MIAMI, Florida – Hector Hurtado struck for a late goal to give Panama’s Independiente a slight edge in their 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup quarterfinal series with Motagua of Honduras after a 1-1 draw in the first leg on Tuesday night at the Estadio Nacional Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
It was a fiery and feisty affair from the very start and Independiente nearly had an early goal in the 6’ when a deep cross ended up bouncing off a Motagua defender and hitting the post before being cleared away.
The visiting Panamanians kept poking and prodding and a big save from Motagua GK Jonathan Rougier was required to deny Jorge Serrano in the 26’.
Motagua absorbed the early pressure and then landed a big blow in the 35’ when Central American Cup top scorer Agustin Auzmendi steered home a header to hand Motagua a 1-0 lead, giving Auzmendi his fifth goal of the tournament.
Rougier then made another stretch save right before halftime, soaring to his left to stop a Sergio Cunningham header.
Things stayed wide open as play drifted into the second half, and midway through Auzmendi looked set to tally his second of the net off a floated cross from Walter Martinez, but instead banged his volley over the crossbar. That was followed by a bullet from Lucas Campana that grazed the crossbar.
Motagua would end up ruing those missed chances, as Independiente pulled level 1-1 in the 80’ when a ball fell perfectly for Hurtado to hit low and hard through the Motagua defense and past Rougier for the goal, giving Independiente a slight edge going into next week’s return leg in Panama.
