SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras – Honduran side CD Marathon is busily preparing for the start of the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf League both on and off the field.
On Monday, the club announced the signing of Honduras Under-23 player Kervin Arriaga, who joins after three years with fellow Honduran club Platense where the MF scored eight goals in 65 games.
Arriaga also has SCL experience under his belt having appeared in the 2017 edition with Platense in which he played 43 minutes.
Also joining the Catracho club this summer are GK Roberto Lopez, DF Noe Enamorado, FW Sebastian Jose Colon and FW Yerson Gutierrez.
Gutierrez has been very impressive in preseason by netting goals in friendlies versus Vida and Honduras Progreso.
All told, Marathon have played six preseason friendlies prior to the start of the 2019 Honduran Apertura this weekend versus Real de Minas.
It began on July 3 with a 2-2 draw against San Manuel FC, followed two days later by a contest with reigning Costa Rican champions San Carlos that ended 2-1 in favor of the Ticos.
Marathon poured in the goals in a 3-2 win over Atletico Choloma on July 10, with Carlos Discua, Frelys Lopez and Carlo Costly scoring.
Gutierrez tallied his first goal in a Marathon shirt in a July 13 1-1 draw against Honduras Progreso and then was back at it again on July 17 in a 2-2 draw with Vida, as Costly also scored his second of the preseason.
Marathon then wrapped up its preseason last Saturday in a narrow 2-1 loss to Platense with Carlos Rochez scoring the goal.
Marathon opens its 2019 SCL campaign in the Preliminary Round on Thursday, August 1 versus Comunicaciones of Guatemala in Guatemala City, followed by the second leg one week later in San Pedro Sula.
CD Marathon (Honduras)
New signing: Kevin Arriaga, Roberto Lopez, Mario Roberto Martínez, Freslys Lopez, Azmahar Ariano (Panama), Esteban Espindola (Argentina), Yerson Gutierrez (Colombia), Sebastian Jose Colon.