Challenge

Folke Anderson
Spectators: 44 (Terracing: 34, Seating: 10, VIP seats: 0) Mexico's Joel Gaona 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. Mexico's Dante Lacasa proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 3rd minute of the match, managed to save Mexico from getting a goal against them. After 4 minutes Mexico's defender was forced to head the ball over the line for a corner. It was Stefanos Terzopoulos who took care of the corner kick. In the 7th minute Facundo Cadaval shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Aguinaga Nebot saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. In the 11th minute, Alberto Tafalla made a precise shot to the right of Aguinaga Nebot. Esmeraldas S.C.'s defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 0-1. Dante Lacasa made a fantastic save in the 15th minute, when Damian Maftei sent off a good shot on target. An unexpectedly hard shot by Damian Maftei in the 24th minute of play forced Mexico's goalkeeper Dante Lacasa to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Mexico's Dante Lacasa proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 24th minute of the match, managed to save Mexico from getting a goal against them. A collision led to Mexico getting a freekick after 24 minutes play. Facundo Cadaval hit a great ball. 29 minutes into the match, Mexico's goal looked a bit too open when İbrahim Volkan came free, but Dante Lacasa reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Dante Lacasa made a fantastic save in the 31st minute, when İbrahim Volkan sent off a good shot on target. Damian Maftei could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 37th minute of the match, but Dante Lacasa made a huge save. If Lautaro Mancebo had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 42nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. The crowd was extremely unhappy with the home team's performance in the first half. They were losing 0-1.

The wind increased when İbrahim Volkan made the kick off in the second half. A hard shot 53 in the game by Lautaro Mancebo from a close distance when the talented Aguinaga Nebot managed to make a qualified save. Esmeraldas S.C.'s players were relieved. Oskar Petersson received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 55th minute. Dante Lacasa tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Alberto Tafalla could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 60th minute of the match, but Aguinaga Nebot made a huge save. With a little luck, Esmeraldas S.C.'s Aguinaga Nebot got control of the ball when Alberto Tafalla tried to sneak it across the goal line. Esmeraldas S.C.'s Daniel Castillo was substituted for Martinez Cines. Mexico's Lautaro Mancebo was first on the ball when the corner was shot and he dangerously headed the ball towards goal, but Aguinaga Nebot in the goal jumped up to prevent it from getting in. Dante Lacasa made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Damian Maftei in the 67th minute of play. If Alberto Tafalla had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 68th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. 72 minutes into the game, Esmeraldas S.C.'s Damian Maftei nearly tore a hole in the net with a booming shot. Dante Lacasa made a valiant effort, but he could not reach the ball in time, 1-1. Through an outstanding action, after 75 minutes, Aguinaga Nebot successfully got his hands on the ball before it slid into the goal at the right post. Mexico's Dante Lacasa played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by İbrahim Volkan in the 77th minute of play. The audience was convinced that İbrahim Volkan's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Dante Lacasa was relentless in the 79th minute of the game. Aguinaga Nebot made a fantastic save in the 82nd minute, when Alberto Tafalla sent off a good shot on target. After 85 minutes of play, Esmeraldas S.C.'s İbrahim Volkan made it 2-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Dante Lacasa was left in no man's land by his defense there! After 90 minutes, Stefanos Terzopoulos mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Esmeraldas S.C. and the Mexico players grew even worse after the yellow card. In the 90th match minute, Esmeraldas S.C. was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Stefanos Terzopoulos to maneuver through the defense. 93 minutes into the game, Lautaro Mancebo cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 2-2. Aguinaga Nebot was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Both teams had looked equal from kick-off, and no-one was surprised when the match finally ended in a draw.