“Saint” Penedo spoils Islanders year’s home closer

By: BoriQa | October 28th, 2008

The Puerto Rico Islanders were looking for their lucky 13th win at home this year, but it wasn’t meant to be, as the Islanders fell on a late goal to Municipal of Guatemala in the CONCACAF Champions League last Thursday October 23rd at Juan Ramón Loubriel in Bayamón.

The Islanders managed to win 12 times at home this year: 8 times in the USL, including a 3-0 overtime win in the Semi-Finals against the Rochester Rhinos; a 1-0 win over the Trinidad & Tobago’s Pro League Champion San Juan Jabloteh to win the Caribbean Football Union’s 3rd berth to the CONCACAF Champions League; a 2-1 come from behind win over Costa Rica’s Liga Deportiva Alajuelense in the tournament’s preliminary round; a 2-1 win over Panama’s 5-times champion Tauro FC and a 3-1 win over the current Mexican champions Santos Laguna in the 1st round group stage of the tournament.

The Islanders were looking for their last win at home this year in front of 7,500 fans against Municipal in the Champions League, to get a step closer to the Quarter Finals of the tournament to be played next March, and to eliminate the Guatemalans from the tournament.

But Puerto Rico’s 19 shots in the game were no match for Municipal’s Panamanian goalkeeper Jaime “The Saint” Penedo, who with 14 saves, kept the Islanders at bay, and earned the win after the game’s lonely goal by Mario Giovany Acevedo in the 85th minute.

As fate had it, the Municipal hopes for the Quarter Final round faded with this win, as they still got eliminated from the tournament. Municipal needed to score at least 2 away-goals against the Islanders, to keep their hopes to move on to the next round in case of a three-way tie for 2nd place in the group standings (had Tauro tied the Islanders and Municipal defeated Santos in the final week).

The Islanders will visit the Tauro in the Panama on Wednesday October 29th, to define the 2nd qualifier from Group D in the CONCACAF Champions League.