GUATEMALA CITY–Second-half substitute Micah Lewis equalised with a header three minutes into second-half injury time to ten-man bmobile Joe Public a dramatic 1-1 draw with Municipal on Thursday in the Concacaf Champions League. The reigning T&T Digicel Pro League champions looked headed for a second straight defeat in Group B when Mario Rodriguez converted a rebound inside the six-yard box with only 13 minutes left on the clock at Mateo Flores National Stadium. This after Joe Public was reduced to ten men after the sending off of defender Jevon Morris in the 81st minute. However, Lewis' late heroics stunned the home crowd into silence and left both clubs at the bottom of the group with one point each, two behind the Columbus Crew and five behind group leader Santos.
The host side had the better chances throughout, but had been stymied by a handful of dramatic saves by Joe Public and Soca Warriors goalkeeper Marvin Philip and its own poor finishing on a field made soggy by day long rain which resumed around the 30th minute mark of the match. Despite the poor field conditions, Joe Public had an early chance to go ahead when Trent Noel broke into the area in the fourth minute before the ball was cleared, but it largely Municipal after that. But the hosts then took command and forced Joe Public on the backfoot and they even had a call for a penalty off a handball by Carlyle Mitchell waived off by American referee Baldomero Toledo. Another handball by Joe Public's Kerry Baptiste in the 36th minute resulted in a free-kick by at the edge of the 18-yard box which Guillermo Ramirez crashed off the bar.
Joe Public's best chance of the first half fell to Baptiste, but Municipal keeper Jaime Penedo raced off his line to block the shot just outside the six-yard box with his legs. Just before the half, Municipal's Sergio Guevara's shot was fisted away by Phillip while Marvin Avila shot wide a minute later on a breakaway to leave both teams 0-0 at the interval. The Eastern Lions' fortunes improved in the second-half with the insertion of Lewis on the left side for Andre Toussaint, enabling them to stretch the Municipal defense but without testing goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. Municipal then had another effort in the 63rd minute when Rodriguez struck a first-time shot which forced Phillip into a brilliant, one-handed diving save.
The near misses continued for Municipal as eight minutes later, Castillo chested down a looped cross from Avila but after turning inside his marker to create space he shot high overbar. The opening goal finally came in the 77th minute from Rodriguez when he pounced on a loose ball after a collision in the penalty-area between his team-mate, Pedro Samayoa and Joe Public's Mitchell and Marvin Philip. Joe Public hopes of getting back into the match was dealth ablow in the 81st minute when Morris was ejected for an elbow to the face of Castillo, that left the Municipal midfielder prone for several minutes. Despite a man down, Joe Public managed to salvage a valuable draw when Lewis dived to head in a pass at the back post from a Noel feed. Joe Public will next be in action on September 14, away to Crew while Municipal entertains Santos.
