Plaza Amador (pictured) hasn't reached a Panamanian league final since the 2011 Apertura. (Photo courtesy of Liga Panameña de Fútbol)
PANAMA CITY, Panama – After a 2-1 victory over top-seeded Árabe Unido in the first leg of the 2015 Panamanian Apertura semifinals, Plaza Amador is looking to taking the next step.
Plaza -- which finished 13 points behind the Expreso Azul during the regular season -- is targeting its first trip to the final since the 2011 Apertura, when it fell 4-1 to Chorrillo FC.
Head coach Juan Carlos Garcia realizes the task won’t be an easy one, especially since the second leg will be on the road and considering Arabe took four of a possible six points against his side during the Apertura.
“It would be illogical to defend on the field in Colon because they are going to go out with everything,” said Garcia. “It would be illogical protect yourself when you are playing for passage to the final. Plaza will go for the game.”
The Spaniard insisted that his players will have a positive mentality when they take the field at the Estadio Armando Dely Valdes.
“In the head of all our players, the message is clear that we have to go to Colon to win the match,” he stressed.
Garcia acknowledged that although Arabe Unido is strong in attack, netting a league-best 31 goals in 19 games thus far, the Plaza Amador defense is capable of getting the job done.
“Árabe is a very solid and strong team and has been hard to solve during the regular season, but at some point you had to sink your teeth into them,” the former futsal goalkeeper concluded. “Plaza has been able do that for a chance at the final.”
Chorrillo FC is leading Chepo FC, 2-1, in the other final-four pairing.
The Panamanian Apertura champion will qualify for the 2016-17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
