Challenge

Estadio Olímpico
Spectators: 47 (Terracing: 36, Seating: 11, VIP seats: 0) FC Werdenberg's Tudor Caragea 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. Cristian Sancho received a nice pass, split the defenders, and ran untouched towards the goal. Manuel Lajoie came out and tried to block the shot, but Cristian Sancho slotted it home off the left post making it 1-0 in the 5th minute. Manuel Lajoie made a fantastic save in the 9th minute, when Cristian Sancho sent off a good shot on target. Daniel Zorita came free with the goalkeeper in the 11th minute of the match, and shot straight on target. The shot was a little too simple and Manuel Lajoie could save by the left post. Manuel Lajoie showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Cristian Sancho in the 15th minute of the match. In the 20th minute, Evgeniy Babich 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. In the 22nd minute Tudor Caragea shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Julio Vera saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. 22 minutes into the match, Ecuador's goal looked a bit too open when Tudor Caragea came free, but Julio Vera reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Manuel Lajoie made an important save on a dangerous shot by Daniel Zorita in the 23rd minute. If Tudor Caragea had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 27th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Daniel Zorita received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 28th minute. Manuel Lajoie tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 35th minute of the match Ecuador got a corner. FC Werdenberg's goalie ran out to the linesman to protest the call, but the linesman resolutely pointed his flag at the cornerflag. Daniel Zorita ran over to the corner to take the kick. Ecuador's Luis Andino was first on the ball when the corner was shot and he dangerously headed the ball towards goal, but Manuel Lajoie in the goal jumped up to prevent it from getting in. An unexpectedly hard shot by Cristian Sancho in the 37th minute of play forced FC Werdenberg's goalkeeper Manuel Lajoie to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Tudor Caragea's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Julio Vera read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 38th minute of play. Felix Montenegros short, quick shot in the 43rdth minute got Manuel Lajoie to make great effort and bar the ball away from getting in. Ecuador's Felix Montenegro was standing unmarked in front of the goal when he, in the 44th play minute, got the ball and easily drilled it into the goal. The audience was convinced that Tudor Caragea's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Julio Vera was relentless in the 47th minute of the game. No-one was surprised that the home team were leading 2-0 at half-time.

The wind increased when Daniel Zorita made the kick off in the second half. After some fancy dribbling in the 57th minute, Cristian Sancho managed to get in a good position for a shot. Ecuador's supporters rose to their feet, but Cristian Sancho was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Manuel Lajoie breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Manuel Lajoie took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Daniel Zorita, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Manuel Lajoie made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Daniel Zorita in the 61st minute of play. FC Werdenberg's Manuel Lajoie played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Cristian Sancho in the 65th minute of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Daniel Zorita in the 68th minute of play forced FC Werdenberg's goalkeeper Manuel Lajoie to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Julio Vera made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Tudor Caragea in the 70th minute of play. 72 minutes into the match, Ecuador's goal looked a bit too open when Evgeniy Babich came free, but Julio Vera reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. An unexpectedly hard shot by Daniel Zorita in the 75th minute of play forced FC Werdenberg's goalkeeper Manuel Lajoie to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Tudor Caragea in the 76thth minute had a little luck and got a chance for a shot in front of the goal. Without hesitation aimed to the right of Julio Vera, who managed to lunge to the right direction and made a save. Tudor Caragea recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 78th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Manuel Lajoie didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Cristian Sancho went, in the 80th minute, to the upper right corner, 3-0 was the resulting score. Manuel Lajoie came out of the goal in the 84th minute to try and stop a shot by Ecuador's Cristian Sancho. But to his dismay, Cristian Sancho quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 4-0. After 87 minutes, Tudor Caragea made it 4-1 with a short kick to the right side. Ecuador's Julio Vera tried to save the shot but he was too slow in reacting to the shot. Manuel Lajoie took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Cristian Sancho, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Daniel Zorita sent away a hard shot on goal in the 92nd minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. Tudor Caragea could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 96th minute of the match, but Julio Vera made a huge save. FC Werdenberg's players left the field with heads hung low after losing a match that had been finely balanced throughout.