Queretaro's Edgar Benitez (right) celebrates after scoring against visiting D.C. United in a Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal on February 23, 2016, in Queretaro, Mexico. (Photo: Mexsport)
QUERETARO, Mexico -- Substitute Yerson Candelo and Edgar Benitez scored in the final 20 minutes to give Queretaro a 2-0 victory over D.C. United in the first leg of their 2015-16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL) quarterfinal on Tuesday night.
Tiago Volpi made eight saves for the host, which has yet to give up a goal in three all-time SCCL outings at the Estadio Corregidora. The 25-year-old custodian was forced into three difficult interventions by United States international Steve Birnbaum.
Queretaro won despite playing the final 59 minutes without the current tournament’s leading scorer Emmanuel Villa (6 goals), who departed with an apparent right leg injury. The Gallos Blancos can advance to the semifinals with a win, a draw or a one-goal loss in the second leg next week at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
Candelo came on for Villa in the 31st minute. He scored 40 minutes later, reaching a partial clearance outside of the penalty area and ripping a swerving volley into the top right corner beyond Dykstra’s dive.
The goal came after a steady run of D.C. chances.
In the 60th minute, Taylor Kemp cut in from the left and curled a shot that sailed beyond Volpi’s dive, but struck the crossbar just above the right corner.
Birnbaum was thwarted twice in quick succession during the 68th minute. The first was on a downward header off Nick DeLeon’s long throw-in and then on a rebound effort that Volpi denied after springing speedily from the ground.
Benitez made it 2-0 in the 83rd minute, when he raced onto Sinha’s through ball that looped over D.C. defender Sean Franklin to finish past a charging Dykstra.
United’s SCCL scoring streak was snapped at 19 games.
