Group leaders: Deportivo La Guaira, Caracas and Deportivo Táchira all slipped up in the Venezuela Primera Division and allowed their direct rivals to reduce the gap at the top of each group. After they all won last week, all three sides endured bad days at the office.
Portuguesa hot on the heels of Tachira
Portuguesa beat Deportivo Táchira 2-0 in the top-of-the-table battle to seize the initiative and cut the gap at the top of Group Occidental to just one point with a game in hand.
Luis Annese put Portuguese in front after 16 minutes after good work from Jefferson Velazco and goalkeeper Diego Valdez.
Portuguesa, who had conceded just nine goals in their first 13 games, were happy to invite pressure and make sure they were solid at the back.
They had been beaten in their previous two games against Tachira but looked to be on the way to a crucial victory until Annese went from hero to zero when he was sent off in the 73rd minute.
However, Portuguesa managed to hold on and scored a second when Tachira midfielder Francisco Flores put the ball into his own net.
Portuguesa won their ninth game of the group stages, keeping their sixth clean sheet, and they are now just a point behind Tachira with a game in hand.
🔴⚫ • Triunfo bravo del “Penta”@Portuguesa_FC se impuso 2-0 a @DvoTachira y se pone a un punto del aurinegro y con un partido menos.
⚽ • Luis Annesse 16′ (POR)
⚽ • Francisco Flores 90+3′ (AG) (TAC) #VenezuelaEsFUTVE #LigaFUTVExTVES pic.twitter.com/zYIECCrXY4— Liga FUTVE (@LigaFUTVE) August 8, 2021
Estudiantes de Mérida one point off the top
Estudiantes de Mérida got their seventh win from their last 10 games after beating Zulia 2-1. Angel Urdaneta scored his first goal for the club in the eight minute with a screamer from 30 yards out.
Things got worse for Zulia when youngster Michael Maldonado received a red card after 21 minutes.
Just before half-time, Ronaldo Rivas doubled the hosts’ lead. Angel Faria gave Zulia some hope with a goal with 13 minutes remaining, but he couldn’t prevent them losing their eighth game of the season.
#VenezuelaEsFUTVE #LigaFUTVE⚽🔴⚪
🚩#J17
⏱️90’+6’
🎙️¡Final del partido! @EstudiantesMEFC 2️⃣-1️⃣ @Zulia_FC#2Colores1Historia 🔴⚪️#ElDecanoDeVenezuela ☝🏻🇻🇪#LigaFUTVExTves pic.twitter.com/E05z9BFbFO
— Estudiantes de Mérida 50 aniversario Oficial (@EstudiantesMEFC) August 5, 2021
Group Occidental results and table
Estudiantes de Merida 2-1 Zulia
Zamora 1-0 Hnos. Colmenarez
Portuguesa 2-0 Deportivo Táchira
🔴⚫ ¡ASÍ MARCHAMOS!
🚀 Segundos de la clasificación, a un punto del líder y con un juego menos. Ahora toca pasar la página y enfocarnos en ‘EL CLÁSICO’.#PortuguesaFC #VenezuelaEsFUTVE pic.twitter.com/yrQXrdfrtk
— Portuguesa FC (😷) (@Portuguesa_FC) August 8, 2021
Caracas’ lead shrinks
In Group Oriental, substitute Jholvis Acevedo scored in stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Metropolitanos and end Caracas’ run of three successive wins.
#LigaFUTVE | J17 | @Metropolitanos_ 1-1 @Caracas_FC | 90+5′ | Finaliza el partido. Empate en el Estadio Olímpico de la UCV #SeDejaElAlma #LigaFUTVExTVES pic.twitter.com/YtM6iJn3NC
— Caracas Fútbol Club (@Caracas_FC) August 5, 2021
A free kick from Jorge Echeverría put Caracas in front after nine minutes and it looked like it was going to be a simple win for Noel Sanvicente’s side. Metropolitanos then had Facundo Moreira sent off in the second half to strengthen Caracas’ position.
But defender Eduardo Ferreira was then dismissed for the group leaders and they were punished in the dying seconds by a goal from Acevedo in the 93rd minute.
Caracas’ lead was reduced to three points after Monagas beat bottom side LALA with goals from Franklin Gonzalez, Albert Zambrano at first half and Juan Carlos Ortiz.
LALA have lost 10 of their last 11 games and are rooted to the bottom with eight points.
Elsewhere, Joel “La Bicicleta” Infante scored for Atlético Venezuela to give them a 1-0 win against UCV 1-0. It was Atlético Venezuela’s third straight victory.
Group Oriental results and table:
Metropolitanos 1-1 Caracas
Monagas 3-0 LALA
Atlético Venezuela 1-0 Universidad Central de Venezuela
¡𝙀𝙉 𝙇𝘼 𝙋𝙀𝙇𝙀𝘼! 📉
¡Después de 1️⃣7️⃣ jornadas, el azulgrana marcha en el segundo puesto del Grupo Oriental con 2️⃣8️⃣ unidades! 💪#VenezuelaEsFUTVE 🇻🇪#YoSoyAzulgrana 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/Me1uaE1HSE
— Monagas Sport Club (@Monagas_SC) August 8, 2021
Late drama in Group Central
In Group Central, Edwar Brancho scored in the 94th minute to stun Deportivo La Guaira in a 3-2 win for Yaracuyanos.
Derrota en el Farid Richa.
Marcador final:@fcyaracuyanos 3-2 @dvolaguaira.
😠 Omar Perdomo 6′
🍊 Charlis Ortíz 23′
🍊 Adrián Martínez 70′
😠 Gustavo González 78′
😠 Edwar Bracho 90+5′#️⃣: Jornada 17 – Temporada 2021.#SiempreNaranja #VenezuelaEsFUTVE
📸: @edopalencia. pic.twitter.com/eRD5kHjUOa
— Deportivo La Guaira 🔱 (@DvoLaGuaira) August 9, 2021
In a thrilling, compelling contest, Omar Perdomo gave Yaracuyanos the lead after six minutes but Charlis Ortiz levelled midway through the first-half.
The majority of the action occurred in the last 20 minutes where there were three goals and a red card. Adrian Martinez put the visitors in front before Gustavo Gonzalez equalised with 10 minutes remaining.
Ortiz was then sent off with two minutes remaining, and in the last minute of the game, Brancho found the net to cut La Guaira’s lead to just one point.
Gran Valencia then looked like they were going to be frustrated by Puerto Cabello but in dramatic circumstances, scored the winner in the 90th minute with a goal from Dimas Rafael Meza. The goal was enough to take advantage of Deportivo La Guaira’s defeat and close the gap at the top to a single point.
Group Central results and table
Gran Valencia 1-0 Puerto Cabello
Deportivo Lara 1-1 Aragua
Yaracuyanos 3-2 La Guaira
📋 • Así marcha la tabla de posiciones en los grupos: Occidental, Central y Oriental.
💬 Interactúa con nosotros y cuéntanos, ¿cómo ves a tu equipo?#VenezuelaEsFUTVE pic.twitter.com/xkI22bM8G1
— Liga FUTVE (@LigaFUTVE) August 10, 2021
