Challenge

Jurong East Stadium
Spectators: 50 (Terracing: 38, Seating: 11, VIP seats: 1) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Tomas Berganza started the match with the kick off. In the 10th minute of the match, Mujahid Vijiaratnam got a very nice opportunity to score, but Marcos Cotilla was well-placed and pushed the ball away from the goal at the left post. Alexander Tan fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 12th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Marcos Cotilla having to interfere. Diego Belém might have been able to make a better finish in the 15th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Marcos Cotilla. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Diego Belém ran back to his position shaking his head. 20 minutes into the match, Albirex Niigata FC's Polo Maldini sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Marcos Cotilla narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Per Gross hit a great freekick 23 minutes into the match. Thanks to some nice moves Diego Belém could shoot a difficult shot in the 26th minute, which Marcos Cotilla however easily saved by the left post. Dylan Sarmiento made in the 33rd minute of the game a sloppy throw-in which Tomas Berganza however managed to control. The supporters of Panama booed when Albirex Niigata FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 37 match minutes in a wonderful position. Polo Maldini didn't get a good kick on the ball. When Abraham Alguacil came up free with the goalie in the 37th minute, the Panama 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 Abraham Alguacil couldn't finish the play. The supporters of Panama booed when Albirex Niigata FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 39 match minutes in a wonderful position. Gencho Ruski didn't get a good kick on the ball. Mujahid Vijiaratnam sent away a hard shot on goal in the 45th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. If Tomas Berganza had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 48th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After fighting hard for a draw in the first half, the players were able to take a much needed rest.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Diego Belém to make the kick off. When Gencho Ruski was, once again, overly rough in his play he received his second yellow card and was ordered off the ground. 53 minutes had been played. 60 minutes into the match, Per Gross had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Marcos Cotilla. Panama's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Per Gross was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 1-0. Marcos Cotilla took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Diego Belém, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. After a rather tough play, Panama's Alex Cambeiro got a free kick in the 73rd minute. In the 73rd minute, Panama's Alex Cambeiro fired away a free kick that almost went in the goal. 俞冰帆 was prepared for the shot, but didn't have to make a play as the shot flew over the goal. Marcos Cotilla made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Diego Belém in the 86th minute of play. The supporters of Panama booed when Albirex Niigata FC was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 87 match minutes in a wonderful position. Diego Belém didn't get a good kick on the ball. 俞冰帆 showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Tomas Berganza in the 95th minute of the match. Albirex Niigata FC's fans were exulted and cheered after their team won in a match that could easily have gone the other way.