Challenge

Estádio do Relógio
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. Jaime Pardo started the match with the kick off. In the 3rd minute, Primitivo Escribano 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. 6 minutes into the match, Itajaí Football Club's goal looked a bit too open when Jaime Pardo came free, but André Piovezan reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Christiano Cearense charged in rather forcefully in the 8th minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Christiano Cearense the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. A collision led to Itajaí Football Club getting a freekick after 8 minutes play. Christiano Cearense hit a great ball. In the 9th minute, Jaime Pardo left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Paraguay fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 0-1. 12 minutes into the game, Danilo Hermes was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Itajaí Football Club's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Paraguay the free kick. In the 12th match minute, Itajaí Football Club was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Danilo Hermes to maneuver through the defense. In the 13th minute, Juan Diego Tenorio left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Paraguay fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 0-2. 18 minutes into the match, Itajaí Football Club's goal looked a bit too open when Hector Covarrubias came free, but André Piovezan reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Jaime Pardo might have been able to make a better finish in the 18th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over André Piovezan. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Jaime Pardo ran back to his position shaking his head. Norberto Abreu charged in rather forcefully in the 21st minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Norberto Abreu the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. Primitivo Escribano hit a great freekick 26 minutes into the match. After a rather tough play, Itajaí Football Club's Christiano Cearense got a free kick in the 28th minute. André Piovezan took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Jaime Pardo, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. After having played for 33 minutes, Primitivo Escribano managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Paraguay's supporters crossed their fingers, but Primitivo Escribano was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. In the 36th minute Jaime Pardo shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but André Piovezan saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After a defensive mix-up in Itajaí Football Club's zone, Hector Covarrubias stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. André Piovezan came out of the goal and Hector Covarrubias tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. José Vítor Passos blasted a shot towards the goal in the 40th minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Jacobo Nores having to make a save. The Paraguay fans' excitement grew in the 43rd match minute when Paraguay's Jaime Pardo looked to have a clear shot with the ball near the goal. The shot wasn't hard, but the ball still rolled over the goal line to make it 0-3 before the goalkeeper had a chance to intervene. Jaime Pardo's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but André Piovezan read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 46th minute of play. After a defensive mix-up in Paraguay's zone, José Vítor Passos stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Jacobo Nores came out of the goal and José Vítor Passos tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Even after changing tactics the home team jogged off the field with a 0-3 deficit. They would have to work harder if they wanted to turn things around in the second half.

Jaime Pardo took the ball and in the 54 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised André Piovezan. André Piovezan dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 0-4. An unexpectedly hard shot by Hector Covarrubias in the 57th minute of play forced Itajaí Football Club's goalkeeper André Piovezan to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Jaime Pardo fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 59th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without André Piovezan having to interfere. In the 60th minute, Primitivo Escribano hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Carlos de Moraes during the 70th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. Carlos de Moraes hit a great freekick 70 minutes into the match. If Jaime Pardo had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 80th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. André Piovezan made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Jaime Pardo in the 81st minute of play. Jaime Pardo could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 84th minute of the match, but André Piovezan made a huge save. Itajaí Football Club's André Piovezan played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Jaime Pardo in the 89th minute of play. Paraguay played a much better game than Itajaí Football Club and deserved their victory. The Itajaí Football Club players were clearly disappointed as they left the ground.