Challenge

Yankee Stadium
Spectators: 41 (Terracing: 32, Seating: 9, VIP seats: 0) Daniel Zorita made the kick off and thus started the match. If Cristian Sancho had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 4th 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 7th minute. Edgar Bjursell tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 9th minute Daniel Zorita shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Edgar Bjursell saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After some fancy dribbling in the 12th 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. Edgar Bjursell breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. The audience was convinced that Karl-Oskar Strömberg's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Julio Vera was relentless in the 20th minute of the game. The corner led Zlatan sucks's Karl-Oskar Strömberg to fire away a dangerous shot which Julio Vera despite some difficulties managed to get hold on the ball. After 23 minutes Ecuador's defender was forced to head the ball over the line for a corner. It was Melquiades Osasun who took care of the corner kick. After having played for 30 minutes, Daniel Zorita managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Ecuador's supporters crossed their fingers, but Daniel Zorita was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. When Jan-Erik Bure fell near the penalty area in the 38th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Zlatan sucks's protests and gave Jan-Erik Bure a yellow card for diving instead. After 38 played minutes Zlatan sucks got a freekick which was hit by Jan-Erik Bure. Jan-Erik Bure hit a great freekick 41 minutes into the match. Daniel Zorita, 41 minutes into the match, dribbled the ball up the side of the field and decided to take a long shot at the goal. Unfortunately, the ball was poorly hit and landed closer to the corner than to the goal. With a little luck, Ecuador's Julio Vera got control of the ball when Sune Bergdal tried to sneak it across the goal line. Edgar Bjursell showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Cristian Sancho, who was totally free with the ball in the 47th minute. The away team players looked dejected as the walked off the pitch at half time. They had fought hard, but were still losing 1-0.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Sune Bergdal to make the kick off. Julio Vera stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Karl-Oskar Strömberg's shot from short distance in the 53rd minute. After a rather tough play, Zlatan sucks's Karl-Oskar Strömberg got a free kick in the 54th minute. Julio Vera showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Karl-Oskar Strömberg in the 56th minute of the match. 60 minutes into the match, Ecuador's goal looked a bit too open when Sven-Ove Holmgren came free, but Julio Vera reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Daniel Zorita fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 61st minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Edgar Bjursell having to interfere. Agustín Saelices recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 62nd minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. After 67 played minutes Ecuador got a freekick which was hit by Antonio Arias. An unexpectedly hard shot by Sune Bergdal in the 68th minute of play forced Ecuador's goalkeeper Julio Vera to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. The corner ended in Melquiades Osasun almost managing to get the ball behind the net, but Ecuador's Julio Vera did a great save. Julio Vera stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Fritz Berghmans's shot from short distance in the 77th minute. 85 minutes into the match, Ecuador's goal looked a bit too open when Karl-Oskar Strömberg came free, but Julio Vera reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 85th minute Karl-Oskar Strömberg 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. Julio Vera took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Sven-Ove Holmgren, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. If Sven-Ove Holmgren had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 95th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead.