Early Controversy

The match started with controversy after the referee awarded a penalty to Independiente del Valle following a questionable challenge inside the box. Players from the opposing team immediately protested, arguing that there was not enough contact to justify the call.

After several minutes of review on the VAR, the referee decided to uphold his original decision, confirming the penalty and sparking further complaints from the visiting bench. The tension rose inside the stadium as the game paused briefly while the decision was finalized.

Sornoza Opens the Scoring

With the decision made, Junior Sornoza stepped up to take the penalty and did so with class. The Ecuadorian midfielder beat the goalkeeper with a well-placed shot, putting Independiente del Valle ahead 1-0.