Guabirá defeats The Strongest 3-1 with two late penalties

Guabirá secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over The Strongest in a lively encounter at the Gilberto Parada stadium in Montero. The win, sealed by two penalty kicks converted in the final minutes of the match, extended Guabirá's unbeaten run to five games, with four wins and one draw. This result lifts them to fourth place in the league standings with 24 points.

The match was a tale of missed opportunities for The Strongest, who were left to rue at least five clear chances, including three glaring misses in the second half, alongside the two late penalties conceded. This defeat marks their second consecutive loss, leaving them with 27 points. The first half saw Guabirá take the lead in the 23rd minute through Luciano Ursino's header after a quick play. Although Darwin Lom scored for The Strongest earlier, the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

The second half intensified with The Strongest finding an equalizer through Roy Ribertt, a player from the U-20 squad, who finished clinically past the goalkeeper. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the closing minutes. A controversial penalty was awarded to Guabirá when Ursino went down in the area after goalkeeper Rodrigo Banegas came out to challenge. Pedro Cabral converted the penalty in the 85th minute.

Just a minute later, another penalty was given after Cabral was fouled by Adrián Jusino following a poor clearance by Banegas. Cabral stepped up again in the 86th minute, calmly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper to secure the 3-1 victory for Guabirá. The match was characterized by intense play, with both teams creating chances, but Guabirá ultimately proved more clinical, especially from the spot.

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It is a harsh punishment for The Strongest, who missed at least five goals, three of them incredibly, in the second half and gave away two penalties in the final stretch.