Reus promotion dream ends in Ourense

UD Ourense ended Reus FC Reddis’s bid for promotion on Saturday, May 16, by winning the second leg of their Segunda Federación playoff semifinal 2-1 at O Couto. The tie had been level after a 0-0 first leg in Reus, leaving the return match to decide who would move on. Rufo gave the Galician side an early lead, Fran Carbià equalized before halftime for Reus, and Justino Barbosa scored the goal that sent the home side through. The Royal Spanish Football Federation, or RFEF, said Ourense advanced to the final with a 2-1 aggregate win. ### How did the tie turn in Ourense after the goalless first leg? The first leg finished 0-0 at the Municipal de Reus, according to the Catalan Football Federation’s preview of the return match, which said Reus would need a win in Galicia to keep its promotion push alive. That result left the semifinal open heading into Saturday’s game at O Couto. (fcf.cat) Saturday’s return match changed quickly. The RFEF said Rufo scored early for UD Ourense, giving the hosts the advantage in a tie that had produced no goals in the opening leg. ### Who scored, and when did Reus get back into the match? Fran Carbià pulled Reus level before halftime, the RFEF said, restoring parity in the match after Rufo’s opener. (fcf.cat) That goal kept the Catalan club in contention going into the second half. Justino Barbosa then scored what the RFEF described as the decisive blow, putting UD Ourense back in front and sealing a 2-1 win on the day. (rfef.es) With no goals in the first leg, that result was enough to settle the semifinal outright. ### Which teams were involved, and what were their playoff positions? UD Ourense entered the tie as the third-place team from Group 1, while Reus FC Reddis had qualified as the fourth-place team from Group 3, the RFEF said after the match. (rfef.es) The federation also said the better-ranked sides had generally prevailed in the first completed semifinals. Reus had reached the national playoffs after securing a place on the final day of the regular season, according to the Catalan federation. The draw held on May 4 paired the Catalan club with UD Ourense, with the first leg in Reus and the return in Galicia. ### What does the result mean for Reus and for Ourense? (rfef.es) Reus FC Reddis’s season ended with the defeat in Galicia. The club had been trying to win promotion from Segunda Federación through the playoff route after missing direct promotion in the regular season. UD Ourense moved on to the final round of the promotion playoffs. (fcf.cat) The RFEF said Real Oviedo Vetusta also advanced from another semifinal, making Ourense one of the first finalists confirmed. ### What happens next in the promotion playoffs? The RFEF said on May 7 that the draw for the finals of the promotion playoffs to Primera Federación would take place on Monday, May 18, at the federation’s Luis Aragonés hall in Las Rozas. (fcf.cat) The same notice said the finalists would learn the last pairing in the route to promotion there. (rfef.es) May 24-25 and May 31-June 1 are the dates the RFEF listed for the two-legged finals in this year’s Segunda Federación promotion playoffs. UD Ourense will now wait for that draw, while Reus FC Reddis is out of the competition. (rfef.es) (rfef.es)