Challenge

RFK Stadium
Spectators: 49 (Terracing: 38, 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. Aldo Damasco started the match with the kick off. In the 5th minute Monty Rogers shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Avram Popoiu saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. USA were awarded a corner in the 6th minute after Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s defender lost control of the ball, allowing it to roll out over the line. Cassius Byrne took the corner. In the 10th minute, Sten Paulin hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Avram Popoiu made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Monty Rogers in the 14th minute of play. Aldo Damasco scored 0-1 in the 16th match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Marco Day, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. An unexpectedly hard shot by Vladimir Couto in the 22nd minute of play forced USA's goalkeeper Marco Day to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. In the 23rd match minute, Deportivo Damasco F.C. was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Sten Paulin to maneuver through the defense. After 26 minutes of play, Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s Aldo Damasco made it 1-2 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Marco Day was left in no man's land by his defense there! 34 minutes into the match, Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s goal looked a bit too open when Monty Rogers came free, but Avram Popoiu reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. After a rather tough play, USA's Diego Bradley got a free kick in the 43rd minute. In the 46th minute Monty Rogers shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Avram Popoiu saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Through an outstanding action, after 46 minutes, Avram Popoiu successfully got his hands on the ball before it slid into the goal at the right post. In the 48th minute Aldo Damasco shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Marco Day saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. The USA players were disheartened as they walked off the pitch after the first half. Deportivo Damasco F.C. were winning 1-2.

Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s Roman Corte was substituted for Aldo Damasco. The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Cassius Byrne was the one to do the kick off. 54 minutes into the match, Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s Roman Corte sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Marco Day narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s Sten Paulin quite brazenly broke a throw-in by Diego Bradley, made in the 56th minute of the game. Avram Popoiu showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Monty Rogers in the 58th minute of the match. The audience was convinced that Roman Corte's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Marco Day was relentless in the 61st minute of the game. With a little luck, USA's Marco Day got control of the ball when Roman Corte tried to sneak it across the goal line. Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s Avram Popoiu played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Monty Rogers in the 66th minute of play. USA made a substitution. Sam Campbell replaced Cassius Byrne. Deportivo Damasco F.C. made a substitution. Guilherme Sarandeses replaced Montxo Cabero. Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s attentive Sten Paulin managed to snatch the ball when Jenson Smith made a throw-in in the 69th minute of the game. Tiadoro Cores fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 75th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Marco Day having to interfere. The audience thought a goal was coming when Roman Corte got free with Marco Day in the 77th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. An unexpectedly hard shot by Sam Campbell in the 78th minute of play forced Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s goalkeeper Avram Popoiu to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Avram Popoiu made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Monty Rogers in the 84th minute of play. After 86th play minutes Monty Rogers shot 2-2, a short shot which went by Avram Popoiu and just under the crossbar into goal. USA made a substitution. Marco Baker replaced Edward Mcdonald. With an all-out effort, Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s Marco Day threw himself towards the right post 91 minutes into the match and grabbed hold of the ball from Vladimir Couto, which otherwise would have been placed in the net. Deportivo Damasco F.C.'s Avram Popoiu played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Khalid Parry in the 93rd minute of play. When Vladimir Couto got free in front of the goal in the 95th minute he wasn't very focused and chipped the ball just over the goal. Marco Day was delighted since he was out of position and the ball would have got in if it had gone under the crossbar. Sten Paulin's late challenge caught a USA's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Sten Paulin helped the player get up and apologised. A collision led to Deportivo Damasco F.C. getting a freekick after 97 minutes play. Sten Paulin hit a great ball.