Top-flight Bolivian club field youth team, go 7-0 down and then forfeit just after half-time
Cash-strapped Universitario were forced to turn to their kids – including a 15-year-old goalkeeper – and it ended predictably badly
Universitario were forced to put out a youthful side to fulfil their fixture against league leaders Wilstermann on Sunday because of an ongoing wage dispute with the senior squad.
It meant coach Oscar Sainz had to put 15-year-old Santiago Arancibia in goal, and the Bolivian Primera Division clash quickly descended into farce as the poor youngster conceded seven goals by half-time.
Only seven Universitario players turned up for the second half, as four of the starting XI had apparently picked up injuries.
Sainz had no substitutes to turn to, and the game had to be called off altogether after another of his players went down injured within the first minute of the second half.
Wilstermann head coach Alvaro Pena was an unhappy man after the game, and felt Universitario should have at least seen the match out.
He said post-match: "A finish like this is worse than losing 20-0. It is more scandalous to lose leaving as they did now, because this is more shameful."
Wilstermann's Ricardo Pedriel, who scored a hat-trick, looked at the bigger picture and empathised with the struggling club.
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"We came out onto the pitch with the mentality that it was a normal game," he said.
"It doesn't matter if they were youngsters or were the starters, the first team. We went out with the idea of making a good game.
"Unfortunately, what happened – they left, they retired – is not the boys' fault. This happens only in Bolivia, and I hope everything will improve, for their club, and for football in Bolivia."
Universitario are now waiting to find out whether they will receive any punishment from the Bolivian FA.
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