SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Costa Rican club Herediano will be looking to clinch their first Scotiabank Concacaf League quarterfinal berth since their 2018 title run when they host Pacific FC of Canada in the second leg of the 2022 SCL Round of 16 on Tuesday night at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Herediano came out 1-0 winners in the first leg in British Columbia, serving Pacific their first SCL loss. It was a tight, intense affair and it took until the 83’ before the deadlock could be broken, as Jefferson Brenes scored the match-winner for the Ticos.
Tuesday’s affair will be Pacific’s first foray into Central America in Concacaf competition. The reigning Canadian Premier League winners will require their key attacking players to step up, like Josh Heard and Djenairo Daniels.
Heard had two goals and two assists in the previous round against Waterhouse of Jamaica, while Daniels came achingly close to finding a goal in last week’s first leg and finished the game with three scoring chances.
The Round of 16 has been unkind to Herediano in their last two appearances. They were eliminated by Waterhouse in a penalty shootout in 2019 and then a year later in a single match fixture against Nicaragua’s Real Esteli.
Last week’s first leg triumph gives them a nice advantage heading into Tuesday, and with workhorses like Keysher Fuller and Miguel Basulto, Herediano will certainly fancy their chances of advancing.
Fuller had the assist on the Brenes goal and contributed 19 completed passes, three clearances and a ball recovery. Basulto, who won the 2018 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League as a member of Chivas, demonstrated his Concacaf pedigree by completing 76 of 84 passes in the win.
Match Officials:
Referee: Bryan Lopez (Guatemala)
AR1: Juan Tipaz (Guatemala) AR2: Julian Mendez (Guatemala)
4th Officials: Jose Ignacio Fuentes (Guatemala)
Stats, CS Herediano vs Pacific FC