Injury time goal gives Joe Public 1-1 draw with Municipal

Mario Rodriguez appeared to give Municipal the win only 16 minutes earlier, converting a rebound inside the six-yard box in a game the Guatemalan side dominated in a soaking rain and on a sodden field.

The result left both at the bottom of Group B with one point, two behind the Columbus Crew and five behind group leader Santos.

Lewis dived at the six to head a ball sent to the back post from the top of the area by Trent Noel, who one-timed a short backpass from Gason Gregory.

The goal came despite the Trinidadian side playing a down a man following Jevon Morris' ejection in the 81st minute for an elbow to the face of Juan Jose Castillo, that left the Municipal midfielder prone for several minutes.

Rodriguez put Municipal ahead in the 77th. He pounced on a loose ball after an exchange of passes between Pedro Samayoa and Guillermo Ramirez resulted in a collision at the six between Samayoa, defender Carlyle Mitchell and goalkeeper Marvin Philip. The ball bounded across goal for Rodriguez to easily convert.

The host side had the better chances throughout, but had been stymied by a handful of dramatic saves by Philip and its own poor finishing.

Daylong rain left the field a soggy mess with water splashing around the players' ankles in several places, and deteriorated throughout the match with patches of mud expanding, especially after the rain resumed in about the 30th minute. It worsened even more when the rain increased to drenching downpour midway through the second half.

Castillo typified Municipal's game until its goal, chesting down a looped cross from Marvin Avila at the six, turning inside to create space but shooting high in the 71st minute.

Rodriguez's goal ended Municipal's 263-minute goalless streak over four games.

Despite the equalizer, Joe Public extended its winless streak away from home in the Champions League to five games since beating the New England Revolution in the Preliminary Round of the inaugural competition.

Joe Public had an early moment when Noel broke into the area in the fourth minute before the ball was cleared, but it largely Municipal after that.

Castillo put a bouncing shot off the right post that was ruled offside in the 12th and Mitchell and Morris had to head crosses over their own bar to defuse danger in the 16th and 25th minutes.

Municipal sought a call for a penalty on a handball by Mitchell at the edge of the six-yard box from a cross by Castillo in the 14th but American referee Baldomero Toledo dismissed their claims.

However, another handball by Kerry Baptiste as he slid to block a shot a meter outside the 18 resulted in a free kick in the 36th that Ramirez crashed off the bar.

Joe Public's best chance of the first half came when Baptiste was fed a headed pass unmarked on the right side of the area, but Municipal keeper Jaime Penedo raced off his line to block the shot just outside the six with his legs.

Municipal also had chances when Sergio Guevara's shot from distance had to be punched away by a diving Phillip in the 40th and Avila shot wide a minute later on a breakaway.

Joe Public's fortunes improved in the second half with the insertion of Lewis on the left side for Andre Toussaint, enabling it to stretch the Municipal defense but without testing Penedo.

Municipal still had the majority of possession, occasionally threatening Phillip. Once of its best efforts came in the 63rd, when Rodriguez struck first-time a shot off squared pass from Castillo and forced the Joe Public keeper into a one-handed diving save to slap the ball away.

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Municipal 1 v Joe Public 1
M. Rodriguez 77' ; M. Lewis 90'

Teams

Joe Public: - 1 M. Phillip, 8 T. Noel, 13 J. Springer (Yellow 42) (3 K. Goodridge 76th), 19 C. Mitchell, 20 M. Hislop, 4 K. Baptiste, 16 G. Gregory, 14 K. Young, 10 Y. Hoshide (17 N. Daniel 67th), 34 J. Morris (Red 81), 11 A. Toussaint (27 M. Lewis 56th)

Coach: - Derek King (Trinidad)

Municipal: - 27 J. Penedo, 18 G. Cabrera, 4 Y. Flores, 2 J. Vides, 11 G. Ramirez (30 C. Castillo 89th), 25 M. Rodriguez, 24 S. Guevara, 28 C. Noriega, 8 G. Romero (17 P. Samayoa 59th), 19 M. Ávila (7 D. Oliva 71st), 20 J. Castillo (Yellow 90)

Coach: - Guilherme Farinha (Portugal)

Group B Standings

GP W D L F A D PTS
Santos  2 2 0 0 6 2 +4 6   
Columbus Crew  2 1 0 1 1 1 +0 3   
Municipal  2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 1   
Joe Public  2 0 1 1 3 6 -3 1