TEGUCIGALPA – Yeison Mejia scored two goals to power Honduran club Motagua to a 2-0 victory over Sporting San Miguelito of Panama in Group D of the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup on Wednesday night at the Estadio Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Motagua now have six points from their first two games, while Sporting San Miguelito remain without a point after one match.
It was all Motagua at the start, evidenced by Mejia hitting the crossbar in the 5’ followed by Ivan Lopez barely missing over the woodwork.
After narrowly missing on his first attempt, Yeison Mejia was on target with his second shot on goal in the 21’, as he collected a pass on the left flank and slid home a right-footed shot for a 1-0 Motagua lead.
Sporting San Miguelito did get one very good chance to equalizer right before halftime when Jorlian Sanchez had a free crack at goal, but instead he rolled his shot into the hands of Motagua GK Jonathan Rougier.
Motagua were keen to reassert their authority in the second stanza and the home side doubled their lead to 2-0 in the 60’ when Lopez cut back to Agustin Auzmendi, whose shot rang off the crossbar, but Yeison Mejia was there to nod home a header for the goal.
Sporting San Miguelito would attempt to answer back and had a great look in the 70’ when Valentin Pimentel found space in the Motagua area and launched a header goalward, only to see it glance off the post.
That was followed 10 minutes later by veteran Panamanian striker Gabriel Torres firing a shot that required a stretch save from Rougier, who anchored a strong defensive effort the rest of the way to clinch the clean sheet victory.
