Challenge

gaby milito
Spectators: 40 (Terracing: 31, Seating: 9, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Abram Sarmiento started the match with the kick off. In the 2nd minute Felipe Roldan suffered a thigh injury and had to be helped off the field. After 3 played minutes Colombia got a freekick which was hit by Abram Sarmiento. Pedro Manzanares took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Jorg Pieters, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. A collision led to Independiente getting a freekick after 8 minutes play. Napoleon Dropinski hit a great ball. In the 9th match minute, Independiente was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Florentino Inge to maneuver through the defense. In the 10th minute there was a penalty for Colombia. Axel Montenegro stepped forward and shot the ball to the right of a diving Pepe Santoro. 0-1. 15 minutes into the game, Sören Bengtsson recieved a splendid long ball, split the defenders, and gently placed the ball to the left of Pedro Manzanares. Sören Bengtsson showed that you don't have to tear a hole in the net to score, 1-1. 20 minutes into the match, Colombia's goalkeeper Pedro Manzanares had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Isidoro Beltran. The audience was convinced that Jorg Pieters's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Pedro Manzanares was relentless in the 21st minute of the game. If Isidoro Beltran had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 23rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 25th minute, Reynaldo Abadia hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Independiente's Pepe Santoro played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Pascual Carballar in the 26th minute of play. 26 minutes into the game, Pascual Carballar cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 1-2. Pepe Santoro was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Jorg Pieters recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 31st minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Independiente's Isidoro Beltran was standing unmarked in front of the goal when he, in the 34th play minute, got the ball and easily drilled it into the goal. 37 minutes into the match, Colombia's goalkeeper Pedro Manzanares had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Isidoro Beltran. In the 38th minute, Independiente's Sören Bengtsson ran free of his marker and smoothly shot the ball into the goal behind Pedro Manzanares. Pedro Manzanares yelled at his defense, as they had left him out to dry. 3-2. Pepe Santoro showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Axel Montenegro in the 43rd minute of the match. Thanks to some nice moves Isidoro Beltran could shoot a difficult shot in the 45th minute, which Pedro Manzanares however easily saved by the left post. After a rather tough play, Colombia's Orlando Tafalla got a free kick in the 48th minute. All the noise was coming from the home fans when the whistle went for half-time. The home team had fought hardest to put themselves in a deserved lead.

An unexpectedly hard shot by Mateo Mendez in the 56th minute of play forced Colombia's goalkeeper Pedro Manzanares to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. 56 minutes into the match, Colombia's goal looked a bit too open when Mateo Mendez came free, but Pedro Manzanares reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 59th minute Jorg Pieters shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Pedro Manzanares saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After 60 minutes Colombia's defender was forced to head the ball over the line for a corner. It was Florentino Inge who took care of the corner kick. Independiente's Pepe Santoro played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Kevin Mastache in the 62nd minute of play. In the 63rd minute of the match, Kevin Mastache tried to roll the ball into the goal by the right post, but Pepe Santoro saw his intentions and got control of the ball before it passed the line. Colombia made a substitution. Ignacio Mastache replaced Abram Sarmiento. After 71 minutes of play, Independiente's Jorg Pieters made it 4-3 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Pedro Manzanares was left in no man's land by his defense there! Abram Secada sent away a hard shot on goal in the 75th minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. Colombia's Pedro Manzanares played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Albano Bertol in the 78th minute of play. Pedro Manzanares showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Sören Bengtsson, who was totally free with the ball in the 84th minute. Ignacio Mastache's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Pepe Santoro read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 86th minute of play. The crowd rose to their feet as Abram Secada kicked a wonderful shot that went in to the left of a diving Pepe Santoro. That made the score 4-5 in the 87 minute of play. Abram Secada took the ball and in the 91 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Pepe Santoro. Pepe Santoro dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 4-6. After 94 played minutes, Independiente's Florentino Inge shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Pedro Manzanares came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in Independiente reached it. Abram Secada sent away a hard shot on goal in the 96th minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. 96 minutes into the match, Independiente's goalkeeper Pepe Santoro had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Abram Secada. The Colombia supporters could be heard counting down the last seconds of the match. They errupted in celebration when the whistle blew, knowing Colombia would go home with victory in their luggage after a match that easily could have ended differently.