Arabe Unido stuns Pachuca 4-1

August 20, 2009

Orlando Rodriguez and Victor Medieta both scored first-half goals and Arabe Unido stunned Pachuca 4-1 on Wednesday in the Group Stage opener for both teams in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Pachuca, the winner of the last two CONCACAF Champions Cup titles, played without several regulars, which Arabe Unido exploited, outshooting the Mexican heavyweights by a relatively 2-1 margin throughout.

The result left Arabe Unido the surprise leader of Group A with the Houston Dynamo, which defeated El Salvador’s Metapan 1-0 also on Wednesday.

The loss was the second straight this season for Pachuca, which won its first three games of the Mexican Apertura as well as advancing over Jalapa of Guatemala in the Preliminary Round on 10-1 aggregate.

Arabe pushed from the opening kickoff and often found space down the right side with Nahill Carroll frequently sprinting behind the defense.

Pachuca also had its chances, including a lofted ball from distance by Raul Martinez in the fourth minute that Arabe Unido keeper Carlos Bejarno somewhat casually tipped upward. The ball bounced off the crossbar before Bejarno was able to secure it.

Arabe converted a defensive flub for its first goal in the 24th minute. A Pachuca defender misdirected a driven ball out of the back. It fell into the path of Rodriguez, who settled it with one touch of his chest, rounded goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota at the top of the area, and finished with a rolling right-footed shot into an empty net.

Arabe Unido doubled its lead 15 seconds into injury time. Rodriguez launched a short corner to Jose Justavino, who worked his way to the byline and hit a twisting cross just outside the six-yard box. Mendietta leapt to drive the ball back across the goal and just inside the far post.

Manuel Mosquera added the insurance in the 72nd minute. Armando Cooper’s corner kick was deflected away but not out and Mosquera, who had reqplaced Mendieta to start the second half, poked in the loose ball from near the top of the six-yard box.

Pachuca finally scored a consolation goal in the 78th when Paul Aguilar deflected a free kick with his heal past Bejarno. But Reynaldo Lewin restored the three-goal margin in the 88th, volleying a corner kick by Angel Rodriguez that was deflected by Mosquera.

After both Panamanian sides advanced through last year’s Preliminary Round, the Tauro and San Francisco managed only two victories between them in the Group Stage – both by Tauro. It defeated Municipal of Guatemala 2-1 and eventual quarterfinalist Santos Laguna 2-0 of Mexico.

Pachuca will look to recover at home on August 25 against Metapan while Arabe host Houston a day later.

LA CHORRERA, Panama

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