Late Penalty Sends Atlante To CCL Finals

After losing their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal first leg match on the road Atlante were hoping that the return leg at Estadio Andres Quintana Roo would be enough to see them through to finals.

First Half

Atlante started the match off on the front foot with a great three-man combination resulting in Luis Gabriel Rey pounding a left footed effort well wide of the post in just the first minute.  Five minutes later, the Iron Colts looked to have taken the lead when Rafael Marquez Lugo’s powerful shot drifted into the net after being parried by Santos ‘keeper Oswaldo Sanchez. But the goal was disallowed with the referee claiming to have seen a foul as players from both teams followed the ball into the net.

Lugo came close again just moments later when he reacted first to a deflected shot and tried to chip Sanchez but could only manage to hit the top of the crossbar. The home side’s domination continued and in the 17^th Lugo and Christian Bermudez set the table for Gabriel Pererya, who struck his shot well, but was again denied by the crossbar.

Despite dominating possession throughout the half and limiting holding the powerful Santos attack in check the home team would have to wait until the 42^nd to find the goal they so desperately needed. What a goal it would turn out to be.

A spectacular piece of skill from Fernando Navarro skirted three defenders just inside the box before the little midfielder slipped a ball into Rey at the near post. The Argentine showed his class by holding the ball just long enough to make Sanchez commit before slotting his pass across the goal mouth to the waiting feet of Lugo, who had the easiest of finishes and sent his team to the break with a well deserved 1-0 advantage.

Second Half

Though the pace slowed considerably, Atlante continued to play well in the opening ten minutes of the second half. Santos struggled to get star strikers Christian Benitez and Matias Vuoso into the action and struggled to contain Rey and Lugo. But a speculative shot from second half sub Pedro Quinonez almost caught Atlante ‘keeper Frederico Vilar off his line ten minutes in to the half.

The home side had a great chance to go two goals in front in the 63^rd when Lugo slid a great chipped pass into Pererya, who hit a great left footed volley, but couldn’t get it by the outstretched arms of Sanchez.  

Vuoso got into the action in a big way in the 68^th when Carlos Quintero, who had just entered the match, slid the Mexican international in on goal. Vuoso’s first time strike was brilliant as he drilled a right footed effort into the side netting. The goal put the second leg on level pegging but gave the visitors a 3-2 lead on aggregate.

Atlante countered almost immediately by bringing on Giancarlo Maldonado to replace a defender, a move that would pay off in the 74^th. Rey collected a ball in the right channel and put a perfectly weighted ball on the foot of the streaking Venezuelan, who made no mistake with his finish and gave his side a 2-1 lead while leveling the aggregate score.

Both teams pressed hard for a winner in the late, but the match looked destined for extra time as the 90 minutes came to a close. But stoppage time would hold one more surprise. Pererya made a late run into the box to track down a cross and was brought down by his defender. Lugo converted the penalty in the 94^th minute, a deserving end for the striker who was wrongly denied a goal early in the match.

The game ended on a sour note as three players were sent off as the two teams had a bit of a dust up. But the man advantage that Santos got from the sending offs would not matter in the final thirty seconds and the home side would leave as deserving 3-1 winners on the night, and 4-3 winners on aggregate.

Allen Ramsey, Goal.com