Challenge

Nova Stadium
Spectators: 43 (Terracing: 33, 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. The supporters of Mexico booed when Nova Soccer was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 2 match minutes in a wonderful position. Lucas Horna didn't get a good kick on the ball. In the 3rd minute, Marco Olea hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. After a rather tough play, Nova Soccer's Marco Olea got a free kick in the 4th minute. Maurilio Duque made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Joel Gaona in the 7th minute of play. In the 8th minute Mexico were awarded a corner. Joel Gaona went to the cornerflag to take it. After 11 minutes Nova Soccer'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. Mexico's Joel Gaona got a good chance for a goal in the 12th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Luca Zorita might have been able to make a better finish in the 13th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Maurilio Duque. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Luca Zorita ran back to his position shaking his head. If Lautaro Mancebo had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 14th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. In the 17th minute Joel Gaona shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Maurilio Duque saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Maurilio Duque showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Alberto Tafalla, who was totally free with the ball in the 23rd minute. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Alberto Tafalla in the 23rd managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Maurilio Duque saved Nova Soccer from getting behind. In the 26th minute, Lautaro Mancebo left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Mexico fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 0-2. 31 minutes into the game, Morgan Mišković was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Nova Soccer's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Mexico the free kick. After 31 played minutes Nova Soccer got a freekick which was hit by Morgan Mišković. In the 32nd minute of the match Joel Gaona shot from a long distance. The ball could have gone into the goal to the right of the goalkeeper, but Maurilio Duque showed his good shape when he easily got hold of the ball. Mexico's Dante Lacasa played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Donat Collier in the 33rd minute of play. Dante Lacasa took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Donat Collier, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Mexico's Alberto Tafalla got a good chance for a goal in the 37th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Joel Gaona took the ball and in the 39 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Maurilio Duque. Maurilio Duque dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 0-3. In the 46th minute, Edinson Flores reached a very good position and smashed the ball with a huge effort into the net, just to the left of Dante Lacasa. The goal made the score 1-3. The crowd was extremely unhappy with the home team's performance in the first half. They were losing 1-3.

When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Piero Quispe made a kick off. Lautaro Mancebo could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 51st minute of the match, but Maurilio Duque made a huge save. Lautaro Mancebo struck a weak shot in the 53rd minute. Maurilio Duque didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Mexico. In the 58th minute Donat Collier 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. An unexpectedly hard shot by Alberto Tafalla in the 61st minute of play forced Nova Soccer's goalkeeper Maurilio Duque to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. The corner ended in Luca Rouco almost managing to get the ball behind the net, but Nova Soccer's Maurilio Duque did a great save. Mexico's Alberto Tafalla got a good chance for a goal in the 64th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. 1-4 became the score in the 66th minute when Lautaro Mancebo elegantly shot the ball into goal just under the crossbar. In the 69th minute Donat Collier 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. 73 minutes into the match, Joel Gaona notched a goal, 1-5, to the right of Nova Soccer's Maurilio Duque. Maurilio Duque was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. 80 minutes into the match, Nova Soccer's goalkeeper Maurilio Duque had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Lautaro Mancebo. Lucas Horna'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. Lucas Horna helped the player get up and apologised. A collision led to Nova Soccer getting a freekick after 82 minutes play. Lucas Horna hit a great ball. In the 88th minute of the game Lucas Horna made a throw-in which Favila Villaren played forward. Dante Lacasa took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Donat Collier, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. After a rather tough play, Nova Soccer's Donat Collier got a free kick in the 95th minute. The Nova Soccer fans had already started to leave before the final whistle blew. Mexico were clearly better and deserved to take the win.