Challenge

Estadio Nacional
Spectators: 47 (Terracing: 36, Seating: 11, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Severino Bueno started the match with the kick off. Eleven Young Elephants's Aaron Tanti proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 3rd minute of the match, managed to save Eleven Young Elephants from getting a goal against them. Eliseo Noboa fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 8th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Aaron Tanti having to interfere. 11 minutes into the match, Severino Bueno notched a goal, 0-1, to the right of Costa Rica's Benito Sanz. Benito Sanz was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. With a little luck, Eleven Young Elephants's Aaron Tanti got control of the ball when Lautaro Puig tried to sneak it across the goal line. 16 minutes into the game, Eleven Young Elephants's Zlatko Zahovič nearly tore a hole in the net with a booming shot. Benito Sanz made a valiant effort, but he could not reach the ball in time, 0-2. Benito Sanz showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Severino Bueno, who was totally free with the ball in the 19th minute. After 23 played minutes Eleven Young Elephants got a freekick which was hit by Ma Fan. Fabio Savona succeeded in the game's 34th minute to get real power on a long shot . Costa Rica's Benito Sanz hadn't the time to block the shot which was pasted into the goal, 0-4! Zlatko Zahovič sent away a hard shot on goal in the 36th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. After 39 minutes of play, Eleven Young Elephants's Severino Bueno made it 0-5 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Benito Sanz was left in no man's land by his defense there! Severino Bueno took the ball and in the 42 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Benito Sanz. Benito Sanz dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 0-6. The audience was convinced that Severino Bueno's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Benito Sanz was relentless in the 47th minute of the game.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Axel Tasis to make the kick off. In the 55th minute Darren Carabott shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Benito Sanz saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. A collision led to Eleven Young Elephants getting a freekick after 56 minutes play. Carlo Camilleri hit a great ball. A collision led to Eleven Young Elephants getting a freekick after 58 minutes play. António Silva hit a great ball. Lautaro Puig sent away a hard shot on goal in the 59th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. A collision led to Eleven Young Elephants getting a freekick after 61 minutes play. Vilmos Szikora hit a great ball. Severino Bueno who was well placed in front of the goal fired away a dangerous shot that in the 70thth minute tested the skills of Benito Sanz when he managed to save the team from getting behind. After a rather tough play, Costa Rica's Eliseo Noboa got a free kick in the 74th minute. After a rather tough play, Costa Rica's Alexander Carballo got a free kick in the 85th minute. After a defensive mix-up in Costa Rica's zone, Fabio Savona stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Benito Sanz came out of the goal and Fabio Savona tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Lautaro Puig fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 91st minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Aaron Tanti having to interfere. When the match was over Eleven Young Elephants could go home with a victory in their luggage, having controlled the game far better than Costa Rica throughout the match.