Ferrant got a throw-in 92 minutes in the game and the ball was received by Alan Moruga. If Sandu Paraschivescu had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 96th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. When the referee blew the final whistle jeers and boos were heard from the home team's supporters. They were angered to see C Ａ R D I N Ａ L lose a match they had controlled from the kick-off.