Marathon claimed the next-to-last place in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League Thursday night, beating San Juan Jabloteth 4-2 on three second-half goals by Jerry Nelson Palacios.
The victory moved the Honduran side past D.C. United into second place in Group B behind Toluca and ended Jabloteh’s Champions League run with a sixth straight loss. Jabloteh, which finished with 10 men, was the only team in the Group Stage that failed to earn at least a draw in its six matches.
Marathon joined Mexican sides Pachuca, Toluca, Cruz Azul and Pumas as well as Arabe Unido of Panama and the Columbus Crew of U.S. Major League Soccer in the knockout round. It will learn its quarterfinal opponent when CONCACAF conducts its Championship Round draw on November 17 at its New York headquarters.
Marathon dominated from the outset, taking the lead in the 26th minute and hitting the bar twice in the first half while limiting Jabloteh to two shots on goal in the first 45 minutes, one of which it converted for a goal.
The Honduran side started early, forcing Jabloteh keeper Cleon John into a save in the fourth minute when Walter Martinez ran onto a ball over the top and tested him. Palacios side-footed a cross off the bar in the 17th from the edge of the six-yard box and Guillermo Ramirez twisted a shot from the top of the penalty area that John smothered at the near post.
Martinez finally converted for Marathon in the 26th, taking a ball out of the back and lobbing it from just inside the area over John.
Marathon continued to hold the majority of possession and create chances and appeared to have a second in the 37th when Ramirez raced down the middle and unleashed a right-footed shot that crashed off the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and out.
Jabloteh had not managed more than a shot from distance in the 35th that Marathon keeper Juan Angel Obelar easily handled, but the Caribbean islanders equalized in the 42nd when Cyrano Glen side-footed a looping ball that was put back across the goal from a corner by Joel Russell.
Palacios put Marathon back in front in the 47th, running down the left side and shooting high over John. He doubled the lead in the 69th, running completely unmarked at the right post and heading Ramirez’s cross past John.
Travis Mulraine gave Jabloteh some hope in the 74th, running onto a ball in the area and shooting between the near post and Obelar from eight meters.
But Palacios restored the advantage in the 81st. Ramirez’s corner kick came to the top of the area where Mario Rene Berrios hit a low shot that Palacios, standing in the middle of the area, flicked past John with touch of his heel.
Marathon won for the fourth time in five games in all competitions after suffering through a three-match losing streak when it was outscored 12-0. Jabloteh was playing its third game in five days having lost 3-1 on Tuesday at Joe Public and drawn 0-0 with Ma Pau on Saturday in the TT Pro League Big Six.
Hasely Crawford Stadium - CONCACAF Champion League.
San Juan Jabloteh - 22.Cleon John; 5.Anton Hutchinson, 12.Elton John, 4.Karlon Murray, 27.Sheldon Bateau; 31.Kern Cooper (6.Noel Williams 41st), 29.Joel Russell, 15.Travis Mulraine, 26.Josh Johnson; 19.Hector Sam (10.Marvin Oliver 46th), 18.Cyrano Glen (Yellow 15) (21.Ataullah Guerra 66th) (Red 84).
San Juan Jabloteh Substitutes - Daurance Williams; 28.Robert Primus; 17.Devon Jamerson, 7.Elijah Manners, 20.Willis Plaza.
San Juan Jabloteh Coach - Earl Jean (St Lucia).
Marathón - 27.Juan Ángel Obelar; 5.Erick Norales, 20.Mario Beata, 23.Mauricio Sabillón, 4.Máximo Lucas; 12.Mariano Acevedo (14.Orvin Paz 87th), 22.Mitchell Brown (Yellow 28) (19.Mario Berríos 76th), 21.Mario Rodríguez, 11.Guillermo Ramírez (Yellow 87); 10.Jerry Palacios, 15.Walter Martínez (7.Carlos Mejía 69th).
Marathón Substitutes - 1.Jose Puerto; 25.Luis Santamaría Crisanto, 17.Arnold Solórzano; 31.Israel Abidan Solis.
Marathón Coach - Manuel Keosseian (Uruguay).
Referee - Marco Rodriguez (Mexico).
Full Time
San Juan Jabloteh 2 (Cyrano Glen 42, Travis Mulraine 74) v Marathón 4 (Walter Martínez 25, Jerry Palacios 47, 69, 81).
GP W D L F A D PTS
Toluca 6 4 1 1 15 4 +11 13
Marathón 6 4 0 2 12 14 -2 12
DC United 6 3 1 2 12 8 +4 10
Jabloteh 6 0 0 6 4 17 -13 0
Facts
15 - Yellow to Cyrano Glen for climbing all over Beata. Free kick to Marathón resulting in open play.
25 - Goal Marathón. Walter Martínez latches onto a through ball and his lob beats John. A cool effort their from Martínez.
28 - Yellow to Mitchell Brown for the challenge on Elton John.
41 - Noel Williams enters the game and replaces Kern Cooper.
42 - Goal Jabloteh. Corner is played deep to Joel Russell who's cross back across goal is struck by Cyrano Glen past a stranded Obelar.
47 - Goal Marathón. Palacios this time does score as he runs in on goal and shoots high into the corner. 2-1 Marathón.
66 - Ataullah Guerra enters the game and replaces Cyrano Glen.
69 - Goal Marathón. Ramirez with the cross which Palacios meets with a superb diving header. Carlos Mejía enters the game and replaces Walter Martínez.
74 - Goal Jabloteh. Travis Mulraine with a superb solo run and he shoots and beats Obelar on his near post.
76 - Mario Berrios enters the game and replaces Mitchell Brown.
81 - Goal Marathón. Guillermo Ramirez with the corner which Berrios lashes goal bound only for Palacios to deflect into the net.
84 - Just to make matters worse for Jabloteh the substitute Ataullah Guerra has been sent off for stamping on Acevedo.
87 - Guillermo Ramirez now goes into the referee book after a sloppy challenge.
General Game Stats
Jabloteh - Marathón
Shots on goal 8 - 7
Shots wide 6 - 5
Fouls 14 - 10
Corner Kicks 2 - 4
Offsides 1 - 2
Possession 46% - 54%