According to the official reports, Nicaragua is still staying under the radar of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In total, four cases have been reported along with one death. This means football goes on as planned.
After we reported on player protests last week, Paraguayan striker Fernando Insaurralde decided to break his contract with Juventus Managua, stating that the Nicaraguan government is hiding information from the public. Match-day 12 was played this weekend behind closed doors, although some fans did get creative with finding loopholes to watch their favourite team.
Managua FC - Cacique Diriangen
Last week, Diriangen showed their dissatisfaction towards President Daniel Ortega’s decision to continue playing football in the country. In an act of protest, they showed up to their match with gloves and masks - while some of he players even kept them for the duration of the match.
Sitting in third, they clashed against 1st placed Managua in a heavyweight match-up. Mexican sharpshooter Carlos Felix headed home the opener for Managua in the 12th minute. After three minutes Marvin Fletes returned the favor with a header of his own which barely crossed the line, but the linesman signaled for a goal. 1-1 at the break.
In the 67th minute, a second yellow card was shown to Diriangen striker Danilo Zuniga after he elbowed Brazilian Christian Fernandes in an aerial battle. The hosts took advantage in the 91st minute as substitute Mike Cruz made it 2-1 to the Blue Lions. Cruz finished off a counter-attack, after Diriangen surprisingly went forward in the final minutes despite their numerical disadvantage.
Real Madriz - Deportivo Ocotal
In recent weeks, the football world took notice of Real Madriz, more due to their unique name, rather than their football performances. Many have wondered whether they have any connection to Spanish giants Real Madrid, but the explanation is much simpler: The side hails from the city of Somoto, which is the capital of the Madriz province.
Yesterday, they hosted Deportivo Ocotal in a battle between two struggling teams and big rivals. Ocotal and Somoto are neighboring northern cities, close to the Honduras border, and their clash is nicknamed “Clásico del norte”.
After only four minutes, Madriz broke the deadlock, as Roris Espinoza tapped home into an empty net after great work by Lester Bordas on the flank. Deep into stoppage time, as Ocotal pushed for an equalizer, their defense was left exposed and Bordas scored on the counter attack. The home fans, who gathered on the terraces and hills around the stadium, celebrated and didn’t seem to mind any of the imposed restrictions by the NFF.