Caracas and Monagas met in the ninth round of the Clausura phase of the First Division on 13 September, and the visitors took all three points with a 1-0 win. Ronald José Rodríguez put Monagas ahead in the 39th minute, and that proved to be the decider in a match where neither side could find a second goal.
The goal came from a tight finish, and Caracas were left chasing the game after that. To be fair, the hosts kept the ball well — they held 61 per cent possession and launched 127 attacks — but they could not turn those numbers into a big chance. By then Monagas had already absorbed the pressure and were waiting for their moment.
There were plenty of yellow cards as the game wore on. Christian Adan Larotonda Adan and Jeriel De Santis went off together at half-time, and Monagas brought on dhylan Castillo and Rodríguez himself in the 68th minute. Luis González and Alejandro Villarreal also came off for Caracas in the 73rd minute, while Fernando Basante replaced Jean Colorado in the 81st. Kevin De la Hoz picked up a late booking in stoppage time.
And here's the thing about the statistics: Caracas had nine shots off target and none on target, while Monagas managed four shots on target with a 44 per cent accuracy rate. The hosts created no big chances, but the visitors managed one. It tells you everything about a game where possession meant very little.
We had tipped a home win at 43 per cent confidence before kickoff, but the match went another way. Monagas were second to everything in the midfield, yet they worked the channels when it mattered and carried the side through a tough spell.
After nine rounds Caracas sit ninth with 25 points from five wins, ten draws and eight defeats. Monagas are one place lower in 11th, but they are now level on 24 points — a gap that means the standings could shift quickly if either side picks up a win.