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In an earlier post, I mentioned the championship match of El Salvador between Metapan and Chalatengo Sunday which was being webcast.
You couldn't write a movie script for this. After the score was tied 2-2
after 80 minutes, Metapan played the final 20 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods with only nine men, yet rallied from behind to win the championship 4-3 on penalties following a 3-3 ending. All six goals were scored after the 45-minute mark. Metapan's goalkeeper scored two of his team's three goals during the match.
Metapan and Chalatengo are both regional teams from the far northern
corners of El Salvador, as far away from the capital of San Salvador as possible. The game was played in the familiar Estadio Cuscactlan, which was mostly full, except for the center section kept deliberately empty to keep fans of the two sides apart.
After a scoreless first half, the teams traded goals in the first five minutes of the second half. Metapan was given a penalty kick in the 47th minute for a foul in the box. Metapan's goalie converted the kick.
On the ensuing kickoff, Chalatengo took the ball down the field, and scored on a header, set up from a cross from the right side.
Chaltengo took the lead in the 64th minute, on a gift goal. Metapan's golie gathered a weak shot, but collided with a teammate, dropping the ball. Chalatengo scored into the empty net from two yards out. Metapan answered two minutes later.
The drama began in the 69th minute. A Metapan player was ejected for a foul. The referee rely recorded the ejection when a scuffle took place in front of the Metapan goal, and a second Metapan player was ejected. No Chalatengo players were ejected.
Metapan grimly hung on until the end of regulation time, and through the first overtime. Chalatengo broke through in the second overtime to take a 3-2 lead.
Inexplicably, with two minutes remaining, a Metapan player not only got into Chalatengo's box with the ball, but he was cut down for another penalty. Metapan's goalkeeper scored again on the penalty kick.
In the shootout, Metapan's goalkeeper set the tone on the first kick, stopping Chaltengo's first shot. He then scored Metapan's first goal
in the shootout.
Metapan scored on three of the first four shots, and Chaltengo scored
the next three kicks for a 3-3 tie after four shooters. In the fifth and final round, Chaltengo's shot was saved, and Metapan scored.
You couldn't write a movie script for this. After the score was tied 2-2
after 80 minutes, Metapan played the final 20 minutes of regulation and two overtime periods with only nine men, yet rallied from behind to win the championship 4-3 on penalties following a 3-3 ending. All six goals were scored after the 45-minute mark. Metapan's goalkeeper scored two of his team's three goals during the match.
Metapan and Chalatengo are both regional teams from the far northern
corners of El Salvador, as far away from the capital of San Salvador as possible. The game was played in the familiar Estadio Cuscactlan, which was mostly full, except for the center section kept deliberately empty to keep fans of the two sides apart.
After a scoreless first half, the teams traded goals in the first five minutes of the second half. Metapan was given a penalty kick in the 47th minute for a foul in the box. Metapan's goalie converted the kick.
On the ensuing kickoff, Chalatengo took the ball down the field, and scored on a header, set up from a cross from the right side.
Chaltengo took the lead in the 64th minute, on a gift goal. Metapan's golie gathered a weak shot, but collided with a teammate, dropping the ball. Chalatengo scored into the empty net from two yards out. Metapan answered two minutes later.
The drama began in the 69th minute. A Metapan player was ejected for a foul. The referee rely recorded the ejection when a scuffle took place in front of the Metapan goal, and a second Metapan player was ejected. No Chalatengo players were ejected.
Metapan grimly hung on until the end of regulation time, and through the first overtime. Chalatengo broke through in the second overtime to take a 3-2 lead.
Inexplicably, with two minutes remaining, a Metapan player not only got into Chalatengo's box with the ball, but he was cut down for another penalty. Metapan's goalkeeper scored again on the penalty kick.
In the shootout, Metapan's goalkeeper set the tone on the first kick, stopping Chaltengo's first shot. He then scored Metapan's first goal
in the shootout.
Metapan scored on three of the first four shots, and Chaltengo scored
the next three kicks for a 3-3 tie after four shooters. In the fifth and final round, Chaltengo's shot was saved, and Metapan scored.