2009: Mexico continues CONCACAF club domination

December 23, 2009


The name of CONCACAF’s premier club tournament has changed. Mexico’s dominance of the region continues.

One year after Pachuca captured the final CONCACAF Champions Cup trophy, Atlante defeated Cruz Azul to claim the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League crown.

It’s a command that has continued into the second edition, with all four of Mexico’s entrants advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2009-2010 Champions League by winning their groups.

By winning the title, its first CONCACAF club title in 26 years, Atlante earned a bid to the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. There it crushed Auckland City 3-0 only to be overwhelmed by eventual winner FC Barcelona 3-1 in the semifinals.

Atlante stuck first on a fifth-minute goal by Guillermo Rojas, but Sergio Busquets equalized 30 minutes later and Lionel Messi and Pedro sealed the Barcelona win with second-half tallies. Atlante fell on penalty kicks to Pohang Steelers in the third-place game.

It was the second straight fourth-place finish at the world club championship for a CONCACAF side, following Pachuca’s consolation game loss a year ago.

While the all-Mexican final was expected by many, there was plenty of intrigue in the first CONCACAF Champions League.

One of the biggest surprises of the tournament was the Puerto Rico Islanders of the United Soccer Leagues First Division, which needed to qualify through the CFU Club Champions Cup.

The Islanders became the first Caribbean team in 14 years to reach the final four of CONCACAF’s club competition, where they were eliminated by Cruz Azul on penalty kicks.

The Montreal Impact, also of the USL-1, a second-tier North American league, defeated Toronto FC of Major League Soccer to win the Canadian Nutrilite Championship and qualify for the Champions League.

The Impact finished behind Atlante in Group D, advancing to the knockout stage where they faced Santos in the quarterfinals, drawing a Champions League record crowd of more than 55,000 for the home leg.

Montreal stunned the Mexican powerhouse 2-0 in the first leg and led 2-1 at halftime at Estadio Corona before Santos struck four times in the final 37 minutes, including a pair of stoppage time goals by Carlos Darwin, to come away with a dramatic 5-2 victory.

As successful as the tournament was for Mexican and United Soccer League squads, Major League Soccer teams struggled. Of the four teams that qualified – New England Revolution, Chivas USA, D.C. United and Houston Dynamo – just Houston advanced to the knockout stage where they were eliminated by Atlante.

“We’ve established its legitimacy,” CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said. “The fans have a level of expectation – they’ve seen what it is, they know what they’re going to get and they have every reason to believe we’re going to make it better as we go. And we will.”

The second iteration of the Champions League looks very similar to the first, with Mexico’s Cruz Azul, Pachuca, Pumas and Toluca leading the way into the knockout stages.

They are joined by the Columbus Crew, the lone Major League Soccer to advance, Marathon of Honduras, Guatemala’s Comunicaciones and Arabe Unido from Panama. The quarterfinals begin March 9.

Nearly half of the field for the 2010-2011 Champions League has been decided with CD FAS, which won a record 17th El Salvadorian league title, and Municipal, which claimed a record 27th Guatemalan league crown, the most recent to book their tickets.

They join American sides Real Salt Lake, Columbus, Los Angeles and Seattle, Mexican clubs Monterrey and Cruz Azul, as well as Honduran Apertura champion Marathon and Arabe Unido.

By Dylan Butler

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FAS, Municipal clinch Champions League berths

December 21, 2009


CD FAS won a record 17th El Salvadoran league title to earn a place in next season’s CONCACAF Champions League, outlasting long-time rival Aguila in extra time to claim the country’s Apertura championship.

On own-goal by Arturo Albarran in the 95th minute and an eventual winner by Juan Carlos Moscoso two minutes later gave FAS a 3-2 victory in the title match Sunday, overcoming a pair of goals by Aguila’s Nicholas Addlery.

FAS enters the Champions League field along with Municipal, which drew 0-0 with Comunicaciones on Sunday to claim a record 27th Guatemalan league crown. The draw gave Municipal a 1-0 aggregate victory, having won the first leg of the Apertura final on Thursday, and returns the capital club to the Champions League after its appearance in the inaugural competition.

Both winners assured themselves of places in the knockout Preliminary Round while Municipal can advance to the Group Stage by finishing with the best overall record between the Apertura and Clausura.

The teams become the ninth and 10th clubs to clinch berths in the 2010-2011 Champions League, filling nearly half of the 24-team field. Teams that already have qualified are American sides Real Salt Lake, Columbus, Los Angeles and Seattle; Mexican clubs Monterrey and Cruz Azul; Honduran Apertura champion Marathon; and Arabe Unido of Panama.

FAS’ title was its first since the 2004-2005 Clausura, and gave it three more than Aguila, sending the annual confederation club championship next year to Santa Ana, El Salvador’s second largest city with a population of 275,000.

Municipal will try to improve on its first showing in the Champions League, when it won only one of six Group Stage matches and finished last behind Santos, the Puerto Rico Islanders and Tauro of Panama.

NEW YORK

Concacaf

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Marathon returns to Champions League for third straight time

November 27, 2009

Two-time quarterfinalist Marathon will return to the CONCACAF Champions League for a third straight year next season, clinching at least a Preliminary Round berth with a 2-0 victory over Olimpia to win the Honduran Apertura title.

Pando Ramirez scored in the fifth minute and Jerry Palacios added a second-half goal for Marathon, whose victory Wednesday night overturned a first-leg deficit for a 2-1 aggregate triumph and gave the club its eight domestic title and third straight Apertura crown.

Marathon, which lost to the Puerto Rico Islanders in the quarterfinals of the Champions League last season, has been drawn to face Pumas of Mexico in March.

It is guaranteed at least a berth in the Preliminary Round, but could garner a place in the Group Stage if it wins the Clausura crown or finishes both seasons with the best overall record.

Marathon becomes the fifth team to clinch a place in the 2010-2011 Champions League, joining fellow quarterfinalist the Columbus Crew and fellow U.S. clubs Real Salt Lake, the MLS Cup champion, the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles Galaxy.

NEW YORK

Concacaf

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Crew claims place in quarterfinals with 1-1 draw

October 21, 2009


The Columbus Crew became the first team from U.S. Major League Soccer to reach the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, getting a 74th-minute goal by second-half substitute Emilio Renteria to earn a 1-1 draw with the Puerto Rico Islanders on Tuesday.

The draw gave Columbus eight points in Group C, three better than Costa Rica’s Saprissa, which played Cruz Azul later Tuesday. But the Crew beat Saprissa in Costa Rica and drew with it at home to advance on head-to-head results.

Renteria, who  entered the game two minutes earlier for Emmanuel Ekpo, capitalized on the work of Steven Lenhart, who replaced Frankie Hejduk in the 61st minute. Lenhart won a ball outside the area and closed on Puerto Rico goalkeeper Justin Myers, who raced off his line to give the Columbus forward a smaller target.

Myers blocked Lenhart’s initial shot, but the rebound bounced back to Renteria, who shot over the out-of-position keeper.

The Islanders, who advanced to the semifinals of last season’s inaugural competition, finished this year’s tournament without a win in the Group Stage and only two points. Tuesday’s match was their first since October 4 against Montreal, a 2-1 loss that eliminated it from the United Soccer League First Division playoff semifinals.

Neither side looked particularly dangerous in the first half, but and Puerto Rico took the lead on a seemingly innocuous play.

Noah Delgado headed a wayward ball back toward goal and teammate Cristian Arrieta attempted a twisting side volley at the edge of the six-yard box. But Arrieta missed, and the ball bounced in front of goalkeeper Will Hesmer, who appeared to be bracing for Arrieta’s shot but instead let the ball go underneath and between his legs.

Knowing a draw would clinch a place in the quarterfinals, Columbus manager Robert Warzycha inserted Adam Moffat for Kevin Burns to start the second half. Moffat had two chances in the first two minutes, a shot from distance high and a soft header into Myers hands, and Brian Carroll also went just wide from distance in the third minute.

Columbus, the defending MLS champion which has the best record in this year’s U.S. league play, joined Mexican sides Pumas, Pachuca, Cruz Azul and Toluca in the knockout round and will learn its quarterfinal opponent in the November 17 draw at CONCACAF’s New York headquarters.

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico

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Nunez, Zeballos keep Cruz Azul unbeaten, send to quarterfinals with 2-1 win

October 21, 2009


Ramon Nunez and Pablo Zeballos scored second-half goals to rally Cruz Azul to a 2-1 victory over Saprissa on Tuesday, sending it to the quarterfinals as at least one of possibly two unbeaten teams.

Cruz Azul already had clinched its place in the knockout round and heads to the final eight with a 5-1-0 record, atop Group C with 16 points. Fellow Mexican club Pumas has a chance also to finish the Group Stage unbeaten, needing a win or draw Thursday in its last match against Comunicaciones.

Saprissa entered the day with a chance to advance, but was eliminated before kickoff when the Columbus Crew scored a second-half goal and drew 1-1 at the Puerto Rico Islanders.

Columbus finished with eight points, eight behind Cruz Azul and three ahead of Saprissa in third place. Even if Saprissa had won, it had lost at home to Columbus and drew its away leg, surrendering the tiebreaker advantage.

It was the second straight year Saprissa failed to advance past the Group Stage. Last season, Saprissa won only one of its last three matches to be edged out by Cruz Azul for a berth.

Anticipating a chance at the quarterfinals, a boisterous crowd at Estadio Saprissa greeted both teams, which struggled to created chances in the first half.

Saprissa took the lead four minutes before halftime when Armando Alonso created enough space along the right to launch a cross between two defenders and feed Kendall Watson, who stuck a side-footed volley at the corner of the six-yard box to beat Cruz Azul keeper Yosgart Gutierrez.

Gutierrez had to punch away another chance four minutes into the second half, keeping Cruz Azul within a goal and giving Nunez his opportunity to equalize.

Hector Gutierrez stipped the ball just outside the area and quickly fed Zeballos in the middle of the box. With his back to goal, Zeballos was able to hold off defender Alexander Robinson before dropping a ball into the path of Nunez, who ran on to the roller and volleyed a right-footed blast from the top of the 18 for his second goal of the tournament.

Zeballos then added the winner in the 82nd, running unmarked at the back post onto a low, rolling cross from Nunez and easily finishing for his fifth goal in the Champions League. Zeballos finished with four goals in last year’s championship.

Cruz Azul, which advanced all the way to last season’s finals before falling to fellow Mexican side Atlante, will learn its quarterfinal opponent on November 17, when CONCACAF conducts its Championship Round draw at its New York headquarters.

Costa Rica – SAN JOSE

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Tiebreakers may decide CCL quarterfinal berths

October 8, 2009


Three teams are in the quarterfinals, only three teams are out – leaving 10 other clubs still in contention for the five remaining berths in the knockout round of the CONCACAF Champions League.

With one round of matches remaining in the Group Stage, numerous scenarios could lead to teams finishing tied on points, which would have to be broken according to the Champions League regulations.

Article 2, Paragraph 3 specifies how teams are to be ranked, should two or more finish with the same number of points.

•    Greater number of points earned in matches between the teams concerned
•    Greater goal difference in matches between the teams concerned
•    Greater number of goals scored away from home in matches between the teams concerned
•    Reapply first three criteria if two or more teams are still tied
•    Greater goal difference in all group matches
•    Greater number of goals scored in group matches
•    Greater number of goals scored away in all group Matches
•    Drawing of lots

Pachuca from Group A, Cruz Azul from Group C and Pumas from Group D all have claimed their places in the final eight. Metapan in Group A, Jabloteh in Group B and the Puerto Rico Islanders in Group C already have been eliminated. For everybody else, the scenarios are as follows:

Group A
•    Houston / Arabe Unido:  The two could tie with 10 points if Houston beats Metapan and Pachuca beats Arable Unido. In that case, Houston wins the tiebreaker four points to one in head-to-head results.

Group B
•    D.C. United / Marathon: The two could tie with nine (9) or 10 points, in which case D.C. United would advance on head-to-head goal difference 4-3.  The teams split their two meetings.

•    Toluca / Marathon: Both could finish with 12 points, which would have Toluca finish ahead based on a head-to-head goal difference of 7-2.  Each team won its home leg against the other.

•    Toluca/Marathon/D.C. United:  All three could finish with 12 points if D.C. beats Toluca and Marathon wins at Jabloteh. Each would have six points in games against the other two reducing it to goal difference in those games. Heading into the last round, Toluca has a plus-7 goal difference, D.C. a minus-1 and Marathon a minus-4. Since D.C. United must defeat Toluca for this scenario, it would have a better goal difference than Marathon among the three. That would leave Toluca and D.C. United finishing first and second, with the exact order depending on the score of their final match.

•    D.C. United/Toluca: A D.C. victory over Toluca would leave both with 12 points.  In that case, both would have won their match against the other away and goal difference in those games would decide the tiebreaker. If still tied, the greater number of away goals in the matches between the two would decide. Toluca leads in both categories with a plus-2 goal difference in the matches between the teams and has scored three away goals.

Group C
•    Columbus / Saprissa:  The two could tie with eight (8) points if Saprissa beats Cruz Azul and Columbus draws with Puerto Rico. Columbus therefore would advance on head –to-head results, having won in Saprissa and drawn with the Costa Rican side at home.

Group D
•    Real Espana / Comunicaciones: Both could finish tied with seven (7) or nine (9) points – but only if both win OR both draw their remaining matches. Both beat the other at home in their head-to-head meetings 2-0, requiring goal difference in all matches to decide between the two clubs. Heading into the final round, Comunicaciones leads that category minus-3 to minus-7.

•    Comunicaciones / W Connection. If W Connection beats Real Espana and Comunicaciones draws with Pumas, the two would finish with seven points each. In that scenario, W Connection would advance on head-to-head goal difference (4-2) since Comunicaciones won 2-1 at W Connection, which won in Guatemala 3-0.

NEW YORK

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Late goal keeps Saprissa alive, denies Columbus

September 30, 2009


Alexander Robinson headed in a dramatic equalizer in second-half stoppage time and Deportivo Saprissa drew 1-1 with Columbus Tuesday night, keeping alive the Costa Rican club’s hopes of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.

The late goal denied the Crew of a place in the quarterfinals, sending Group C to the final match day on October 20.

Robbie Rogers converted a first-half penalty kick to give the defending MLS Cup champions the lead and until Robinson’s goal, a berth in the knockout round. Two points ahead of Saprissa, Columbus still has the advantage.

Having won 1-0 at Saprissa two weeks ago, Columbus will need only a draw in its final game at the Puerto Rico Islanders to advance, while Saprissa will need to win at home against Cruz Azul and hope Puerto Rico can beat Columbus.

The Crew attacked from the outset and led after Walter Centeno slid over the ball and caught Guillermo Barros Schelotto with a tackle in the box in the 24th minute.

Centeno was cautioned for the rash challenge and Schelotto was sent to the sideline because of a bloody shin. The Argentine legend attempted to return to take the penalty, but was forced to remain off the field. Instead it was Rogers, the young American international, who stepped to the spot, slotting his low attempt to Keilor Navas’ right in the 27th minute.

Moments later, Emmanuel Ekpo made a spectacular darting run, but both Rogers and Alejandro Moreno had their attempts blocked.
Saprissa nearly equalized in the 34th minute as Kendall Watson got in behind the Crew defense and latched onto Centeno’s free kick just inside the six-yard box. But Watson could only get a touch on the ball and it rolled wide of the net.

Just before the half, Rogers played a deep cross to the back post, but Schelotto and Moreno both went for the ball and Schelotto’s header sailed wide of the net.

Ekpo made another dangerous run and forced Navas to make a kick save. The Nigerian forward collected the rebound, but headed wide of the net in the 57th minute.

Both teams appealed for penalties in the final 21 minutes as Moreno went down in the box in the 69th minute and Saprissa sought a handball call on Columbus defender Gino Padula, who cleared Watson’s header off the line in the 76th minute.

Just moments from being eliminated, Saprissa found the elusive equalizer in the second minute of second-half stoppage time. Robinson got onto the end of Centeno’s free kick and his downward header from the edge of the six-yard box went through Columbus goalkeeper Will Hesmer’s legs to give El Monstruo Morado a share of the points.

COLUMBUS

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Crew eager to reach CCL quarters

September 29, 2009


Cruz Azul has qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. The Columbus Crew seem very eager to join it this week.

The Crew became the first Major League Soccer club to clinch a berth in the MLS Cup playoffs, beating the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 Saturday night. And they did it with first-year coach Robert Warzycha resting several starters ahead of Tuesday’s critical Group C match against Deportivo Saprissa at Crew Stadium.

“We have a very important game Tuesday against Saprissa,” Warzycha said. “That was the plan not to leave too much out there today.”

Eddie Gaven’s goal in the 33rd minute and a second-half insurance tally by Steven Lenhart led the Crew, which could claim a spot in the knockout phase of the Champions League with another victory against Saprissa.

Saprissa coach Jeaustin Campos also rested several regulars in his team’s 3-0 loss to bitter rival Alajuelense Saturday at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto. Argenis Fernandez, Pablo Gabas and Cristian Oviedo struck for Alajuelense, which extended Saprissa’s winless streak to four consecutive games.

The two teams met two weeks ago with Columbus managing a 1-0 victory at the Monster’s Cave.

Cruz Azul, which lost 2-1 on Saturday to Toluca at Estadio Azul, remain at home Tuesday to take on a Puerto Rico Islanders squad desperate for a victory to retrain any chance of returning to the knockout phase. The Islanders are coming off an aggregate victory in the first round of the United Soccer Leagues First Division playoffs, but not without some challenges.

It lost the opening leg 2-1 to Rochester Thursday night at Marina Auto Stadium, a game in which Cristian Arrieta was sent off in the seventh minute for an elbow to John Ball. A pair of second-half goals by Kenny Bertz and Ball put the Rhinos ahead but the Islanders received a huge away goal in the 72nd minute later by Nicholas Adderly.

The scene shifted to Bayamon for the second leg Sunday with the Islanders pulling out a dramatic 4-1 victory and advancing 4-3.

Cruz Azul clinched a berth last week in the Champions League quarterfinals, but it still is looking to assure its place atop the group to guarantee a seeding for the next stage. It will have to recover from a disappointing home loss to Toluca on the weekend that snapped a seven-match unbeaten streak in all competitions.

“We deserved to lose,” Cruz Azul coach Enrique Meza said. “We let them live after the first goal … everybody wanted to score his own goal.”

By Dylan Butler

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Cruz Azul leads way into CCL quarterfinals

September 26, 2009


Cruz Azul is in the quarterfinals. And its fellow Mexican clubs are not far behind.

La Maquina, which played in last year’s final, became the first team to book its spot into the CONCACAF Champions League knockout stage with a 2-0 win against the Columbus Crew on Wednesday at Crew Stadium.

Toluca and Pumas are a point away from the final eight and Pachuca is sitting atop its group.

Pablo Zeballos and Alejandro Vela struck for Cruz Azul, which sit atop Group C with 10 points from four matches.

“We did enough to merit the win,” Cruz Azul coach Enrique Meza said. “They did a lot offensively, but we did enough defensively. We defended well despite the offensive intensity they were coming with and the domination they had at the end. Our defense and our goalkeeper did very well. We lost the ball, but a lot of it was due to the pressure they had. But we were able to withstand that.”

Despite seeing its unbeaten streak at Crew Stadium snapped at 24 games, Columbus remains alone in second place, two points clear of Saprissa ahead of next week’s clash against the Costa Rican side in Columbus. With two points from four matches, the Puerto Rico Islanders, which tied Saprissa 1-1 in Bayamon Tuesday, are still alive. The United Soccer League First Division squad will play at Estadio Azul next week.

After beating San Juan Jabloteh, 3-0, at Nemesio Diaz Wednesday night, Toluca just needed a Marathon win or draw against D.C. United to join Cruz Azul in the quarterfinals.

But the Major League Soccer club stayed alive in Group B with a convincing 3-0 victory against Marathon on Thursday at RFK Stadium thanks to a pair of goals by Luciano Emilio and one by veteran Jaime Moreno, who was sent off late. D.C. United is now level with Marathon with six points from four matches, but D.C., which had a rare nine-day stretch without a game, currently has the edge in goal difference.

“We had a little while to prepare. It almost felt like a month compared to what we’ve been going through,” D.C. United coach Tommy Soehn said. “You can feel that there was a little more energy from our guys. It still wasn’t perfect, but it was more of a complete performance than we’ve had in a while.”

With Honduran airports closed amid political strife, Marathon’s long journey to Washington included a six-hour bus ride to Guatemala, a flight to Miami and a connection to Reagan National Airport, where the exhausted team arrived at 1:30 a.m. Thursday.

“Without taking anything away from D.C. United, Marathon only played 45 minutes,” Marathon coach Manuel Keosseian said through an interpreter. “The other 45 minutes were a valiant effort, but we really didn’t have much energy…We felt the wear and tear of the travel.”

Marathon is scheduled to host Toluca in San Pedro Sula on October 1, while D.C. United hosts Jabloteh — which has been eliminated from contention — a day earlier.

Pachuca still leads Group A, but the Mexican squad is just two points clear of the Houston Dynamo and Arabe Unido with two games left in the Group Stage. CONCACAF Champions League scoring leader Ulises Mendivil tallied twice for Pachuca in a 4-0 win against Metapan, which dashed the quarterfinal hopes of the El Salvadoran Clausura champion.

Houston is in second on goal difference after thrashing Arabe Unido 5-1, the Panamanian’s first loss of the Group Stage. Second-half substitute Stuart Holden struck twice, Eddie Robinson, Cam Weaver and Corey Ashe also scored for the Dynamo, who host Pachuca on Wednesday at Robertson Stadium. Arabe Unido will meet winless Metapan at home a day earlier.

In Group D, Pumas crushed Real Espana 4-0 at home Thursday night. Pumas, which has only one victory in the Mexican Apertura and is 16th in the 18-team league, can claim its place with a draw at home on Wednesday against W Connection.

Thanks to a Jonathan Frias second-half hat trick, the Trinidad & Tobago club defeated Comunicaciones 3-0 in Guatemala City Wednesday night to move into third place with four points, three behind group leader Pumas and two behind Comunicaciones.

Pumas hosts W Connection Wednesday, while Real Espana, which has three points from four matches, is home against Comunicaciones.

By Dylan Butler

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Fonseca pair leads Comunicaciones over Real Espana 2-0

September 18, 2009


Rolando Fonseca scored a goal in each half and Comunicaciones climbed within a point of Group D leader Pumas in the CONCACAF Champions League with a 2-0 victory over Real Espana Thursday night.

Fonseca took a simple square ball from Transito Montepeque, touched it inside and unleashed a right-footed shot from just outside the penalty area that skipped just between goalkeeper Marcelo Macias and the left post in the 36th minute. He added his second by converting a rebound in the 89th.

The result improved Comunicaciones to six points, just behind Pumas which had to rally on Wednesday to earn a 2-2 draw at the Puerto Rico Islanders. Real Espana remained third with three points as the Group Stage reached its midpoint. Two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals.

Both sides combined for only a handful of quality chances in the first half, and a steady rain that began early after intermission also contributed to a defensive nature.

The match was marked by aggressive play that resulted in Real Espana’s Oscar Bonilla leaving with an injury in the 15th minute and a cut over the eye of Comunicaciones’ Sebastian Diaz that forced him to leave the game twice to close an open wound.

Montepeque twice nearly doubled Comunicaciones’ lead in the second half. He worked his way free on the right side of the penalty area in the 47th before taking a shot that Macias had to dive low to his right to block with his hand.

Nine minutes later, Fonseca’s cross sent him in on the other side of the box, only to have his left-footed shot denied by Macias’ hand again.

Montepeque eventually had to leave the game, carried off on a stretcher and was replaced by Jairo Arreola in the 76th.

Fredy Thompson had his chance to double Comunicaciones’ lead in the 82nd, taking a short ball from Arreola and hitting the outside of the right post.

Comunicaciones finally added the insurance with a minute remaining. Manuel Soto blasted a left-footer from 28 meters that Macias blocked with a two-handed diving effort. But the rebound fell right to Fonseca, who ran on to it and scored easily from just outside the six-yard box.

Real Espana finished the game with 10 men after second-half subsitute Nery Medina was ejected by Mexican referee Benito Archundia for a chopping tack from behind on Fonseca in injury time.

Comunicaciones will remain in Guatemala to host W Connection next Wednesday while Real Espana will have to travel to Mexico City to face Pumas on Thursday.

GUATEMALA CITY

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