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BAYAMON, Puerto Rico – The Puerto Rico Islanders ended their six-game winless streak at home in the CONCACAF Champions League, getting a pair of first-half goals by Jonathan Fana and beating CD FAS 4-1.
It was first victory by the Islanders since defeating Cruz Azul in the first leg of the semifinals two seasons ago. It was only their third victory in their last seven matches, including a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Preliminary Round.
The defeat left FAS, winless in the Salvadoran Apertura and in last place after four matches, with one point in Group D.
Puerto Rico had the initiative from the outset, generating a corner kick within the first half minute.
David Foley gave Puerto Rico the lead in the 16th minute, making a diagonal across to the left side of the area. He ran onto a through ball and struck a left-footed shot from just inside the 18 back across the goal that eluded the outstretched arm of FAS goalkeeper Luis Contreras.
Fana doubled the lead first six minutes later with his first. Nicholas Addlery flicked on a ball that Fana settled with one touch of his right and scored with a blast from his left.
FAS quickly answered, getting back within a goal less than two minutes later. Alejandro Bentos sprinted down the right and launched a cross that Williams Reyes volleyed at the near post into the hands of Puerto Rico keeper Bill Gaudette.
However, the rebound fell immediately to the feet of Reyes, who kicked it past a hapless Gaudette.
Puerto Rico continued to press the Salvadorans, twice getting in behind the defense and challenging Contreras before being called offside.
Fana added his second a half minute into first-half injury time. Gaudette’s punt bounced once before Fana was able to get to it near the top of the penalty area, and volleyed the bounding ball as Contreras came off his line late.
Gaudette, a major factor in Puerto Rico’s run to the semifinals the first year, was again called to make big saves in both halves, denying Bentos in the 29th by pushing his header over the bar, and doing the same to Reyes in the 55th.
Addlery scored for the third time in four games and his fourth in this year’s Champions League in the 84th, corralling a ball that skipped through the FAS defense and striking it from just inside the area under the arm of Contreras.
The Puerto Rico Islanders will travel for the first time in the Group Stage when the Champions League resume in two weeks, going to Mexico to face Toluca on September 15, while FAS will head to Honduras to play Olimpia.