Challenge

Kato Pafos Arena
Spectators: 50 (Terracing: 38, Seating: 11, VIP seats: 1) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Joel Gaona started the match with the kick off. 5 minutes into the match, Mánthia's goal looked a bit too open when Joel Gaona came free, but Koulis Mestas reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. After some careless play in the Mánthia defense, Luca Zorita kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Koulis Mestas. The Mánthia fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Koulis Mestas should have stopped the shot. Mexico's Joel Gaona pulled a muscle in his leg after 10 minutes and couldn't finish the game. Mexico made a substitution. Bautista Elvira replaced Joel Gaona. An unexpectedly hard shot by Alberto Tafalla in the 15th minute of play forced Mánthia's goalkeeper Koulis Mestas to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Koulis Mestas made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Lautaro Mancebo in the 17th minute of play. Koulis Mestas made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Lautaro Mancebo in the 20th minute of play. If Bautista Elvira had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 28th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. A collision led to Mánthia getting a freekick after 30 minutes play. Nathan Aspinall hit a great ball. In the 32nd minute Bautista Elvira shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Koulis Mestas saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After a rather tough play, Mexico's Lorenzo Cazalla got a free kick in the 35th minute. In the 36th minute the ball was on its way in behind Mexico's goalkeeper Dante Lacasa, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. Lautaro Mancebo recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 42nd minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. In the 47th minute Anestis Katsambis shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Dante Lacasa saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Luck had favoured the away team in the first, and they walked off with a 0-1 lead.

The wind increased when Dionisio Dicastillo made the kick off in the second half. 54 minutes into the match, Mánthia's goalkeeper Koulis Mestas had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Bautista Elvira. After a defensive mix-up in Mánthia's zone, Luca Zorita stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Koulis Mestas came out of the goal and Luca Zorita tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. After 64 played minutes Mánthia got a freekick which was hit by Alpheios Markopoulos. In the 67th minute Dionisio Dicastillo shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Dante Lacasa saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Alpheios Markopoulos's late challenge caught a Mexico's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Alpheios Markopoulos helped the player get up and apologised. In the 72nd minute, Alberto Tafalla got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. Koulis Mestas showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Luca Zorita in the 74th minute of the match. Dante Lacasa took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Anestis Katsambis, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. With a little luck, Mánthia's Koulis Mestas got control of the ball when Lautaro Mancebo tried to sneak it across the goal line. In the 87th minute Dionisio Dicastillo shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Dante Lacasa saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Dante Lacasa showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Anestis Katsambis, who was totally free with the ball in the 89th minute. 90 minutes into the match, Mexico's goal looked a bit too open when Themis Pantelakos came free, but Dante Lacasa reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. The Mánthia fans had already started to leave before the final whistle blew. Mexico were clearly better and deserved to take the win.