In a game that was stuck from the beginning, the Cienfuegos Mariners had to sweat to divide with the modest Mayabeque, who had just lost their first two commitments in this 2023 Opening Tournament of the 107th Cuban Soccer League.
Coach Héctor Pedroso’s pupils stood firm against the inspired locals, and appealing to counterattacks, more than once put the cabin under whose three sticks Yoalexis González defends in danger. Few shots, it is true, but pressure and a lot of physical work for the rear.
Similarly, a lot of green in the uniforms, little, very little on the dusty field that cries out for a blessing from San Pedro. So the contest was a real headache for the acting shortlist, who only had the reference of the black shirts of the visit to differentiate one side from the other.
And so, when minute 35 was running, a shot from three quarters complicated the calculations for our goalkeeper, who went to the fair and saw how the shot nested in the nets despite the defense’s attempts to remove it.
The incident was so unexpected that while the Mayabeque high command, in his opinion, awarded the goal to Yasmani Cohimbra, Jorge Olay Rodríguez from Villa Clara, ultimately the decision-maker in his capacity as principal, said that the target was going to the account of Yusiel Menendez. And so it is on record.
With the game uphill, the Mariners kept trying, but nothing. They were losing by the minimum at halftime, and it was not until well advanced in the complementary period, when fatigue began to take its toll on the visiting defense, that the flute finally sounded. Abel Damián Ocampo was in charge of blowing it at 75′, and he even had the opportunity to put his team in front, when minutes later, in an open position as a lone rifleman, he hit the ball from the inside instep, which kissed the left post. There were not a few who commented that it was easier to score a goal than miss it, but that’s how things are in football.
A division of honors that leaves an unpleasant taste and puts Professor Carrazana’s Mariners second with seven units, behind Matanzas, the surprise team and right now the only undefeated team in this Opening 2023, after endorsing a 2-0 win over Champion Artemis. Kelvin Castellanos (32′) and Yasnier Martínez (62′) were the scorers.
In other results of this third date, Havana knocked out Colero Villa Clara 1-0 in his mecca, Zulueta, with a target from Oswald del Jesús (36 ‘) and Pinar a la Isla with a similar scoreboard thanks to a goal from Yacel Ponciano at 62 ′.
The Yumurinos lead the table (9 units), two behind Cienfuegos and Havana (7). They are followed by Pinar del Río (4), Artemisa (3), Mayabeque (1) and the group is closed by La Isla and Villa Clara, who have not yet added points.
Surprise in San Justo
For group B from the center east, the surprise was taken by Holguín, who, visiting the Guantanamo stadium in the San Justo neighborhood, deprived the Titanes del Guaso of their unbeaten record, with a double by Cristian Carlos Valiente (46 and 71), the second of double merit given the incombustible Alexis “El Loco” Zuaznábar had leveled the score at minute 66 with his goal number 80 in national competitions.
Also of surprising trim was the 1-0 victory of Sancti Spíritus over Camagüey in the boots of Linoel Rojas (26′), identical to that of the Tiburones from Avila against Las Tunas. Yunior Manuel Hernández (16′) put his team to win early on the Sergio Alonso Grandal pitch, from Morón.
Finally, Santiago de Cuba defeated Granma 2-0 with an early double by Leandro Rafael Mena at minutes 9 and 13. Now the Red Devils lead that segment with seven points, escorted by Guantánamo, Holguín and Ciego de Ávila (6); Granma and Sancti Spíritus (3); Camaguey (2) and Las Tunas (1).