October 21, 2021
The last review of the Nicaraguan Liga Primera by
these diaries was for week 2 of the 2021/22 Apertura competition. The regular 18
game season has now reached round 13.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2021/08/review-of-202122-nicaragua-liga-primera.html
Earlier in the season all matches were streamed live
on the Primera Liga YouTube channel but subsequently, matches are now only
available via a $3.99 monthly subscription, although one match in each round is
still free to air. Match highlights and the goals of the week round up are
still freely available on the YouTube channel though. This week’s free to air
game is the match between Real Madriz and UNAM Managua, which is 6th
vs 10th ( or last ). As a 6th
place finish qualifies for the final place in the Apertura play-offs, and the
sides are only separated by 4 points, there is still everything to play for.
Real Madriz are
not to be confused with a similarly named side in Spain, but do play in a
predominately all white kit ! They are located in the town of Somoto, the
capital of the Madriz region in the northern hills of Nicaragua. It is
approximately 220 km from the capital Managua, and the journey by road usually takes
nearly 3 hours.
Real Madriz play at the Estadio Solidaridad which has a capacity of
3,000 and a grass pitch, one of only four in the Liga Primera. The Real squad
are all qualified to play for Nicaragua, although top scorer Edwin Castros ( 9
goals ) was born in Honduras. Forward Ricardo Mendieta has 5 caps for the
National side, and 4 goals so far this season. Defenders Ulises Pozo and Jorge
Ellis both have 3 caps.
Real have a 4-2-6 record after 12 matches but their record is 3-1-2 at
home. Home wins have been recorded against Walter Ferretti ( 3-1 ), ART Jalapa
( 1-0 ) and Juventus Managua ( 2-0 ) and they had a 3-3 draw with H&H
Sebaco. Defeats were suffered against the top two, Diriangen ( 0-1 ) and Real Esteli ( 1-2 ). The reverse fixture at
UNAN Managua was won 5-3, after being behind 3-1 early in the second half.
However, the highlight of Madriz’s season has been their progress to Nicaraguan
Cup Final, to be played against Walter Ferretti on Wednesday October 27th,
a side that have not won in their past 6 league matches until this week.
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua ( UNAN ) Managua were promoted back to the Liga Primera for
this season, and play in the 20,000 capacity National stadium in the capital.
They have only two wins in 12 matches, ART Jalapa 1-0 ( H ) and Deportivo
Ocotal 2-1 ( A ), but they have lost only one of the last 5 matches, picking up
6 points in the process. Despite currently being last place, a good run over
the last 6 games could see them sneak into 6th place and the
play-offs. Their squad is all local apart from Brazilian full back Rafael
Almeida, who is joint top scorer with 3 goals, and Costa Rican midfielder Kevin
Torres. Players with international experience include midfielder Norlan Cuadra
( 5 caps ), forwards Rafael Baquedano and Anderson Treminio ( 1 cap each ), and
defender Mevin Hernandez ( 4 caps ).
The match kicked-off at 19.00 local time, which was 2am the following
day in the UK. I decided to watch the YouTube stream later in the morning
without knowing the score, but I hardly had to go to the extremes of The Likely
Lads to avoid finding out the result !
After a hot, dry day of around 31 degrees, the temperature for the
evening kick-off was cooler at 22 degrees.
Real made three changes to their starting line-up that lost 0-1 at Real Esteli
last time out, with keeper Ortiz being replaced by Hernadez, and Ellis and
Edwin Castro dropping down to the bench, with Agurcia and Espinoza coming into
the side.
UNAN made four changes to the side that drew 2-2 at ART Jalapa, with
Almeida, Downs and Cacares missing out completely, whilst Cuadra dropped to the
substitutes bench. Castillo, Rodriguez, Rizo and Hernadez came into the team.
UNAN’s shirts were was yellow and blue chequered pattern on the front
but all blue on the back. Real’s white shirt had one vertical claret and blue
stripe on one side, and looked like something Crystal Palace might have worn in
the 1990s.
The commentary on the YouTube stream was in Spanish, and sounded like it
was coming from a studio given the lack of noise and atmosphere being picked up
on the sound-track. The stadium has a large grass bank behind one goal, with
some flat grass and a perimeter wall behind the other goal. There is a small
elevated stand on the side of the pitch where the cameras were located,
presumably for directors and dignitaries, which stands above the team benches.
The main stand on the far side has a several rows of large concrete steps on
which the spectators sit, and the middle third is under cover. It looked like
all of the crowd were wearing face masks.
The pitch looked in poor condition, with the grass being particularly
long and there were some muddy patches. It was also quite bumpy, with the ball
not always rolling smoothly and making passing football difficult. Perhaps some
vegetables are grown there in the close season ?!
As usual in the Liga Primera the national anthem was played before
kick-off. The first half-chance fell to UNAN in the 5th minute but
Treminio shot wide from the left hand side of the penalty area. After this Real
took control but without creating any meaningful chances from open play, and
all their best chances came from set-pieces.
Parades delivered a free-kick from close to half-way and Gallo with his
back to the goal, managed to turn and head across the face of the goal and just
wide with the keeper motionless. The same combination created the next chance
with Parades’ corner being headed just wide by Gallo with the UNAN keeper
beaten. Centre back Gallo also had the home sides other good chance in the half
with a glancing header from a chip forward by Kevin Castro, but the effort went
straight to Mayorga. Real’s only other real chance was a left-footed shot from
Agurcia after being teed up by Kevin Castro, but the effort went comfortably
wide. Espinoza also sent a weak shot from long-range but it bounced just in
front of Mayorga, who could only push away but a UNAN defender cleared the
danger.
UNAN gradually got into the game and created a number of good chances in
the final 15 minutes of the first half. In the 33rd minute, Treminio
showed good skill to flick the ball over the head of a defender and run into
the penalty area, but his shot was high, wide and handsome as they say.
UNAN should have taken the lead in the 38th minute. A
dreadful pass across the pitch from Pozo went straight to Treminio. He had time
to control the loose ball, but instead he opted to send a first-time chip over
the Real Madriz keeper who was in no-man’s land, but the effort was too close
to the keeper, who gratefully was able to block with his outstretched hands and
gather the ball.
The pressure was building and Torres through ball split the Real defence
and Treminio swept the bouncing ball left-footed goalwards, but Hernandez made
a fine reaction save from close range to tip the ball over the bar. From the
resulting corner, Brenes got a faint touch with head at the near post and keeper
Hernadez was able to get his body in the way to keep the ball out of the net.
The loose ball fell to Rizo a couple of yards from the goal line but he could
only scoop the ball on to the bar, where it bounced twice before falling for
Parades to make an athletic goal-line clearance.
Eventually the pressure told, and after Real failed with two attempts to
clear a free-kick into their area, Melvin Hernandez’s mishit volley looped up
off Parades and bounced into the corner of the net to give UNAN the lead. UNAN
probably deserved to be ahead at the interval as they had created several good
chances in the short spell before the break whereas all Real’s best efforts
came from a central defender.
Real could easily have equalised two minutes into the second half, when
Gallo again made his presence felt from a free-kick to head across goal, but from
about 8 yards, Vasquez stabbed the ball well wide of the goal with the outside
of his foot.
Winger Angel Brenes then came to the fore for UNAN, firstly running past
two defenders before sending a left footed shot just wide of the near post. He
then latched onto a dangerous cross from the by-line from Torres but saw both
his attempts blocked by defenders, after which he got to the by-line on the
right hand side to set-up a golden chance for Treminio, but the goal bound shot
hit the foot of Gallo to go off for a corner. It just about summed up
Treminio’s day, who a few minutes early had seen a shot go off for a throw-in.
Real responded by making a tactical change with a double substitution.
Stocky and overweight top scorer Edwin Castro came on, together with the tall
and powerful Jorge Ellis, who is normally a centre back, but both went
up-front. It was a clear statement of intent to play a more direct style of
football.
The change nearly had an instant impact when a long-ball in to the UNAN
wasn’t dealt with and Ortega sent a left footed volley narrowly wide. However,
the impressive Brenes was soon in the action again, easily running past Vasquez
to send a fierce shot that Hernandez was able to tip around the post for a
corner.
Real’s route one football nearly succeeded again when a long free-kick
from Kevin Castro sailed over the UNAN back-line but Mendieta failed to make
contact from inside the 6 yard area and the chance was wasted. A long throw to
the middle of the edge of the penalty area was then hooked just over the bar by
Espinoza, before another free-kick was launched by Kevin Castro which was
headed by Edwin Castro. It was probably going in, but it hit Ellis and bounced
to safety.
It was to prove to be Real last good chance, although Edwin Castro did
head another free-kick over the bar in the 90th minute as UNAN held
on fairly comfortably in the closing stages.
It looked like Kevin Castro might have sustained a serious injury in the
last 10 minutes when he was unable to check his run and fell over the low wall
just behind the by-line, taking a chunk out of the wall in the process. The
UNAN keeper and a defender immediately showed their concern and signalled for
the Real trainer to come over to his aid. Fortunately, he recovered and was
able to finish the game.
Overall, it wasn’t a great game to watch, but UNAN deserved their win
and moved to one point off a play-off place.
Real Madriz : Hernandez –
Gallo, Benavidez ( Ellis ), Parades – Pozo ( E.Castro ), Espinoza, K. Castro,
Bermudez ( Ortega ), Vasquez, Agurcia - Mendieta
UNAN Managua :
Mayorga – Hernandez, Rizo ( Cisneros ), Salgado, Castillo – Torres, Rodriguez (
Cuadra ), Canales – Brenes, Baquedano, Treminio
Week 13 Results
October 20, 2021
CD Walter Ferretti 5-0 ART Jalapa
Calabrese ( 8, 18 & 81 ), Forbes ( 60 ), Ugalde ( 86 )
Real Esteli 3-0 Juventus Managua
Danilo ( 54 ), Acuna ( 64 ), Goufas ( 92 )
Managua FC 1-2 H&H Export Sebaco
Alvarez ( 86 ); Trujillo ( 32 ), Galeano ( 95 – pen )
October 21, 2021
Diriangen FC 3-0 CD Ocotal
Moreno ( 27 ), da Silva ( 28 ),
Coronel ( 85 )
Real Madriz 0-1 UNAN Managua
Hernandez ( 44 )
Walter Ferretti
led the Apertura table after the second round having scored 4 times in both
their wins and it looked as if they might offer a serious challenge to Real
Esteli and Diriangen, respectively winners of the 2020/21 Apertura and Clausura
tournaments. However, their form fell off badly and before this week’s
thrashing of Jalapa had taken only two points from their 6 matches after their crazy
8-4 win at H&H Export Sebaco. A hat-trick for Argentinian striker Brian
Calabrese took him clear at the top of the goal charts on 12 goals. Jalapa have
now taken just one point from 7 away matches and slip to bottom of the table.
Real Esteli and Diriangen
went into the round of fixtures as joint-leaders, both with a 9-1-2 record, and
9 points clear of their nearest challenges. Esteli had lost 0-3 in round 3 at
Managua FC, and went down 2-3 at Diriangen, with the only other points dropped being
a 1-1 home draw with Walter Ferretti. Three second half goals saw off Juventus
Managua, whose poor form on their travels continued, to leave them with
only 4 points from 6 away matches.
Juventus’ home form has been decent though and last time out they
inflicted one of Diriangen’s two losses, winning 2-0. Diriangen’s other defeat
had been when they were surprisingly beaten 1-2 at bottom of the table Jalapa..
Diriangen though were easy winners at home to Ocotal to remain level with Real
Esteli.
Managua FC
started the season slowly, taking only one point from their first 2 games.
However, a run of just one loss in 9 games took them up to third place. A 0-1
loss at Real Esteli prevented them closing the gap on the leaders but this
week’s 1-2 home loss to H&H Export Sebaco was more unexpected. A penalty in
the 5th minute of added on time gave Sebaco the three points. Sebaco
have had a reasonable season since promotion to the Liga Primera but had been
let down by their failure to win a home match so they started the day as one of
three sides joint bottom of the table on 10 points. However, the win at Manuaga
FC was their third on the road.
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