Challenge

Gama Arena
Spectators: 45 (Terracing: 35, Seating: 10, VIP seats: 0) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Tomas Illescas kicked off to start the match. The supporters of Venezuela booed when FC Koper was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 2 match minutes in a wonderful position. Orlando Sasoin didn't get a good kick on the ball. Cveto Novinec showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Tomas Illescas in the 13th minute of the match. In the 18th minute, Manos Labrou reached a very good position and smashed the ball with a huge effort into the net, just to the left of Jonathan Ferrant. The goal made the score 1-0. In the 25th match minute, Venezuela was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Jonathan Venegas to maneuver through the defense. Minas Markomichalis received a nice pass, split the defenders, and ran untouched towards the goal. Jonathan Ferrant came out and tried to block the shot, but Minas Markomichalis slotted it home off the left post making it 2-0 in the 28th minute. Patricio Costa scored 2-1 in the 34th match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Cveto Novinec, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. An unexpectedly hard shot by Manos Labrou in the 37th minute of play forced Venezuela's goalkeeper Jonathan Ferrant to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Jonathan Ferrant made an important save on a dangerous shot by Manos Labrou in the 42nd minute. 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 Minas Markomichalis made a kick off. Jonathan Ferrant didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Wasyl Okropny went, in the 52nd minute, to the upper right corner, 3-1 was the resulting score. Tomas Illescas sent away a hard shot on goal in the 56th minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. After 63 minutes of play, Venezuela's Tomas Illescas made it 3-2 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Cveto Novinec was left in no man's land by his defense there! Tomas Illescas could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 68th minute of the match, but Cveto Novinec made a huge save. After some fancy dribbling in the 76th minute, Patricio Costa managed to get in a good position for a shot. Venezuela's supporters rose to their feet, but Patricio Costa was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Cveto Novinec breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Orlando Sasoin hit a great freekick 81 minutes into the match. The audience thought a goal was coming when Tomas Illescas got free with Cveto Novinec in the 83rd minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. FC Koper's Cveto Novinec played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Tomas Illescas in the 85th minute of play. Salvador Gisbert made a great header on Venezuela's corner, it was just that FC Koper's Cveto Novinec managed to reach the ball for a save. Cveto Novinec made an important save on a dangerous shot by Tomas Illescas in the 90th minute. After 92 played minutes Venezuela got a freekick which was hit by Guillermo Mariano. Istok Marinč recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 93rd minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. Venezuela's players left the field with heads hung low after losing a match that had been finely balanced throughout.