Guastatoya qualifies for the semifinals, leaving Antigua GFC on the way with a goalless draw in El Pensativo

2023-12-03 05:08:02

This Saturday night, Antigua was unable to overcome the disadvantage it had carried since last Wednesday against Guastatoya, drawing a goalless draw on the floor of the Pensativo stadium.

With Comunicaciones on the other side, after they achieved the epic, thanks to a poker of goals by the Ecuadorian, Juan Luis Anangonó, the team led by Dwight Pezzarossi was looking for inspiration on their own ground to do what was fair with the support of their own fans .

This is because the colonials needed to turn around the goals that Omar Domínguez Palafox and Jonathan Estrada scored against them in the middle of the week at the David Cordón Hichos.

And in this context, the Antigüeños looked for the rival goal from the 3rd minute, however, this did not bear fruit and did result in the injury of the visiting player, Wilson Pineda, after he collided with the striker, Romario Da Silva. Let’s remember that Pezzarossi’s goal man during the regular season, Dewinder Bradley, could not be in the game tonight due to injury. Along the same lines, Andy Ruiz was also unable to be with his team due to the broken jaw he suffered in the first leg.

???? Jose Almanza and his gesture of solidarity with Andy Ruíz, after a jaw injury that has left him out of Apertura 2023. pic.twitter.com/Ri1wNgBuwd

— Antigua Esportiva (@antiguaesportiv) December 3, 2023

Then, at 21, number 26, Cristian Jiménez, had the opportunity to reduce one on aggregate, but his shot was not accurate enough to put the visiting goalkeeper, Adrián De Lemos, in trouble.

At 32, the Brazilian striker had the clearest chance until that moment, when Oscar Santis won the baseline from the right and with the death pass left Da Silva alone who entered from the left. Romario, uncomfortable with the defensive mark, had to cut back for his less capable leg, which took away the strength of the right hand he took and which did not complicate De Lemos too much.

Three minutes later, Oscar Castellanos was able to break the parity, but at the cut, the number 22, Wilson Pineda, arrived. Again, Santis was the assistant in another good incorporation by his band.

At the end of the first half, Santis did not know how to control his strength and with a sweep from behind, he knocked down Jonathan Estrada, for which he received the yellow card from the central referee, Julio Luna.

After the restart, Pezzarossi’s team continued trying, and again Santis was the protagonist. This time in a free kick that he centered on Newton Williams and that he hit the post at 50. On the second play, the “lelito” could not convert the first of the match.

Then, at 55, the locals demanded a penalty, when José Mena hit a Santis corner with his head, and it hit the outstretched arm of Omar Domínguez, but the Nazarene, Luna, did not sanction anything.

After this result, the Antigüeños were out of contention after finishing in third position in the standings in the regular phase, adding 28 points, registering 8 wins, 4 draws and the same losses. For his part, Guasta, did so in sixth place, with five points less (23), 7 wins, 2 draws and also 7 setbacks.

“Thank God for allowing me to return. A change forced by Alex’s injury. Unfortunately, we couldn’t, it was the game where we had the most scoring chances. We deserved a little more, now, to analyze the continuity, whether some of us continue or not. And think about what’s coming. They came to do that, Roberto Montoya, he knows us very well, we had already played a final against him. Don’t worry about the effort of your teammates, no one can be upset about that. We don’t know what’s coming, they will be difficult days. “After Ronald left, we are 100 percent with Dwight,” José Mena remarked, once the match was over.

“The team’s motto was a clean sheet. We knew that if we made it, we were going to pass. We hope in God that we achieve the goal. Step by step we seek the championship. Antigua tried everywhere, but the teammates behaved up to the task. We made a great series, Antigua is always one of the favorites for the title. But the clean sheet gave us the classification,” said the yellow-breasted goalkeeper, Adrián de Lemos.

It is worth remembering that, during the first round, both teams faced each other on matchday 5, drawing 2-2 on August 27 in El Nido, with goals from Jonathan Estrada and Walter García. And for the green bellies, Carlos Mejía and Dewinder Bradley scored. Furthermore, in the 10th, Bradley himself sentenced the match in El Pensativo.

Furthermore, it was the former National Team player’s first experience leading the green and white team. This is because he stayed after the board made the decision to remove the Costa Rican, Ronald González, due to differences in playing style, last September. It should be mentioned that González himself said that he was leaving due to “workplace harassment and disrespect.”

This Sunday, they finish defining the semifinals, first, at 11 in the morning, Municipal in El Trébol against Zacapa (0-1) and at 2 in the afternoon, Achuapa in Winston Pineda against Xela (1-3).