Challenge

Est Rommel Fernández
Spectators: 47 (Terracing: 36, Seating: 11, VIP seats: 0) Eleven Young Elephants's Severino Bueno started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. Tomas Berganza might have been able to make a better finish in the 13th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Aaron Tanti. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Tomas Berganza ran back to his position shaking his head. 16 minutes into the match, Eleven Young Elephants's goal looked a bit too open when Tomas Berganza came free, but Aaron Tanti reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. António Silva's late challenge caught a Panama's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. António Silva helped the player get up and apologised. The supporters of Panama booed when Eleven Young Elephants was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 18 match minutes in a wonderful position. António Silva didn't get a good kick on the ball. When Abraham Alguacil came up free with the goalie in the 23rd 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. 24 minutes into the match, Eleven Young Elephants's goal looked a bit too open when Tomas Berganza came free, but Aaron Tanti reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. When Dylan Sarmiento fell near the penalty area in the 25th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Panama's protests and gave Dylan Sarmiento a yellow card for diving instead. In the 25th match minute, Panama was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Dylan Sarmiento to maneuver through the defense. Marcos Cotilla showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Zlatko Zahovič in the 28th minute of the match. An unexpectedly hard shot by Severino Bueno in the 35th minute of play forced Panama's goalkeeper Marcos Cotilla to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. If Tomas Berganza had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 36th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Abraham Alguacil sent away a hard shot on goal in the 37th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Eleven Young Elephants's Aaron Tanti played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Tomas Berganza in the 40th minute of play. Aaron Tanti showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Tomas Berganza, who was totally free with the ball in the 40th minute. The supporters of Eleven Young Elephants booed when Panama was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 45 match minutes in a wonderful position. Isidoro Sarmiento didn't get a good kick on the ball. A collision led to Panama getting a freekick after 47 minutes play. Felipe Ros hit a great ball. Fabio Savona might have been able to make a better finish in the 48th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Marcos Cotilla. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Fabio Savona ran back to his position shaking his head. The score stood at 0-0 when the half time whistle went. Both sets of players seemed reasonably pleased with how the match was going.

When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Tomas Berganza made a kick off. Severino Buenos short, quick shot in the 54thth minute got Marcos Cotilla to make great effort and bar the ball away from getting in. In the 63rd minute, Eleven Young Elephants's Severino Bueno ran free of his marker and smoothly shot the ball into the goal behind Marcos Cotilla. Marcos Cotilla yelled at his defense, as they had left him out to dry. 0-1. In the 66th minute Severino Bueno shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Marcos Cotilla saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 71st minute of the match, Severino Bueno 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. 73 minutes into the match, Panama's goal looked a bit too open when Zlatko Zahovič came free, but Marcos Cotilla reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. After 73 minutes of play, Eleven Young Elephants's Zlatko Zahovič made it 0-2 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Marcos Cotilla was left in no man's land by his defense there! Panama's Marcos Cotilla played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Severino Bueno in the 90th minute of play. In the 95th minute of the match Abraham Alguacil sent off a long shot with destination to the right of the goalkeeper, but Aaron Tanti skillfully saved the ball. After 97 played minutes Panama got a freekick which was hit by Miguel Miralles. Eleven Young Elephants's supporters were very happy and cheered loudly because their team had won after a very close match.