SANTIAGO.- With the gunpowder lit by Colombian forward Rivaldo Correa, author of a brace, Cibao FC defeated Universidad O&M 4-2 in a match of day 4 of the Liguilla of the Dominican Football League (LDF-2025-2026), held in the “bombonera” of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, in an event dedicated to the sports promoter of this discipline, doctor José Rafael Abinader.
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The orange eleven dominated on the scoreboard and in the proceedings: they went up 4-0 and seemed to have the game settled with an advantage that is managed calmly. However, the university team tightened up at the end, cut the score with two goals in the final minutes and added suspense to the outcome, although the reaction was not enough to avoid the defeat.
Cibao FC’s goals were scored by Rivaldo Correa (2), Omar De la Cruz, and Julio César Murillo. For O&M, Sergio Paredes and Ronaldinho Caicedo scored.
With the result, the defending champions added three points and now total seven units, momentarily equaling the leaders of Moca FC. Universidad O&M suffered their third defeat, with a draw in the first four matchdays of the Liguilla.
The first goal of the match put Cibao FC in the lead when, at minute 25, Reyvin De la Rosa committed a foul on Miguel Muñoz inside the area and the referee did not hesitate: penalty.
Colombian scorer Rivaldo Correa took the penalty and slotted it to the right of goalkeeper Omry Bello. The goalkeeper guessed the intention, but the power of the shot made the dive useless: 1-0.
And Correa didn’t stop there. At minute 30, he took advantage of a defensive lapse by the university team: Miguel Muñoz passed him the ball and the striker sent it in to make it 2-0 for the home team, and the break arrived with Cibao FC controlling the match.
In the 57th minute, the orange team made their first move: Jean Carlos López entered and Yunior Peralta left. The home team made a double substitution in the 68th minute, when the Colombian debutant Mateo Palacios and Cesarín Ortiz came on, replacing Nano Muñoz and Víctor Minotta.
At minute 70, Julen Monterola faced the Cibao FC goal and unleashed a venomous shot, but Edwin “Gato” Frías grew large: he reacted with reflexes, brought out his feline instincts and signed an anthology save. Two minutes later, in the 72nd, the third goal for the home side arrived. Omar De la Cruz appeared to increase the score and put the match in a rout mode: 3-0.
When the 77th minute was being played, the Cibao FC coach made his last substitutions: Javier Roces and Ángel Pérez entered the field, while two protagonists of the scoreboard, Rivaldo Correa and Omar De la Cruz, went to the bench.
In the 83rd minute, the fourth goal fell. In a corner kick, the ball was loose in front of the goal defended by Bello and Julio César Murillo did not forgive: 4-0.
The first goal for the students came at the 85th minute. Frías stopped a shot from Julen Monterola, but the rebound was served for Sergio Paredes —newly entered—, who pushed it into the back of the net. O&M continued to cut the score at the 88th minute, when Ronaldinho Caicedo presented credentials and scored the second to leave the score 4-2.
Edwin “Gato” Frías received the trust of technical director Junior Scheldeur to guard the orange goal. Colombian Julio César Murillo wore the Cibao FC armband in the absence of Miguel “Pichi” Lloyd in the starting eleven. Josué Núñez, Ernesto “Che” Trinidad, Edwarlyn Reyes, Omar De la Cruz, Wilman Modesta, Miguel Muñoz, Yunior Peralta, Rivaldo Correa and Víctor Minotta completed the starting eleven.
Juan Maestre was in charge of the O&M University in the absence of José Aparicio and placed Omry Bello in goal. The eleven were completed by Yoan Melo as captain, Josué Báez, Héctor Ramírez, Ángelo Gómez, Reyvin De la Rosa, Emmanuel Cuello, Gabriel Castillo, Jon Trincado, Julen Olasagasti and José Matos.
