TEGUCIGALPA – Honduran giants Olimpia used the backing of a boisterous Estadio Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa to claim a 1-0 win over Municipal of Guatemala in the second leg of the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf League Round of 16 on Thursday night.
Michaell Chirinos’ goal in the second half secured the victory and earned Olimpia a 3-2 win on aggregate. Olimpia advance to the quarterfinals where they will take on Diriangen of Nicaragua.
As was expected, it was a breathless start between the two sides in front of a very loud home crowd, with Municipal generating the first chance on a shot from distance. But Olimpia soon accumulated scoring chances in the first half-hour, the best of the bench being Brayan Moya firing just wide in the 28’.
Municipal had fewer chances, but when they surged forward, it was dangerous, and it took the fingertips of Olimpia GK Edrick Menjivar to tip away a Jose Martinez header just after the half-hour mark.
Things remained on a knife’s edge as play drifted into the second half and Municipal could not believe that they hadn’t taken the lead in the 55’ when Steve Makuka nodded a header toward goal, only for Menjivar to parry the ball to safety.
Olimpia had been knocking on the door for most of the game and they finally were able to get that crucial first goal in the 65’ through Chirinos, who managed to get his toe on the end of a ball that had been headed toward goal by Jose Pinto and flick a shot in for a 1-0 Olimpia lead.
⚽ ¡GOL de @CDOlimpia! ¡Michaell Chirinos pone a cantar al Estadio Chelato Uclés!#SCL22 pic.twitter.com/2B7Y13QDtr
— Concacaf (@Concacaf) August 26, 2022
The Olimpia goal forced Municipal to take an even more aggressive approach, with the Chapines in search of two goals to advance, but Menjivar and the Olimpia defense would not waver, as they nailed down the win and a spot in the next round.
