A four-goal second-half explosion sent San Diego FC to a 4-1 win over visiting Pumas UNAM in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup opening-round series on Tuesday.
Pumas led 1-0 at halftime before Manu Duah’s 68th-minute header off a corner kick leveled the score. David Vazquez, Alex Mighten and Luca Bombino tallied in a 10-minute span late in the game, sending San Diego FC to the decisive victory in their Champions Cup debut.
The two-game, total-goal series concludes on Feb. 10 in Mexico City. The winner advances to oppose Deportivo Toluca FC in the round of 16.
In the 76th minute, Vazquez headed in a cross from Wilson Eisner to give San Diego a 2-1 lead.
Another Vazquez back-post header in the 81st minute was saved, but Mighten knocked in the rebound from close range to double the lead.
San Diego FC’s fourth goal was something of a gift. A Pumas defender struggled to get the ball out of feet for a clearance from close to the goal, and Bombino rushed in to knock it into the net.
Pumas’ Robert Morales opened the scoring spectacularly in the 11th minute with a bicycle kick off a cross from Adalberto Carrasquilla.
–Field Level Media
