Metropolitanos FC beat Merida students 2-0 in a duel between Venezuelan teams in which the people of Caracas achieved a good advantage in the first leg of the first round of the South American Cup which started this Tuesday at the stadium Mérida Metropolitan Olympic.
The second leg will take place next Tuesday, March 15, to define who advances in the twenty-first edition of this tournament organized by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).
Although with an even start, in minute 30 metropolitans put pressure on and opened the scoring with a goal from the left by Walter Araújo, who finished off from the center of the area directly to the heart of the goal.
The good passes and plays of Estudiantes, marked at the beginning of the game, faded before the pressure and speed of metropolitans.
The best opportunities for the meridaños in the first half came from Armando Araquewho in the 7th and 12th minute finished off with a miss and put his opponents on alert.
The leadership of metropolitans became evident with at least two clear goalscoring opportunities by Jeff Vargasin minute 36, and Robinson Floresin the 39th minute.
To try to come back Merida students picked up the second half with two changes between their midfielders, which gave new impetus to the team that constantly pressed close to the goal of the metropolitans.
In the 66th minute the tie almost came with a header from Armando Araque marked from the center of the area very close to the right post, but failed to be slightly off target.
The previous move woke up the metropolitans who scored his second goal in the 71st minute with a left shot from Luis Annesewho had entered 10 minutes earlier to replace Darwin Gomez.
After the second goal, three new substitutions for both teams renewed the strength on the pitch, but the academic team kept the goal safe to consolidate their advantage.
– Datasheet:
2. Metropolitan FC: Giancarlo Schiavone; Andrés Ferro, Jean Franco Fuentes, Nestor Cova, Jefre Vargas; Christian Larotonda, Walter Araujo (m.76. Facundo Moreira), Darwin Gómez (m.62 Luis Annese), Robinson Flores; Carlos Sosa (m.81. Luis Colmenárez), Marco Bustillo (m.75. Charlis Ortiz).
Coach: Jose Maria Morris.
0. Merida students: Alexander Araque; Edison Penilla, Marcel Guaramato, Juan Muriel Cruz, Aldreyby José Parra; Adjin Livingstone Ebo, Louis Ángelo Peña (m.46. Wilson Barrios), Ricardo Cardoso (m.46. Rafael Castrillo); Jesús Vargas (d.72. Gregory Materán), Armando Araque (d.80.Christian Flores), Jesús Meza (d.72. Jhonder Gómez).
Coach: Leonel Vielma Pena
Goals: 1-0, m.30: Walter Araujo. 2-0 m.71: Luis Annese
Referee: Bolivian Ivo Nigel Méndez Chávez penalized Edison Penilla, from Estudiantes de Mérida and Christian Larotonda and Jean Fuentes, from Metropolitanos, with a yellow card, the latter with a double card.
Incidents: First leg of the preliminary phase of the Copa Sudamericana, played at the Metropolitan Olympic Stadium in Mérida.
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