Face El Salvador’s C.D. FAS in Champions League Wednesday
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Puerto Rico Islanders will look to build on an opening draw as they play their second game in Group D of the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST against C.D. FAS of El Salvador at the Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel.
Both games in Group D ended with honors even on the first matchday, the Islanders earning a point with a 1-1 draw against Olimpia of Honduras. Nicholas Addlery opened the scoring for the Islanders to give his side a halftime lead, but Olimpia’s Mauricio Andres equalized midway through the second half.With a trip to Mexican side Toluca, considered the favorite to win the group, looming in the next round of CCL games, getting all three points at home is essential for the Islanders. That could be a challenge against an FAS squad that frustrated Toluca last Wednesday to come away with a 0-0 draw.
Toluca had the better of that contest and could have taken all three points when it was awarded a penalty in the 79th minute, only for Manuel Perez to hit the crossbar with both the initial shot and the rebound.
On paper, though, the Islanders would appear to have a good chance of breaking down the Tigers’ defense. Addlery has scored three goals in three games in the CCL, while the team as a whole is undefeated in its last eight games in the USSF Division-2 Pro League, moving into a playoff position in the process. That run of form includes a 2-0 victory against a strong Austin Aztex squad and a 1-1 tie in its last outing against AC St. Louis, a game that was called in the 82nd minute due to lightning in the St. Louis area.
FAS has only played once in the 2010 Apertura, falling 2-1 to Metapan in its opener on Saturday. Metapan, which was eliminated from this season’s CCL by Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders in the preliminary round, took victory on a 90th-minute penalty by Emerson Umana.
