Challenge

Hall of Valhalla
Spectators: 40 (Terracing: 31, Seating: 9, VIP seats: 0) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Daniel Zorita kicked off to start the match. 3 minutes into the match, Ecuador's goal looked a bit too open when Felix Mihăilescu came free, but Julio Vera reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Dacian Ghițescu took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Agustín Saelices, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Golo Phoenix in the 8th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Julio Vera saved Ecuador from getting behind. In the 10th minute Cristian Sancho shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Dacian Ghițescu saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Costel Gurgui's late challenge caught a Ecuador's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Costel Gurgui helped the player get up and apologised. In the 17th match minute, PHOENIX Cluj-Napoca was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Costel Gurgui to maneuver through the defense. After 33 played minutes Ecuador got a freekick which was hit by Felix Montenegro. After 40 minutes of play, Ecuador's Cristian Sancho made it 0-3 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Dacian Ghițescu was left in no man's land by his defense there! Luck had favoured the away team in the first, and they walked off with a 0-3 lead.

If Cristian Sancho had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 50th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Cristinel Uncheşelu during the 53rd minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. Ecuador made a substitution. Luz Palacio replaced Daniel Zorita. In the 55th minute, Cristinel Uncheşelu hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Dacian Ghițescu made a fantastic save in the 56th minute, when Luz Palacio sent off a good shot on target. Dacian Ghițescu made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Cristian Sancho in the 61st minute of play. After 73 played minutes PHOENIX Cluj-Napoca got a freekick which was hit by Cristinel Uncheşelu. PHOENIX Cluj-Napoca made a substitution. Virgil Jupân replaced Felix Mihăilescu. In the 74th minute, Cristinel Uncheşelu hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. In the 78th minute, Luz Palacio made a precise shot to the right of Dacian Ghițescu. PHOENIX Cluj-Napoca's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 0-4. 83 minutes had been played when some careless play by PHOENIX Cluj-Napoca's defense caused the ball to cross the line for a corner. Felix Montenegro 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 PHOENIX Cluj-Napoca's goalie and right to Cristian Sancho. He fired away a shot at goal, but the shot had too much spin, and it went just outside the goal. PHOENIX Cluj-Napoca's manager breathed a sigh of relief on the sidelines as his team had managed to escape an almost certain goal. When the match was over Ecuador could go home with a victory in their luggage, having controlled the game far better than PHOENIX Cluj-Napoca throughout the match.