Club America opens bid to keep SCCL title with win

   

Rubens Sambueza (#14) scored in host Club America's Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League win over Motagua on August 5, 2015, in Mexico City. (Photo: Rich Lam)

MEXICO CITY – Club America commenced defense of its Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL) title with a 4-0 win over visiting Motagua on Wednesday at the Estadio Azteca. 

The victory improved the Aguilas to 3-0-0 in SCCL openers, while the 2014 Honduran Apertura champion extended its losing streak in the competition to eight straight games. 

It didn’t take the host long to make a serious statement of intent about repeating as champion, netting twice in the early going.

United States international Ventura Alvarado struck just two minutes after the opening whistle thanks to being in the right place at the right time. Pablo Aguilar volleyed a right-sided corner towards the net, which defender Wilmer Crisanto blocked on the line as goalkeeper Sebastian Portigliatti desperately dove to his left. Alvarado reacted to the loose ball and found the back of the net with his left foot from four-yards out.

Three minutes later, the lead was doubled in a fairly straightforward fashion. Osvaldo Martinez lofted a right-sided free kick into the box that found Pablo Aguilar seven yards from the goal. Despite pressure, the 28-year-old Paraguayan managed to head beyond Portigliatti’s reach into the left-side netting.

With five minutes left in the first half, America’s Oribe Peralta did something that has become a habit for him in SCCL play: score. From the right-goal line, Rubens Sambueza delivered a chip to the edge of the six-yard box that Portigliatti tipped away. The ball, however, was directed towards Peralta, who nodded into an open net for his 20th career goal in the tournament.

Ten minutes after the break, Sambueza closed America’s goal account. After outmuscling Cesar Oseguera for possession, Sambueza – while holding off a pair of defenders -- burst into the left side of the box. His left-footed shot from nine-yards out deflected off Junior Izaguirre and past a helpless Portigliatti.

Motagua nearly notched a consolation goal, but goalkeeper Moises Muñoz did well to save Henry Figueroa’s header and then hustled to prevent it from dribbling over the line.

The Ciclon Azul was reduced to 10 men in the 85th minute, when Izaguirre was ejected for tripping Michael Arroyo just outside the box.

Group E play resumes on August 19 as Club America welcomes tournament debutant Walter Ferretti of Nicaragua.