Injury time goal lifts Municipal over Joe Public 3-2.
Concacafchampions.com.
MACOYA, Trinidad - Sergio Guevara scored a minute and a half into injury time and gave Municipal a 3-2 victory over Joe Public on Thursday, reviving its hopes of reaching the quarterfinals in the CONCACAF Champions League.
The Guatemalan side played with an extra man for the final 79 minutes and overcame Andre Toussaint's equalizer for Joe Public in the 67th.
The result improved Municipal to five points, two behind Santos and four behind Group B leader Columbus with two rounds remaining. Joe Public was virtually eliminated, leaving it six points behind Santos and the last quarterfinal berth.
Two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals.
Guevara hit a left-footed effort from the top of the area that eluded Joe Public keeper Marvin Phillip, frustrating the host side which took the early lead despite playing with 10 men, and then had to rally from a one-goal deficit.
Joe Public's chances were damaged as early as the 11th minute when Kareem Moses caught Marvin Avila with a high foot to the groin as the 24-year-old forward sprinted through the midfield.
But it was Joe Public who went ahead in the 15th when Toussaint played a ball into the area to Kerry Baptiste, who with his back to goal returned it to Toussaint at the top of the area. Toussaint volleyed the ball for a right-footed roller just inside the left post.
Municipal, which took the initiative from the start with Pando Ramirez getting two chances within the first five minutes, equalized two minutes later. Avila sent a ball from the byline to right of Joe Public's goal back into the middle of the area, where Ramirez took a touch, faked a shot to open an alley between a picket line of defenders and finished with a left-footed blast past Joe Public keeper Marvin Phillip.
Ramirez added a second in the 48th. A turnover at the top of the Joe Public defensive third was quickly pushed forward by Gonzalo Romero and sent wide right, where Ramirez finished with a left-footed strike to the far side of the net.
Municipal had the better of play for much of the game, with Joe Public occasionally mounting a counter. Ramirez continued to threaten and had his left-footed effort from the edge of the six-yard box blocked by Phillip in the first minute of injury time.
Joe Public's best effort came in the 20th when Kerry Baptiste traded passes with Trent Noel, whose shot was slapped away by Municipal keeper Rony Alvarez.
Municipal continued to threaten and had its best chance to extend its lead in the 57th when Juan Jose Castillo found himself alone in front of goal, only to have his shot carom off the crossbar.
Joe Public also hit the post in the 65th when Gason Gregory worked down the right side of the area only have Alvarez tip his shot off the right upright.
The Trinidadian side equalized when Toussaint flicked Yu Hoshide's corner kick at the near post, squeezing it past Alvarez and the upright.
Joe Public had a late frustration when Alvarez blocked a short-range shot by Micah Lewis in the 87th, and steered Marcus Joseph's follow-up effort around the left post.
Similarly, Municipal was denied in the 90th when a goal off the head of Mario Rodriguez was voided for offside.
Municipal will be home to Columbus for next week's fifth-round match before finishing the group schedule against Santos in Mexico.
Joe Public will have the opposite schedule, travelling to Santos next week before concluding the Group Stage at home against Columbus.
Final
Joe Public 2 (Andre Toussaint 15, 67) v C.S.D. Municipal 3 (Guillermo Ramirez 17, 48, Sergio Guevara 90)
Teams
Joe Public: - 1.Marvin Phillip; 13.Jason Springer, 20.Makan Hislop, 30.Kareem Moses (Red 11'), 34.Jevon Morris; 8.Trent Noel (27.Marcus Joseph 54th), 16.Gayson Gregory, 7.Hayden Tinto (28.Micah Lewis 60th), 14.Kareem Young; 4.Kerry Baptiste (10.Yu Hoshide 64th), 11.Andre Toussaint.
Coach: - Derek King (T&T).
C.S.D. Municipal: - 22.Rony Álvarez; 28.Cristian Noriega (Yellow 75'), 18.Gustavo Cabrera (Yellow 26'), 4.Yony Flores, 2.Jaime Vides (Yellow 79'); 11.Guillermo Ramirez (13.Pablo Hutt 87th), 25.Mario Rodrígue, 24.Sergio Guevara, 8.Gonzalo Romero; 19.Marvin Ávila (30.Carlos Castillo 55th), 20.Juan José Castillo.
Coach: - Guilherme Farinha (Portugal).
Video Highlights: - | Joe Public 2 v Municipal 3 |
Venue: - Marvin Lee Stadium.
Standings
GP W D L F A D PTS
Columbus Crew 4 3 0 1 5 1 +4 9
Santos 4 2 1 1 8 5 +3 7
Municipal 4 1 2 1 6 6 +0 5
Joe Public 4 0 1 3 5 12 -7 1
General Game Stats
Joe Public v Municipal
Shots on goal 4 - 6
Shots wide 5 - 8
Fouls 8 - 9
Corner Kicks 4 - 4
Offsides 1 - 1
Possession 50% - 50%
Referee: - Joel Aguilar (El Salvador).
