MIAMI, Florida. – GK Denovan Torres made four saves to help CD Marathon of Honduras claim a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Real Esteli after a 2-0 win for the Nicaraguan hosts in the second leg of the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf League Round of 16 on Wednesday night at the Estadio Independencia in Managua, Nicaragua.

The scoreline after 90 minutes resulted in a 2-2 draw on aggregate, with a penalty shootout needed to determine which team would advance to the quarterfinals.

For the second straight season, Torres would come through for Marathon in spot kicks, having helped his team eliminate Guatemala’s Antigua GFC in last season’s SCL Round of 16 with two penalty saves.

Real Esteli charged out of the gates in search of an early goal, with Brandon Ayerdis and Josue Quijano each forcing saves from Torres.

The breakthrough would arrive shortly before halftime in the 40’ through Danilo Farias, who hammered home a ball from a yard out for a 1-0 lead after a pair of headers inside the area.

 

 

The momentum stayed with Real Esteli going into the second half and Farias tried his luck with a chip over Torres in the 61’, but Torres stepped up to make the save.

Seconds later, Kervin Arriaga almost equalized for the Honduran visitors with a right-footed rocket, but Real Esteli GK Denvorn Fox soared to his left to block the effort.

They would rue the miss because in the 75’ Widman Talavera anticipated a cross from the left wing and directed a header into net to give Real Esteli a 2-0 lead in the match and a 2-2 draw on aggregate in the series.

 

 

Matters had to be settled in a penalty shootout in which Torres came up big with four saves and Frelys Lopez converted the 5-4 winner in the ninth round of kicks to send Marathon to the next round.

 

Richard Rodríguez   1-0 

Kervin Arriaga        1-1

Luis Acuña             2-1

Allans Vargas         2-2 

Danilo Farias          3-2 

Edwin Solano         saved 

Josue Quijano        saved 

Carlo Costly           3-3

Vinicius De Souza  saved

Bryan Castillo        saved

Widman Talavera   saved

Mathias Techera    missed 

Oscar López           4-3 

Denovan Torres      4-4 

Cristian Gutiérrez  missed

Walter Ramírez     missed

Oscar Acevedo      saved

Frelys López          5-4