At halftime, Mario Binco praised the players for their performance in the first half. It is not easy to maintain a tie at half-time against a first-class team. Especially Alan Willard, who not only led the defense to withstand Banfield's indiscriminate bombing in the first half, but also took the opponent's starting main forward off the field, and the other center was also broken by Willard. forehead, which had a certain impact on Banfield's offense.
If it weren't for strengthening the defense, the Hurricanes' offensive strength in the frontcourt was weakened, and they might have scored a goal first.
Even without scoring, the 0-0 score made Mario Binco very satisfied.
However, he still reminded everyone that the opponent was a Class A team. If the opponent did not score in the first half, it did not mean that the opponent could not score in the second half. As long as the opponent scores a goal, the Hurricanes will be miserable. Therefore, in the second half, the Hurricanes must continue to maintain the unity and fighting spirit of the first half, continue to withstand the opponent's offense, and then strive for goals.
The team members nodded in agreement.
The score was tied at 0-0 at halftime, and the Hurricanes players felt a lot more confident. Since the opponent can be forced to 0-0 in the first half, it is also possible to continue 0-0 in the second half. It then drags into overtime and a penalty shootout. The penalty shootout depends on luck. As a second-tier team, the Hurricanes eliminated Banfield and advanced to the quarterfinals. It is really not a dream.
After a 15-minute intermission, the two sides changed sides and fought again in the second half.
Santiago Salcedo, who was injured by Velarde on the forehead, could not continue to play after all. At the beginning of the second half, Banfield replaced him with another substitute forward Niandre Chietti.
But the problem is that Niandre Chetty is not a center. He is the same height as Herminio Trezeguet, another forward who came on the bench before, only a little over 170cm.
Both of them are point-grabbing shadow forwards and do not have the ability to fight for the top in the penalty area or play with the ball behind their backs.
Since then, Banfield can only attack on the ground, carry out passing and cutting cooperation, and break through and shoot. However, the presence of Willard and Lucas Villaruel can block most of Banfield's attacks outside the penalty area. Banfield can only take long shots outside the penalty area at most, and it is difficult to attack the penalty area. , take a close shot.
Even if it happens once in a while, goalkeeper Marcos Dias's outstanding performance is still able to keep the goal.
In the 63rd minute, Banfield managed to tear apart the Hurricanes' defense through skillful teamwork and sent the ball into the penalty area. Niandre Chetty, who came on as a substitute in the second half, grabbed the first point and volleyed into the goal.
As a result, the moment he finished shooting, Velarde, who had been outside the penalty area before, had already rushed back into the penalty area, made a flying tackle at an angle, and successfully destroyed the ball out of the baseline.
"Chetty shoots!"
"Oh..."
"The ball was destroyed again by Willard's clearance."
"Alan Velarde has replaced Federico Bismara and has become the anchor of the Hurricanes' defense. He can appear anywhere, and often in key positions."
"The goal opportunity just now was quite good. It was less than 10 meters away from the goal. Niandre Cech's shot didn't seem to be missed. It went straight to the goal."
"If it weren't for Willard's flying tackle to clear the ball, the goal might have been scored."
"Unfortunately, the game didn't work out. Willard once again completed an excellent clearance defense and resolved Banfield's shot."
"In this game, I'm afraid Willard will be awarded the best player on the spot again."
"It is really rare for a midfielder defensive player to be selected as the best player in five consecutive games."
"There is no doubt that Willard has become a rising defensive star. Even in the First Division, he is outstanding."
Banfield's overall strength is indeed stronger than the Hurricanes, and most of the time Banfield holds the ball in offense.
Sometimes, even if the other party doesn't want to touch Willard, it doesn't work. On the one hand, Willard deliberately made a grab, and on the other hand, other opponents' players were also being marked by the Hurricanes' defensive players. Banfield's ball-carrying players had to face Willard to break through.
In the 71st minute, Banfield winger Elviti encountered such a situation when he got the ball and faced Willard's interception. There are Hurricanes players closely guarding the surrounding ball points. It is not safe to pass the ball out, and they are unwilling to turn around and pass back.
So, Elviti rushed towards Velarde with the ball and tried to break through Velarde with his bicycle. As a result, Velarde decisively grabbed the ball, stole the ball away, and knocked Elviti down. land.
Elviti raised his hands and shouted, signaling to the referee that Velarde had fouled, but the referee ignored him and signaled the game to continue.
Willard made a great steal and immediately passed the ball before other players on the other team could counterattack, allowing the Hurricanes to launch a quick counterattack.
In previous games, the Hurricanes also had many opportunities to counterattack, but they failed to grasp them.
But this time, the Hurricanes took advantage of it. After a series of passes and cuts from Lucas Villaruel, Gonzano Martinez, Toranso, and Thomson Mira, the final was Thomson Mira played the ball with his back in the opponent's penalty area, passed the ball diagonally back, and sent the ball to Toranso's forward path.
Toranso broke into the penalty area from outside the right corner of the penalty area, and before Banfield center back Nicholas Binchy tried to make a flying tackle, he volleyed the ball hard towards the lower right corner of the goal.
Goalkeeper Servio reacted in time and pounced out immediately. However, Toranso's hit was too fast and the angle was too tricky. Although Servio barely touched the ball with his fingers in the end, he was unable to touch the ball out of the baseline. Instead, he only slightly changed the line and hit the ball. It hit the inside of the goal post and bounced into the net.
The commentators shouted excitedly:
"Goooooooooooooooooooooal..."
"The ball went in!!!"
"Hurricane Athletics, playing at home, took the lead to break the deadlock and scored, leading Class A team Banfield 1-0."
"The goal was caused by Alan Willard stealing Elviti in the backcourt. Elviti tried to break through Willard with a bicycle, but was unexpectedly easily intercepted by Willard."
"Villade's awareness and defensive skills are not inferior at all even when faced with offensive players from the first-class team, and he can even steal easily."
"Then after the Hurricanes made several passes and cuts, Thomson Milla turned his back in the penalty area and passed the ball to Toranso who came in from the back row."
"Toranso rushed into the penalty area and scored with a volley, helping Hurricanes take a 1-0 lead."
"The Hurricanes have the upper hand. If they can keep this score until the end, then the Hurricanes will eliminate the first division team again after eliminating Boca Juniors in the previous round and advance to the next round."
