DIRIAMBA – Diriangen of Nicaragua will play in their first ever Scotiabank Concacaf League quarterfinal after eliminating 2021 champions Comunicaciones of Guatemala thanks to a 1-1 draw in their 2022 SCL Round of 16 second leg on Tuesday night at the Estadio Cacique Diriangen in Diriamba, Nicaragua.
The result earned Diriangen a 2-1 win on aggregate and a place in the final eight against either Olimpia of Honduras or Municipal of Guatemala.
The home side could not have asked for a better start, as they took a 1-0 lead in the match and 2-0 on aggregate when Robinson Da Silva scored in the 7’. The Brazilian attacker expertly gathered in a long ball and hammered a left-footed shot into net for the goal.
Comunicaciones now needed two goals in order to advance, but it was Diriangen who kept generating the best scoring chances and Comunicaciones GK Kevin Moscoso had to be alert to tip a buzzing Jason Coronel shot over the crossbar in the 31’.
Comunicaciones stayed after it and were richly rewarded in the 51’ when substitute Oscar Santis ran onto a ball flighted in and touched a shot past Diriangen GK Justo Llorente to even the match 1-1 and creep to within 2-1 on aggregate.
The Santis goal sparked Comunicaciones to life and the visiting Guatemalans were suddenly swarming the Diriangen half with chances.
The defending champions came with everything in the final minutes in an attempt to hang onto their crown, but Llorente and the Diriangen defense were up to the task and saw things out to complete the series victory.
