Posted on September 19, 2012
PANAMA CITY – for the second time in two years, Alvaro Saborio provided the drama and the winning goal in stoppage time in the CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Costa Rican striker slotted home a penalty kick in the fourth minute of added time to lift the Major League Soccer side to a 1-0 Group 2 triumph over Tauro FC.
During the 2010-2011 CCL competition, Saborio converted a penalty kick in added time in a 2-1 win over Arabe Unido of Panama.
The loss, the fourth in five CCL matches for the Panamanian side, eliminated Tauro, which did not score for the third consecutive tie. RSL (six points) boosted its hopes of reaching the quarterfinals, moved into a virtual tie with Herediano atop the group.
The win ended RSL’s five-game winless CCL away streak with only its second road win. It also was the team’s fifth road win this season.
RSL had the better possession and more chances throughout, but was frustrated by its own poor finishing and Tauro’s 19-year-old goalkeeper Vladimir Villarreal.
Villarreal fouled Saborio, which that resulted in the penalty kick. He raced off his line and brought down the forward with a sliding tackle at the top of the penalty area. Villarreal got a hand to Saborio’s penalty kick, but could not prevent it from getting inside the right post.
Saborio, who leads RSL with 14 goals, tallied his second CCL score. It also was his 16th goal across all competitions this year. RSL is 29-5-5 in games in which the Costa Rica finds the back of the net.
Saborio’s successful PK conversion makes him 12-for-12 from the spot in his RSL career. He has 16 game-winning goals across all competitions for the Claret-and-Cobalt.
However, it wasn’t all good news for Saborio. He picked up his second yellow card of the competition in the 66th minute, meaning he will be suspended for RSL’s g finale against C.S. Herediano on Oct. 23.
Both sides played without key personnel due to yellow-card suspensions. The U.S. team did not have captain and midfielder Kyle Beckerman, while Edwin Aguilar was absent for Tauro.
Tauro’s most dangerous scoring chances came from distance. Rolando Botello forced goalkeeper Nick Rimando to stop a shot after he was guilty of a giveway in the 42nd minute. Manuel Vargas also left-footed drive from 25 yards that skipped wide right in the 75th minute
Its best shot came in the 83rd minute on a counter when Ismael Diaz’s run into the penalty area left Eduardo Dasent alone on the right side of the area. But his low shot was parried wide by a diving Rimando.
Herediano has two games remaining, including a home match against Tauro next week.
Photo: Alvaro Saborio has converted all 12 of his penalty kick attempts for RSL. Scott Bales/YCJ
Categories: Central America, Champions League, North America, Panama, U.S.A.
Tags: Alvario Saborio, C.S. Herdiano, CONCACAF Champions League, Edwin Aguilar, Kyle Beckerman, Major League Soccer, Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake, Rolando Botello, Tauro FC
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