Rayo Suliano put three past Uraña in the Venezuelan Cup, first round Group D, on Wednesday evening. The hosts ran out 3-0 winners with all three goals coming from C. Maldonado. It was a clean sheet for the home side and a statement of intent in the group stage.
And here's the thing about the twenty-first minute — by then Maldonado had already made his point. He opened the scoring at fourteen minutes, doubled his tally at twenty-nine, and wrapped it up at forty-three. Three goals, three different periods of the match, and Uraña had no answer. The striker ran the show from the first whistle.
The statistics tell a story of control. Rayo Suliano had 57 per cent possession and 70 attacks compared to 54 for their visitors. They registered seven shots off target and three on target, while Uraña managed five off and three on. The final score does not lie — many shots with one goal means chances went begging, but here it was three goals to zero.
Going into the match the hosts sat top of the group with seven points from three games, two wins and a draw. Uraña were second on four points, a victory and a loss alongside their draw. That gap widened to three points on the night, and the table now looks different.
Rayo Suliano hold the tie in their own hands after a performance that suggested they have the deeper squad. Uraña will need to find more than they offered on Wednesday if they want to stay in the competition. Cup football has its own rules, but this was a clear message from the home side.