Pavon has given Real Espana momentum

August 18, 2009

Carlos Pavon’s latest surge is coming at a good time for Real Espana.

The veteran forward struck for a trio to rally Real Espana from a three-goal deficit in the opening leg of to defeat Costa Rica’s Liberia 6-3 on aggregate in the Preliminary Round of the CONCACAF Champions League.

He scored for Honduras in a 4-0 thrashing of World Cup qualifying “hexagonal” leader Costa Rica in San Pedro Sula on Wednesday night, and added three more in an emotional 3-2 victory against Marathon on Saturday.

Back at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano on Thursday night, the well-traveled 35-year-old will look to continue his impressive run of form against W Connection, which stunned the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer to advance to the Group Stage.

Head coach Charles Stuart Fevrier called his club’s victory over the Red Bulls “the biggest, in terms of significance, victory to date” in its 23-year history, and W Connection has been busy trying to fortify its squad ahead of the Group Stage.

The Savonetta Boys have added Sierra Leone teenager Alusine Bangura, who has been on trial for the past month, as well as Romauld Aguillera, who is making his second stint with the Trinidadian squad after playing for Digicel Pro League newcomer FC SouthEnd.

“Stuart and I had a good understanding while I was here in 2006. We had a good understanding and even after I left, we kept in touch,” the 30-year-old midfielder told the league’s web site,” Aguillera said

“Coming back to Connection is a good choice for me with the number of competitions they have ahead. I feel that I can do well for the club and myself, especially in the CONCACAF Champions League. I’m also hoping that by good performances in the Champions League I can maybe earn a break abroad to bigger leagues.”

After beating the Red Bulls, W Connection played San Juan Jabloteh to a scoreless draw and defeated St. Ann’s Rangers 3-0 on Friday night. Teenager Shahdon Winchester struck twice and Andre Toussaint, who scored twice against the Red Bulls at Giants Stadium, added another.

Pumas UNAM, one of four Mexican squads in the group stage, takes on Comunicaciones from Guatemala in the other Group D match this week on Tuesday at Estadio Olímpico in Mexico City.

Pumas, which received an automatic bid into the Group Stage by winning the Mexican Clausura final, will be hoping the Champions League can provide a needed respite from its poor domestic form. Pumas is winless in four games and on Sunday, Pablo Edson Barrera scored his team’s first league goal as nine-man Pumas dropped to 0-4 in the Mexican Apertura with a 2-1 loss to Tigres.

Comunicaciones, which reached the Guatemalan league final 38 times, winning 22 titles, is off to a slow start in its 60th anniversary season. Los Cremas has one win in four matches in the Liga National Clausura and played archrival Municipal to a goalless draw on Saturday, its third stalemate of the season.

By Dylan Butler

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