The first stage of La Liga Primera de Nicaragua ended last night, with teams fighting for the final playoff spots.
As the top two teams automatically qualify for the semifinals, there were two main battles for the remaining spots.
With the Coronavirus pandemic in the backhround, Real Estelí and Diriangén were looking for that spot. Two more teams, Juventus Managua and Chinandega, looked for the 6th place and the last playoff berth.
ART Jalapa – Real Estelí 1-2
Real Estelí was in a better position to clinch a semifinal spot from the second place. Although having the same number of points as Diriangén, Real Estelí had a better goal difference. Their opponents, ART Jalapa, already qualified to the playoffs but needed the points to avoid being at the mercy of the goal aggregate.
Real Estelí was the first to score in the 23rd minute. A free-kick from a long-range landed on the head of Richard Rodríguez, who scored and made the task easier for his club. In the 60th minute, Brandon Ayerdis struck from 20 meters and doubled the lead. ART Jalapa found the net6 minutes later when Brazilian Gabriel Coelho scored - but that wasn't enough. Real Estelí won 2-1 and finished in 2nd place, skipping the quarter-finals, while ART Jalapa will play in the relegation playoffs.
Diriangén – Real Madriz 3-1
Diriangén wished to finish in the 2nd place, but with Real Estelí's win all they could do was aim for keeping the 3rd place. After their recent controversies, Real Madriz wanted to end the season with a good result.
Real Madriz made a decent attack and scored in the 16th minute. Diriangén's goalkeeper made a terrible mistake, and Ulises Rayo was in the right position to take the ball and score. Diriangén didn't give up, taking back the lead before half time. In the 35th minute, Luis Coronel kicked from 30 meters and hit the crossbar, Alvaro Hernandez took the rebound and scored. Nine minutes later, Hernandez headed the second one in, and In the 89th minute, Luis Coronel scored the final goal; Diriangén won 3-1.
Deportivo Las Sabanas – Juventus Managua 1-1
Juventus Managua had a two point lead over Chinandega before the last round, and they needed a win to assure their playoff spot. A draw could also be enough, as their goal difference was much better than Chinandega's. Their opponent, Deportivo Las Sabanas, made an awful Clausura tournament, and only a win could save them from relegation.
Juventus was determined to finish the work as early as possible, and in the 16th minute, a cross by Alexis Somarriba confused the goalkeeper. Somarriba's ball got in, and Juventus Managua led 1-0. None of the teams was more dominant in the next minutes, and both looked for the goal. In the 61st minute, Las Sabanas tied the score when two headers in the box ended with a goal of Otoniel Martinez.
It was close to Deportivo Las Sabanas but not enough. With a 1-1 draw in the end, Deportivo Las Sabanas relegated from the top division after only one season.
Chinandega – Ocotal 2-3
Chinandega had some hope that they could close the 2-point gap from Juventus Managua. They hosted Ocotal, who was in the second-to-last place and had nothing to play for.
After a goalless first half, things started to get more interesting. It started in the 48th minute when Howard Amaya scored the first for Ocotal. In the 68th minute, Erick Alcazar, one of the top scorers of the league, equalized for Chinandega. Ocotal took the lead again in the 77th minute with a goal of Kevin Meraz, but three minutes later, Alcazar scored his second and equalized again. Joel Obando scored the decisive goal in the 90th minute and gave Ocotal a sensational win.
Chinandega could feel disappointed, as they were missing the playoffs by a few points, just like they have done in the Apertura.
Another match last Night:
Managua FC – Walter Ferreti 1-1