Metro eases through Pantoja in leg two, 3:0
February 27, 2019
In a game which was even easier than the Champions League opener, Metro had absolutely no problems dispatching Atletico Pantoja, 3:0 to make it 5:0 on aggregate. The Dominicans did not register their first shot on goal (of the series!) until deep into injury time. Metro now moves on to the quarterfinal against Mexican juggernaut Santos Laguna.
Metro easily dominated from the onset, but couldn't convert the early chances. Alex Muyl failed to turn around on a goalmouth Bradley Wright-Phillips cross. Then, BWP smashed one off the crossbar from the top of the box.
In the 27th, after Pantoja headed out a cross, Sean Davis headed it back in the other direction and into the net for his first goal in almost a year. Five minutes later, Connor Lade was brought down in the box, and Daniel Royer roofed the ensuing penalty kick.
It was all academic by that point; Metro sleepwalked through the second half, with Royer hitting the woodwork from close range. Andreas Ivan made it 3:0 with his first Metro goal by blasting from the top of the box into the upper right corner in the 75th. Sean Nealis made his first-team debut as a substitute.
The one unfortunate event was the needless yellow card received by Michael Murillo, the only player who got one in the first leg. He will now miss the opener against Santos... that one will not be as easy as this.
Lineup: Robles, Lade, Long, Parker, Murillo, Davis, Rzatkowski, Muyl, Royer, Romero Gamarra, Wright-Phillips. Subs: Nealis, Duncan, Ivan.
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