Chivas USA fall in Panama, face 2-0 hole
(mlsnet.com) The answer to the trivia question is Edwin Aguilar. Not only is the Panamanian international the first player to score a goal in the CONCACAF Champions League, he's also the reason why Tauro FC heads to The Home Depot Center with a comfortable two-goal edge in their preliminary round series against Chivas USA.
The 23-year-old struck for a brace, lifting the Panamanian side to a 2-0 win against Chivas USA on Tuesday night at Estadio Rod Carew just outside of Panama City.
The return leg at the Home Depot Center is Sept. 2. The winner advances to a group that includes Santos Laguna of Mexico, CSD Municipal of Guatemala and the winner of the preliminary round matchup between LD Alajuelense of Costa Rica and the Puerto Rico Islanders of the United Soccer Leagues First Division.
Tauro FC, the seven-time Panamanian champions which finished as runner-up in this year's ANAPROF Apertura, controlled the pace from the opening kickoff and was all over Chivas in the opening half hour. They took a deserved lead on six minutes when Dorian Lopez collected a long ball by the corner flag and served the ball toward the far post.
Luis Escobar won a 50-50 challenge with Jonathan Bornstein just outside the six-yard box and dribbled along the endline where he slipped the ball through traffic to Aguilar, who poked it past Chivas goalkeeper Zach Thornton.
Chivas USA had two quality chances to equalize within a minute, but Sacha Kljestan had his attempt knocked away for a corner kick in the 11th minute and then Atiba Harris headed wide of the target.
In the 16th minute, Jean Mclean's attempt from 30 yards out deflected off the side netting for a corner kick. Seven minutes later, Mclean beat Thornton with what looked like a service from the right, but the ball caromed off the crossbar.
Three minutes later, Escobar's shot from the edge of the penalty area deflected out for another corner kick. And in the 31st minute, the Colombian's free kick from 24 yards out skimmed off the crossbar.
After spending much of the opening half hour under pressure, Chivas USA had their best scoring chance of the first half in the 34th minute when Kljestan slipped Harris in on goal. But Harris, who dribbled inside the 18-yard box, had his attempt saved by Willington Dominguez, who came off his line to make the point-blank save.
Just before the half, Tauro FC came close to doubling its advantage, but Mclean, who raced down the right side, put his low shot wide of the far post.
Preki made two changes at the half, bringing on Jim Curtin for Claudio Suarez and Alecko Eskandarian for Daniel Paladini. Just four minutes after stepping on the field, Eskandarian nearly equalized, but he put his shot from the edge of the penalty area wide of the far post.
At the hour mark Kljestan had a chance, but he put his free kick over the bar from 24 yards out. Aguilar, though, wouldn't squander another chance, ending a 35-yard run which saw him unmarked by chipping Thornton from 16 yards out for his second goal of the game in the 68th minute.
Eskandarian nearly delivered an all-important away goal, but his low free kick deflected off the Tauro wall and out for a corner kick in the 75th minute.
Six minutes later Flores was fouled near the top of the area, but Paulo Nagamura's shot also bounced off the wall and into the arms of Dominguez, who cleared the ball out of bounds and immediately fell to the ground complaining of cramping.
The last chance for the Red-and-White came two minutes into second-half stoppage time, but Kljestan couldn't get a head on a cross inside the box by Eskandarian, who made his second appearance since recovering from sports hernia surgery.
The Colombian goalkeeper stayed in the game and registered the clean sheet as Tauro FC leaves Estadio Rod Carew in the drivers' seat heading into the second leg next week.
