Strongest vs Guabirá
Strongest took on Guabirá in the fifth round of the Professional Division Cup and came away with a 2-1 victory at home. V. Abrego opened the scoring in the eighth minute, then Pachu doubled the lead just before the break. Guabirá turned things with R. Castro's goal in the sixty-second minute, but the hosts held their nerve to see the game out.
Abrego's early strike set the tone, and by then Strongest were already playing with confidence. Pachu added a second in the twenty-sixth minute, and the home side looked comfortable. Guabirá had no answer for the pressure, and they were chasing the game for most of the first half.
Castro's goal in the sixty-second minute changed the shape of things, and suddenly Guabirá were back in it. The away side pushed forward, trying to find an equaliser, but Strongest's defence held firm. And here's the thing — they didn't panic. They stayed compact and let Guabirá run out of ideas.
Substitutions started coming in the fifty-seventh minute, with S. Gil and V. Abrego both coming off. Castro was replaced in the sixty-sixth minute, and Rafinha came on for Guabirá shortly after. Strongest brought on G. Sotomayor in the seventy-fourth minute, while Guabirá pushed for another change with R. Corrales in the seventy-seventh.
Strongest dominated possession at 68 per cent and registered 143 attacks compared to Guabirá's 42. Both teams hit six shots on target, but the hosts were more clinical with 40 per cent accuracy against 67 per cent for the visitors. Guabirá had three shots off target to Strongest's two, but that didn't matter when the chances ran dry.
The result keeps Strongest moving forward in the group stage, and they've now shown they can close out games when under pressure. Guabirá came close but couldn't find the equaliser, and they'll be disappointed with how things finished. Three points for the home side after a match that wasn't straightforward from start to finish.
