Levski 2020 Lom were awarded an 8-0 win over OFK Tryavna, as match ended after 20 minutes

Friday, 30 April 2021, 5 pm local time (2 pm UTC), Dunavski Yunak Stadium, Lom, Bulgaria, the 29th round of the Bulgarian Third League, North-West Group (Severozapadna Treta Liga). 

On Good Friday, last classified OFK Tryavna traveled with only eight players to Lom, to play against the leaders and almost mathematically promoted Levski 2020 Lom. In the first 20 minutes, Petko Petkov scored a hat-trick, and Nikolay Nikolov a double for Levski 2020 Lom, which had three man up, than four man up, when one of the Tryavna players became injured. It is interesting to note that even in such a clear inferiority, OFK Tryavna succeeded to score a goal, by means of Oktay Azisov.

However, in the 20th minute of the game, when Tryavna had only seven players in the field, another of their players was injured and could no longer continue playing. As OFK Tryavna remained in only six players, the referee Vladimir Kirilov stopped the match according to the rules. The score at that time was 5-1, but Levski 2020 Lom are to be awarded an 8-0 win.

Levski 2020 Lom increased their lead to 10 points, as Vihar Slavyanovo only took one point in their away match at Galata. With only five rounds to go, they are almost mathematically promoted to the Second League. However, in the next round, they will have a difficult match away at Spartak Pleven.

On the other hand, OFK Tryavna are now 18 points away from the relegation line and are mathematically relegated to Gabrovo League. In the next round, they will face Akademik Svishtov at home. Hopefully, they will be able to gather 11 players for the match.

Other results, table and fixtures:

Round 29 (30 April 2021)

 

Akademik Svishtov – OFK Levski 2007 2-1

Parva Atomna Kozloduy – Bdin 1923 Vidin 1-1

Levski 2020 Lom – OFK Tryavna 8-0 (awarded, because Tryavna remained in 6 players)

OFK Pavlikeni – Spartak Pleven 1-0

Partizan Cherven Bryag – FK Sevlievo 2-1

Botev 2 Vratsa – Etar 2 Veliko Tarnovo 2-1

FK Drenovets – Lokomotiv 1927 Dryanovo 1-0

Peshtera Galata – Vihar Slavyanovo 1-1

OFK Lokomotiv Mezdra – Yantra Polski Trambesh 2-1

 

Table

 

1	Levski 2020 Lom	29	23	6	0	77-9	75	Promotion to Vtora Liga
2	Vihar Slavyanovo	29	20	5	4	61-22	65
3	Yantra Polski Trambesh	29	17	5	7	56-33	56
4	Botev 2 Vratsa	29	16	6	7	59-39	54
5	Spartak Pleven	29	17	2	10	57-28	53
6	FK Sevlievo	29	14	7	8	47-27	49
7	OFK Pavlikeni	29	13	8	8	35-23	47
8	Partizan Cherven Bryag	29	13	7	9	41-36	46
9	FK Drenovets	29	11	8	10	44-49	41
10	OFK Lokomotiv Mezdra	29	12	4	13	40-36	40
11	Lokomotiv Dryanovo	29	12	3	14	51-52	39
12	Parva Atomna Kozloduy	29	8	6	15	33-48	30
13	Akademik Svishtov	29	8	5	16	34-51	29
14	OFK Levski 2007	28	6	8	14	29-36	26
15	Etar 2 Veliko Tarnovo	29	7	5	17	36-53	26
16	Peshtera Galata	28	7	5	16	39-67	26
17	Bdin 1923 Vidin	29	4	8	17	20-79	20	Relegation to regional leagues
18	OFK Tryavna	29	2	2	25	20-91	8	Relegation to regional leagues

 

Round 30 (9 May 2021)

 

Bdin 1923 Vidin – OFK Lokomotiv Mezdra

Yantra Polski Trambesh – Peshtera Galata

Vihar Slavyanovo – FK Drenovets

Lokomotiv 1927 Dryanovo – Botev 2 Vratsa

Etar 2 Veliko Tarnovo – Partizan Cherven Bryag

FK Sevlievo – OFK Pavlikeni

Spartak Pleven – Levski 2020 Lom

OFK Tryavna – Akademik Svishtov

OFK Levski 2007 – Parva Atomna Kozloduy

Bourj FC won 5-4 at penalties over Sporting Beirut and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Lebanese FA Cup

Thursday, 29 April 2021, 4 pm local time (1 pm UTC), Al Ahed Stadium, Beirut (Ouzai), Lebanon, first round (last 16) of the Lebanese FA Cup.

This year, the Lebanese FA Cup has a "short" format, involving only 16 teams: the 12 teams which participated in the Lebanese Premier League and the top 4 of the Lebanese Second Division. In the first round of the competition, Bourj FC faced Sporting Beirut, the recent winners of the Lebanese Second Division.

Bourj FC starting XI against Sporting Beirut. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

Bourj FC used most of their usual starting players and controlled most of the game. However, they reached rarely the opposite goal, and the number of chances was quite low.

Their biggest opportunity came in the second half, when Khodor Hallak was fouled inside the box, and the referee awarded a penalty for Bourj FC. Nevertheless, Hussein Al Outa missed the target (67'). Immediately after the penalty, Sporting Beirut also missed their greatest goal-scoring chance, the ball touching the post (68').

 Sporting Beirut (in blue) had their biggest chance in the 68th minute, but the ball hit the post. Source: elmaestrosport.com

In stoppage time, usual starter Abdel Karim Saleh substituted goalkeeper Afif Zoureik, in a move which proved to be decisive. The match ended 0-0 and there was no extra time, both teams prepared for penalties.

Bourj started the series, but Fadel Antar, the team goalscorer, missed the first penalty: it looked like everything went wrong for Bourj FC. However, Abdel Karim Saleh succeeded to block one of the penalties executed by the opponents. After five penalties, the score was 4-4. Abdel Karim Saleh saved the sixth penalty for Sporting, while Ahmad Al Khatib scored and brought joy to his team.

Ahmad Al Khatib (in yellow and black) scored the decisive penalty for Bourj FC. Source: elamestrosport.com

Sporting Beirut: Ibrahim Miqdad - Hamza Hammoud, Muhammad Hammoud, Muhammad Fawaz, Ahmed Mansour, Haytham Atwi (Muhammad Farkoua 80'), Kassem Haninu, Kassem Al Shum (Ali Hamder 80'), Ali Abbas, Hassan Zayoun (Muhammad Zayat 62'), Hassan Termus.

Bourj FC: Afif Zoureik (Abdel Karim Saleh 90'+2') - Hamza Abboud, Khodor Hallak, Ahmad Al Khatib, Walid Ismail - Mohammad El Faour, Eid Jaish (Ghassan Farran 73'), Ibrahim Abou Hamdan - Samih Damaj, Fadel Antar, Hussein Al Outa.

Referee: Muhammad Haddad.

In the quarter-finals, Bourj will face the winner of the game between Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley and Hikma (La Sagesse) Beirut, to be played tomorrow. All the matches in the quarter-finals are scheduled Tuesday, 4 May 2021, at 4 pm local time. Bourj FC will play again at Al Ahed Stadium in Ouzai area of the southern suburbs of Beirut.

In the other matches of the Lebanese FA Cup, played so far:

Tadamon Sour - Al Ahed 0-3
Nejmeh - AC Tripoli 3-1
Al Islah - Shabab Al Ghazieh 1-2
Al Ahly Nabatieh - Ansar 1-6

The following matches will be played tomorrow, Friday, 30 April 2021:

Shabab Sahel - Shabab El Bourj
Salam Zgharta - Safa
Hikma (La Sagesse) - Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley

Matches are played usually on neutral grounds and without audience.

Bad start for Claudio Vivas as manager of Cusco FC: a 1-0 defeat to Sport Huancayo

Monday, 26 April 2021, 3.30 pm local time (8.30 pm UTC), Monumental Stadium, Lima (neutral ground), Peru, the 5th round of the Peruvian First League (Liga 1), Stage 1, Group B.

Despite changing the manager, Cusco FC continues their negative run, losing this time 1-0 to Sport Huancayo. This is a defeat to forget for the new manager, Argentinian Claudio Vivas and his staff, because normally a team should not lose under such circumstances.

Sport Huancayo only played in the first ten minutes of the game, when they took the lead thanks to Jarlín Quintero, who sent the ball in from close range after a pass which was not well intercepted by Figueroa: 0-1 (9').

Then, the whole game belonged to Cusco FC. They attacked continuously, but did not find any way to penetrate Huancayo's defense. The pressure intensified even more in the second half, when Sport Huancayo remained in ten, when Balta was sent off for a second yellow card (51') and then in nine, when Benites was equally sent off for a second yellow card (76'). 

With two men up, Cusco FC missed the biggest chance in the 77th minute, when Carrillo's header hit the post, but then they were again unable to score. One of the reasons is that all creative midfielders (Ramúa and Abisab) were substituted and the strikers were overpowered by Huancayo's defenders. Most balls passed through Rengifo, the only Cusco player capable of "doing something", but he was very well blocked by the opponents, while youngsters like Villano, Mendoza and Carrillo proved simply useless. Rizzo was also sent in the attack, to no avail.

Mauricio Montes (Cusco FC, in black) was very well blocked by Sport Huancayo defenders. Source: depor.com

Cusco FC: Hermosa - Caraza (Tello 46'), Figueroa, Rizzo, Céspedes - Aubert (Rengifo 60'), Gonzales (Barreiro 46') - Villano, Ramúa (Carrillo 72'), Abisab (Mendoza 81') - Montes. Manager: Claudio Vivas.

Sport Huancayo: Zamudio - Huaman, Balta, Valoyes, Benites - J. Pérez (Velásquez 81'), A. Rojas - Arroé (Barreto 65'), Trauco (Carmona 56'), Huacca (A.S. Rojas 81') - Quintero (Monsalvo 65'). Manager: Wilmar Valencia.

Referee: Pablo López.

Yellow cards: Gonzales 13', Rizzo 14', Caraza 28', Abisab 70' - Balta 26', 51', Benites 37', 76', Valoyes 52', A. Rojas 61'.

Red cards: Balta 51', Benites 76' (both for the second yellow card).

Cusco FC remains the only team in the Peruvian First Division without a single win this season. Their next match will be against Universidad César Vallejo. Sport Huancayo will face Alianza Universidad in the next round, but they are also engaged in Copa Sudamericana, where they will face River Plate (Paraguay).

Results, tables and fixtures:

Group A

Round 5 (23-26 April 2021)

 

Academia Cantolao – UTC 0-1

Ayacucho – Cienciano 1-1

FBC Melgar – Universidad de San Martín 0-2

Carlos A. Mannucci – Alianza Atlético 1-3

Universitario – Sporting Cristal 0-1

 

                                                Group A table

 

1	Cienciano	5	3	2	0	7-3	11	Qualified for Stage 1 final
2	Ayacucho FC	5	2	3	0	7-3	9
3	UTC	4	2	1	1	6-4	7
4	Carlos A. Mannucci	5	2	1	2	8-7	7
5	Universidad San Martín	5	2	1	2	6-6	7
6	FBC Melgar	5	1	2	2	5-6	5
7	Universitario de Deportes	4	1	1	2	3-5	4
8	Alianza Atlético	4	1	0	3	4-5	3
9	Academia Cantolao	5	1	0	4	3-9	3

 

Rules for classification (except for first place): 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) drawing of lots.

A play-off is needed to decide the group winner if two or more teams are tied on points on top of the table at the end of the tournament.

 

Round 6 (30 April – 3 May 2021)

 

UTC – Ayacucho

Universidad de San Martín – Academia Cantolao

Alianza Atlético – Universitario

Cienciano – Carlos A. Mannucci

Binacional – FBC Melgar

Group B

Round 5 (23-26 April 2021)

 

Deportivo Municipal – Binacional 2-1

Alianza Universidad – Sport Boys 1-0

Alianza Lima – Universidad César Vallejo 2-2

Cusco FC – Sport Huancayo 0-1

Universitario – Sporting Cristal 0-1

 

                                                Group B table

 

1	Sporting Cristal	5	5	0	0	12-1	15	Qualified for Stage 1 final
2	Universidad César Vallejo	5	3	1	1	11-6	10
3	Sport Huancayo	5	3	1	1	5-3	10
4	Alianza Universidad	5	3	0	2	4-5	9
5	Alianza Lima	4	1	3	0	5-4	6
6	Sport Boys	5	1	1	3	7-9	4
7	Cusco FC	5	0	3	2	6-8	3
8	Deportivo Municipal	5	1	0	4	3-10	3
9	Binacional	5	1	0	4	5-13	3

 

Rules for classification (except for first place): 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) drawing of lots.

A play-off is needed to decide the group winner if two or more teams are tied on points on top of the table at the end of the tournament.

 

Round 6 (30 April – 3 May 2021)

 

Sport Boys – Deportivo Municipal

Sporting Cristal – Alianza Lima

Sport Huancayo – Alianza Universidad

Universidad César Vallejo – Cusco FC

Binacional – FBC Melgar