Oriente Petrolero loses at home to Always Ready after tense match

Oriente Petrolero was defeated at home by Always Ready 2-1, in a match valid for the 18th round of the Professional Division League. The clash, held at the Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera stadium, was marked by a contested penalty and provocations that stirred the players on the field. With the result, the visitors temporarily took sole lead of the national competition.

The controversial play that opened the scoring

The first goal of the match came in the 18th minute of the first half, after a penalty decision considered doubtful. Referee Bladimir Rueda signaled the infraction in favor of Always Ready in a play where Francisco López tried to cut the action and Javier Uzeda ended up colliding with the defender. Oriente Petrolero players immediately protested the refereeing decision.

The provocative celebration and the confusion on the pitch

On the penalty kick, Enrique Triverio converted and put Always Ready ahead. During the celebration, the striker raised his hand to his ear and made a gesture aimed at the Oriente Petrolero stands, which provoked a strong reaction from the home players. Goalkeeper Alejandro Torres and other teammates confronted the opponent, resulting in widespread shoving that led the referee to issue yellow cards to Torres and Triverio.

The defensive error that widened the lead

Early in the second half, at the 49th minute, Always Ready took advantage of a serious defensive lapse by Oriente Petrolero to make it 2-0. Player Mizael Pinto failed to notice Jesús Maraude behind him and tried to roll the ball back to goalkeeper Alejandro Torres. Maraude anticipated the play, dribbled past the keeper and finished into an empty net.

The home side's reaction in the final stage

Oriente Petrolero sought a response through changes made by the coach. Just one minute after coming off the bench, Nabil Nacif seized a cross and struck with his right foot to reduce the deficit to 2-1 at the 66th minute. Despite pressure in the final minutes and four minutes of added time, the home team could not find an equalizer.

The teams' situation in the standings

With the away win, Always Ready reached 39 points and temporarily assumed sole leadership of the tournament. Coach Pablo Godoy highlighted that the team had to reinvent itself tactically to neutralize the opponent on a difficult field. Oriente Petrolero, meanwhile, remained in fourth place with 27 points, missing the chance to get close to the leaders. Now, Always Ready awaits the result of Bolívar, which has 36 points and faces Independiente.

Information from diez.bo, EL DÍA – News from Bolivia for the world.