Challenge

Estadio Azteca
Spectators: 44 (Terracing: 34, Seating: 10, VIP seats: 0) 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. After some fancy dribbling in the 2nd minute, Joel Gaona managed to get in a good position for a shot. Mexico's supporters rose to their feet, but Joel Gaona was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Paul Holmstedt breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. 5 minutes into the match, FC Pepsi's Joshua Sammut Castelletti sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Dante Lacasa narrowly saved just below the crossbar. After 5 minutes of play, FC Pepsi's Joshua Sammut Castelletti made it 0-1 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! Thanks to some nice moves Lautaro Mancebo could shoot a difficult shot in the 8th minute, which Paul Holmstedt however easily saved by the left post. In the 8th minute, Mexico's Lautaro Mancebo ran free of his marker and smoothly shot the ball into the goal behind Paul Holmstedt. Paul Holmstedt yelled at his defense, as they had left him out to dry. 1-1. In the 12th minute Lv Yuan Kuan 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. Lautaro Mancebo's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Paul Holmstedt read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 14th minute of play. FC Pepsi's Paul Holmstedt played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Joel Gaona in the 15th minute of play. Lautaro Mancebo could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 17th minute of the match, but Paul Holmstedt made a huge save. 21 minutes into the match, FC Pepsi's goal looked a bit too open when Alberto Tafalla came free, but Paul Holmstedt reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. 23 minutes into the match, Mexico's goal looked a bit too open when Bruno Lucente came free, but Dante Lacasa reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 25th minute Lv Yuan Kuan 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. Paul Holmstedt made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Joel Gaona in the 27th minute of play. Joshua Sammut Castelletti kicked well hit freekick during the 37th minute of the match. When Joel Gaona came up free with the goalie in the 39th minute, the Mexico fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Joel Gaona couldn't finish the play. The supporters of Mexico booed when FC Pepsi was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 42 match minutes in a wonderful position. Hubert Ekerot didn't get a good kick on the ball. Joel Gaona's long shot made the audience stand up and applaude when it rumbled by Paul Holmstedt on his right side and into the goal. 42 minutes into the game it was 2-1. After 45 minutes of play, the referee blew the whistle. It was a penalty for FC Pepsi! Paul Holmstedt had in the 46thth minute some difficulties stopping Joel Gaona's well aimed penalty as it nearly passed him on his left side, but he still managed to hold the ball. Af the end of the first half the score was 2-1. The first half had gone as expected for the home team.

When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Joshua Sammut Castelletti made a kick off. With a little luck, Mexico's Dante Lacasa got control of the ball when Hubert Ekerot tried to sneak it across the goal line. With a little luck, Mexico's Dante Lacasa got control of the ball when Lv Yuan Kuan tried to sneak it across the goal line. 56 minutes into the match, Mexico's goal looked a bit too open when Joshua Sammut Castelletti came free, but Dante Lacasa reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Joshua Sammut Castelletti did some fancy footwork in front of goal and succeeded to deceive the defenders so he could slam the ball in 2-2 to the left of a surprised Dante Lacasa 56 minutes into the match. Bruno Lucente fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 59th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Dante Lacasa having to interfere. Joel Gaona scored 3-2 in the 62nd match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Paul Holmstedt, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. The audience thought a goal was coming when Joshua Sammut Castelletti got free with Dante Lacasa in the 64th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Kanu Kanu's shot straight on target was not completely harmless. The ball had pretty good speed, but Dante Lacasa firmly grabbed it by the left post. When the match had gone on for 70 minutes, Kanu Kanu took a quick shot and it went in 3-3 without a chance for Dante Lacasa to make any attempt to save it. Joel Gaona blasted a shot towards the goal in the 73rd minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Paul Holmstedt having to make a save. Dante Lacasa was out of position in the 78 minute of play, and Kanu Kanu capitalized on the mistake with a soft shot into the goal. Kanu Kanu really showed his touch with that goal: 3-4. In the 81st minute, Lautaro Mancebo ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Paul Holmstedt was frozen by the shot and now it was 4-4. Paul Holmstedt took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Alberto Tafalla, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. After 88 minutes, Ludvig Ahlroht mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the FC Pepsi and the Mexico players grew even worse after the yellow card. A collision led to FC Pepsi getting a freekick after 88 minutes play. Ludvig Ahlroht hit a great ball. After 90 minutes FC Pepsi's defender was forced to head the ball over the line for a corner. It was Joel Gaona who took care of the corner kick.