April 24, 2024
Today saw the start of the penultimate round of the 2023/24 Clausura season in Nicaragua, with a meeting of 6th placed Matagalpa versus 3rd placed Managua FC. With only three points separating the sides it was all to play for to qualify for the end of season play-offs……
These diaries had made six previous reviews of the Nicaragua Primera league, with the first being way back in May 2020 when Nicaragua was one of the few leagues playing through the Covid pandemic, and Managua played Real Esteli in the 2020 Clausura final, which after a 1-1 away draw, they lost 1-3 at home.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2020/05/preview-nicaragua-clausura-final-second.html
In subsequent seasons, Managua have been perennial participants in the play-offs but have been unable to add to their one title, the 2018 Apertura. In 2020/21 they lost the Clausura final to Diriangen 1-3 on aggregate, and lost to the same opposition in the 2021/22 Clausura semi-final, which was also featured in these diaries.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2022/05/review-nicaragua-202122-liga-primera.html
In the 2022/23 Apertura semi-final they lost 0-2 on aggregate to Real Esteli and also lost in the Clausura semi-final to Real Esteli in a penalty shootout. After losing 0-1 at home they won 3-2 away.
Real Esteli were also too strong in the 2023/24 Apertura, as Managua lost 0-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals.
Managua started the round today with an 8-6-4 record to sit in third place and had the second best away record at 3-3-2, having lost only at Ocotal and Esteli. However, they had lost three of their four most recent matches and had just one win in their last 6 matches.
Brazilian striker Lucas dos Santos was their top scorer with 7 goals, after having scored 17 goals in the Apertura campaign but was a substitute today. Midfielder Juan Barrera ( 79 caps, 24 goals ) was part of the Real Esteli side in the 2020 Clausura final, whilst their other internationals starting today were midfielders Kevin Serapio ( 25 caps ), Agenor Baez ( 4 caps ) and Waldner Vasquez ( 1 cap ). Serapio was pressed into playing as a centre-back today, and diminutive striker Sushy Lopez won’t be 16 until June !
All of the Managua starting XI were Nicaraguan and only one of their four Brazilians were on the bench.
Matagalpa Background
Matagalpa is the 7th largest city in Nicaragua with a population of around 115,000 and is situated around 130km north of the capital Managua, which typically would take just under 3 hours by road.
Indigenas de Matagalpa FC are in their first season in the Primera League after winning promotion last season. They play in the 5,000 capacity Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa which is also the home of CS Sebaco, who were featured in these diaries in March 2023 when they beat Juventus Managua. It has a smart covered seated stand along one side of the pitch and an open terrace behind one goal, but nothing yet on the other two sides of the stadium. It has an artificial grass surface.
Matagalpa had finished 8th in the Apertura, compared to 4th for Managua, but had made a better fist of it in the Clausura with a 6-3-7 record and had taken 10 points from their last 4 matches so were entering the crucial part of the season in good form. At home they were 5-2-1, with only runaway leaders Diriangen taking all three points from them after a 93rd minute goal gave them a 3-2 victory.
The one notable name in the Matagalpa side was Mexican striker Taufic Guarch, who was also in the Real Esteli team in the 2020 Clausura final and has now played for 5 Nicaraguan sides in the Primera League. He played today with a white bandage around his head.
Three other foreigners in their team today were all Colombian, defenders Luis Vanegas and Aldair Simanca and striker Edwin Lopez. Vanegas and Lopez were their leading scorers in the Clausura with 5 goals each.
Previous Meetings
Earlier in the Clausura competition, Managua beat Matagalpa 3-2 in the capital. This was also the score in the Apertura, although the return in Matagalpa was a 1-1 draw.
Matchday Information
The temperature on a sunny day at the 15.00 local time kick-off ( 22.00 UK time ) was 27 degrees.
The home side were playing in a mostly white and yellow shirt covered with all sorts of patterns typical of a 5 year old’s painting lesson, whilst Managua were in all blue but with yellow across their upper chests.
Most of the small crowd were sitting at the back of the main stand under cover of the roof and out of the sun, but around 20 fanatics with trumpets and drums were on the open terrace behind the goal Matagalpa were attacking in the first half. 20 or so Managua fans arrived mid-way through the first-half, presumably having been delayed on their way to Matagalpa.
Match Report
As the teams lined up before the kick-off, Matagalpa looked bigger and stronger than the Managua players and they began the match impressively, playing the ball around nicely. However, they were unable to create any danger though, with just a couple of right-wing crosses fizzing across the visitors’ 6 yard line.
The first chance arrived in the 12th minute. After a spell of pressure, Zuniga’s left footed shot from the edge of area hit Serapio on the foot and looped up into the air, but Lopez’s left footed volley from 6 yards went wide. It was a great chance squandered.
The first yellow card of the match was shown to Simanca in the 14th minute for a late tackle on Barrera on the halfway line.
The home side continued to dominate but Colindres’ header from Guarch’s corner was weak and easily saved by Mendez.
However, the game took an unexpected turn when Chavez ran into the Matagalpa area but a clumsy and needless challenge from Vanegas brought the left-sided midfielder to the floor and the referee pointed to the spot. Baez’s left footed kick went to the keeper’s left and under his dive to nestle into the back of the net. Against the run of play it was 0-1 after 20 minutes.
Matagalpa though continued to dominate, and a right-wing cross was well headed away by Martin for throw-in, then Zuniga went on a weaving run and played an incisive pass for Benevidez to run on to but portly keeper Mendez came off his line to make a close range block from a shot from an acute angle, and then gathered the loose ball.
Managua were defending stoutly, and Matagalpa were struggling to prise open their defence. A minute before the break, Benevidez’s ball into the area wasn’t dealt with, but when the loose ball reached Luna, he could only meekly scoop harmlessly over the bar.
Stward Castillo then ran past Guerrero to get to the by-line, and his cross to the penalty spot bounced up, but the attempt from Lopez at a scissor kick lacked power and the ball rolled harmlessly to the keeper.
Managua headed to the dressing rooms with a one goal lead, without having had any meaningful effort on goal, apart from the penalty. Serapio was taking the goal-kicks and kicking long, usually resulting in Matagalpa regaining possession, but they had lacked a cutting edge.
Managua made two changes at the start of the second half, with Lucas dos Santos and Jose Martinez replacing teenagers Lopez and Reyes.
Matagalpa appeared to have put centre-back Vanegas up front, with Guarch moving to a more central midfield playmaker role and Benevidez dropping back to right wing-back.
The home side were still having the better of the game but were being kept at arm’s length. Vanegas’ optimistic long-range effort sailed well wide, then a chip from Guarch over the backline was kept in play by Lopez, but his lay back was to no-one in particular and hoofed cleared by Vasquez.
In the 54th minute Axel Castillo’s cross from the right saw Guarch challenge Serapio for a header, but when ball looped up, Vanegas’ acrobatic attempt was high and wide.
Managua had a rare attack a minute later as Martinez found Chavez on the left who played a ball down the channel to Barrera. The veteran’s cross was deep but found Lucas dos Santos, but his lay off to Guerrero saw Colindres shield the ball, allowing it to roll to the keeper.
Chavez then played another ball down the left-hand side and Baez brushed past Benevidez. He then played the ball across the goalmouth to set-up Lucas dos Santos but the Brazilian’s left footed shot from close to the penalty spot was at keeper Valenzuela, who saved at second attempt.
The visitor’s good spell continued as Guarch was shown a yellow card for a foul on Martinez near corner flag but the free kick from Dos Santos was punched away.
Matagalpa responded with a cross from Axel Castillo in the 61st minute which gave Lopez a free header from 8 yards, but he could only glance wide.
Lopez then turned provider with a ball into 6-yard box, but Serapio cleared for a corner before it could reach Vanegas. The corner was cleared but immediately played back in to the danger zone by Benevidez, where Lopez turned and shot left footed from angle of 6 yard box, but his effort hit the diving keeper. Again, Managua fail to clear their lines and a cross from Guarch was headed wide by substitute Gadea.
If felt like the equaliser was coming and in the 66th minute Granado delivered a teasing left footed cross from left touchline beyond far post where Vanegas could only head into the side netting. A minute later, a fierce long-range drive from Guarch was tipped away by diving keeper for a corner.
At the other end, a long ball out of defence reached Lucas dos Santos who did well to control and lay off to Barrera, who was forced wide to angle of penalty area but his fantastic effort on goal was met by an equally fantastic save from Valenzuela, who acrobatically finger-tipped the ball over the bar.
Goal-scorer Baez was then shown a yellow card for
taking too long to leave the field after being substituted, after which
Matagalpa’s Gadea’s long range poke snuck past the wrong side of the post.
Managua’s Vasquez was carried off the pitch on a
stretcher after a bad foul, for which Valle became the latest player to enter
the referee’s note book.
11 minutes from time a long-range Matagalpa shot
took a deflection but Valle reached the ball on the by-line. However, his cross-cum-shot
was at keeper Mendez, who made the catch.
Managua should have increased their lead in the 81st minute but after Martinez got to the by-line, his low cross was missed by the diving keeper but also by Lucas dos Santos 6 yards out, and the chance went begging.
With time running out, Guarch tried his luck again from 35 yards but his piledriver flew just wide. However, the killer blow arrived three minutes from time. Dos Santos again did well to hold the ball up and his flick forward enabled Castenada to run clear and slip the ball left footed from 12 yards past the advancing keeper to complete the smash and grab raid. His reward was a couple of playful couple of kicks to the backside from Barrera. 0-2 after 87 minutes.
Matagalpa strove for a consolation and a minute from time a cross from the right from Axel Castillo was not dealt with by the Managua defence, and the ball fell to Vanegas who, under pressure from Guerrero, completely missed his kick from 6 yards out and Mendez dived onto the loose ball.
In the second minute of added on time, a long ball was headed down to Lopez edge of the area, but his afternoon was summed up as his left footed effort was sliced wide.
Although there were two yellow cards for Managua in added time, the visitors held on for a win that consolidated their position in third place. Having dominated for long periods of the match, Matagalpa will probably be wondering how they failed to get anything for the game. They stayed in 6th place but with a visit to Real Esteli still to come, they look likely to miss out on their first ever championship play-off.
Matagalpa FC : Valenzuela – Vanegas, Simanca, Colindres ( Valle ) – Luna ( Gadea ) Zuniga, A. Castillo, S. Castillo ( Granado ), Benavidez – Lopez, Guarch
Managua FC : Mendez – Martin, Serapio, Rodriguez,– Guerrero, Baez ( E. Lopez ), Vasquez ( Castenada ), Chavez ( Mairena ), Reyes ( Martinez ) – Barrera, S. Lopez ( Lucas dos Santos )
