Saprissa rally from early deficit to top Comunicaciones

MIAMI, Florida – Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica rallied from a 2-0 deficit and overcame a hat trick from Oscar Santis to claim a 4-3 win over Guatemalan side Comunicaciones in the first leg of their 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf League quarterfinal on Thursday night at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose, Costa Rica.

It was a dream start for Comunicaciones, as they struck early in the 7’ when Andres Lezcano served up an inch-perfect cross for Santis, who soared into the area and thumped a header into net for a 1-0 advantage.

Saprissa looked to answer, but once again Comunicaciones would punish the home side on the counterattack, with Santis doing the damage a second time with a right-footed finish in the 29’ for a 2-0 advantage.

Saprissa were undaunted by the comeback task and pulled a goal back on a glancing header from Orlando Sinclair off a Jimmy Marin cross to make it a 2-1 affair in the 39’.

Saprissa kept their foot on the gas and were handsomely rewarded on the final touch before halftime when Mariano Torres launched a left-footed rocket into the top left corner of net to even the score 2-2.

The goal-scoring fireworks carried into the second half and Comunicaciones would go ahead again, 3-2, in the 66’ when Santis completed his hat trick by scoring off a cross from Alexander Larin.

But just like in the first half, Saprissa had a response and an attempted clearance deep in the Comunicaciones area fell right to David Guzman, who promptly stroked home a right-footed finish to make it 3-3 in the 67’.

On a night with so many twists and turns, there would be one final moment that proved to be decisive, as a Comunicaciones own goal in the 84’ off a cross from Carlos Villegas gave Saprissa the dramatic 4-3 victory.