U18 World League

La Fortaleza
Spectators: 7467 (Terracing: 5601, Seating: 1717, VIP seats: 149) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Mateo Blanco kicked off to start the match. The audience thought a goal was coming when Eriberto Raymond got free with Epifanio Etxatxu in the 4th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. 5 minutes into the match, Marcelo Mendiko notched a goal, 0-1, to the right of La Zabaleta's Feliberto Bittor. Feliberto Bittor was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. 8 minutes into the game, Armando Min was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. La Zabaleta's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Villa Mitre City the free kick. Marcelo Mendiko scored 0-2 in the 11th match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Feliberto Bittor, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. Epifanio Etxatxu was a little too slow when Mateo Blanco got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 14th minute. The score was now 1-2. An unexpectedly hard shot by Norberto Calisto in the 18th minute of play forced La Zabaleta's goalkeeper Feliberto Bittor to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Feliberto Bittor showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Atilano Gaizkine, who was totally free with the ball in the 23rd minute. 25 minutes into the match, La Zabaleta's goal looked a bit too open when Marcelo Mendiko came free, but Feliberto Bittor reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 28th minute, La Zabaleta's Mateo Blanco dribbled the ball into the box and hit a shot with the outside of his foot, sending the keeper the wrong way. 2-2. Marcelo Mendiko sent away a hard shot on goal in the 32nd minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Feliberto Bittor showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Alberto Orti in the 34th minute of the match. In the 37th match minute, Villa Mitre City was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Norberto Calisto to maneuver through the defense. After 43 minutes of play, Villa Mitre City's Marcelo Mendiko made it 2-3 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Feliberto Bittor was left in no man's land by his defense there! In the 47th minute Marcelo Mendiko shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Feliberto Bittor saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Even after changing tactics the home team jogged off the field with a 2-3 deficit. They would have to work harder if they wanted to turn things around in the second half.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Marcelo Mendiko stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Marcelo Mendiko ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Feliberto Bittor was frozen by the shot and now it was 2-4. Feliberto Bittor made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Marcelo Mendiko in the 62nd minute of play. Feliberto Bittor took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Marcelo Mendiko, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. 74 minutes into the match, La Zabaleta's goalkeeper Feliberto Bittor had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Gonzalo Oriol. In the 77th minute Mateo Blanco shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Epifanio Etxatxu saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Villa Mitre City's Epifanio Etxatxu played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Mateo Blanco in the 79th minute of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Norberto Calisto in the 82nd minute of play forced La Zabaleta's goalkeeper Feliberto Bittor to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. 86 minutes into the match, La Zabaleta's goal looked a bit too open when Alberto Orti came free, but Feliberto Bittor reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. 88 minutes into the match, La Zabaleta's goal looked a bit too open when Norberto Calisto came free, but Feliberto Bittor reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line.