MIAMI, Florida – Comunicaciones of Guatemala and El Salvador’s Once Deportivo battled to a spirited 1-1 draw in the first leg of their 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf League Preliminary Round series on Thursday night at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Glores in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Both sides opened with chances to score, with Once Deportivo’s Kevin Menjivar unable to get a clean shot off, and then Comunicaciones star striker Juan Anangono with a header that barely missed.

There would be a goal in the first half, though, and it came in the 36’ off the swinging left boot of Alexander Larin, who lined up a free kick from distance and struck it perfectly, hammering the ball into the top right corner of goal past Once Deportivo GK Yonatan Guardado for a 1-0 Comunicaciones lead.

Once Deportivo looked to respond in the second half and they started having more of the ball in the Comunicaciones half, but were initially unable to find a way past Comunicaciones GK Fredy Perez.

Still, the visiting Salvadorans continued to ask questions of the hosts and would get the crucial equalizer and away goal in the 69’ through Edgar Medrano, who received a pass inside the area and fired in a right-footed shot past Perez to make it 1-1.

Both sides were keen to try to find a winner in the final 20 minutes, but neither could find the decisive score, leaving things wide open going into the second leg.