T&T defender Aubrey David and his Costa Rica club Deportivo Saprissa will have it all to do in their second-leg match away to US Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union if they are to advance to the next round of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League on April 14.
This after a first-half goal from Kacper Przybylko delivered a 1-0 win for the Philadelphia Union in their debut against Deportivo Saprissa on Wednesday evening in the first leg of their Round-of-16 series at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma in San Jose, Costa Rica.
It was also the first win for a team from MLS at Saprissa in the SCCL since the 2009-10 edition when the Columbus Crew emerged with a victory by the same scoreline.
Philadelphia, who signed Canadian-born T&T goalkeeper Gregory Ranjitsingh to a one-year contract last week, did not show any nerves normally befitting an SCCL debutant and after a solid first half-hour, the visitors broke the deadlock in the 34th with a powerful header from Przybylko off a cross from the right-wing by Olivier Mbaizo.
Saprissa looked to answer and started the second-half in a stronger fashion, testing Union goalkeeper, Jamaican Andre Blake with a couple of shots inside the first seven minutes of the second stanza.
The home side continued to mount the pressure and on a free kick in the 68’ Saprissa defender Kendall Waston got loose behind the Union defense, but the centre-back headed wide.
Three minutes later, Christian Bolanos flashed toward the near post on a corner kick and turned a header that appeared goalbound, but Philadelphia defender Kai Wagner was there to make a goal-line clearance.
The closing stages belonged to Saprissa as they searched for an equalizer, but the Philadelphia defense stayed strong to secure the victory.
In another last-16 encounter on Wednesday night, former T&T Under-20 international, Canadian-born Luke Singh made his debut for Toronto FC in a pulsating 1-1 draw with Mexico's Club Leon at the Estadio Leon in Leon, Mexico.
Club Leon took control with a moment of magic from Fernando Navarro in the 25th, resulting in the game’s first goal, as the Club Leon man took a ball coming across his body and volleyed in a right-footed shot for a 1-0 lead.
Toronto FC aimed to respond in the second half and some pressure from Erickson Gallardo in the 51st ended with a pass deflecting off the foot of Club Leon defender Andres Mosquera and spinning over the head of Club Leon goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota and into the net to level things at 1-1.
Back came Club Leon and Campbell came within a whisker of regaining the lead for the hosts in the 58’ with a curling left-footed shot that rang off the post and out.
Club Leon continued to mount the pressure and some clever movement from Yairo Moreno in the 74’ ended with a cross that Angel Mena just missed connecting with at the far post.
Mena would get another two chances in the final 10 minutes but missed wide on both attempts inside the penalty area while 20-year-old Singh, a defender who was signed to a four-day contract came on in the 87th minute for Jacob Shaffelburg.
In the end, the Toronto FC defense held firm and turned away the Club Leon attack to emerge with the result.
T&T target, midfielder Nick De Leon, 31, the son of former T&T international Leroy De Leon was not among the 18-man roster for the match.
On Thursday (April 9), T&T midfielder Kevin Molino is expected to make his competitive debut for MLS champions Columbus Crew away to Nicaragua's Real Esteli at the Nicaraguan National Stadium ahead of the return leg on April 15.