Only one case of COVID-19 has been detected in Bhutan.
It was a 76-year-old tourist from the USA, who already travelled back home a few days ago. It's no surprise that Bhutan is free of coronavirus. The Kingdom of Bhutan chose to remain isolated until the middle of the 20th century, in order to keep its cultural heritage.
Nowadays, Bhutanese people are free to travel, but unlike other countries in South Asia, it's very rare that foreign tourists find their way in.
This situation gives Bhutan a chance to play football without any worries. They are playing the final stages of the Bhutan Super League, a short tournament that determines who will advance to the top tier, the Bhutan Premier League. The top five teams are clinching their spot in the Premier League, and now they are competing for the tournament's top position.
The playoff is being played in an unusual format. After a single round-robin, the top four teams advance to the playoffs. The playoffs are a bit different compared to the familiar systems. It includes three semifinals and a final. How does it work?
Semifinal 1 – 1st place v 2nd place
Semifinal 2 – 3rd place v 4th place
Semifinal 3 – losers of SF1 v winners of SF2
Final – winners of SF1 v winners of SF3
Yesterday the third semifinals took place. Tensung, who finished at the 2nd place and lost their semifinal match 2-1 against High Quality United, faced Paro United. Paro United qualified after winning their previous semifinal match, 1-0 against Druk Stars.
The match was played in Changlimithang Stadium, the national stadium in the capital city Thimphu. During the first half, Tensung was dominant and had a few chances to score. The referee added one minute to the first half, which was enough for them to find the net. A sequence of passes ended at the feet of Tshering Tashi, who easily scored.
Although the second half was more balanced, Tensung still had the lead until the 87th minute. At that moment, Tensung's defender made a bad throw-in, Paro United used it to take possession of the ball, and Sunil Rai delivered a precise shot from 25 meters away. The goalkeeper could do nothing, Paro United equalized the score. With no extra time, the match went straight to a penalty shootout.
Both teams scored their first penalties. Things had changed when Tensung missed their second penalty, while Kinley Penjor scored, 2-1 for Paro United. In the fourth round, when Paro United led 3-2, Tensung missed another penalty. Now the weight of the entire match lay on the shoulders of Paro United's kicker, Pema Durji. He is one of the most experienced players on the field, as he made 11 international caps for Bhutan and even served as an interim coach of the national team for a single match. The 34-year-old player took a deep breath and did exactly what was expected of him.
Paro United has won 4-2 and qualified to the final, which will be played later this week against High-Quality United. Both teams have never finished in the first place of the Super League, although they already played in the Premier League. In an isolated country, one side will celebrate in times that almost nobody can play football around the world.