SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras - Harrison Rochez and Jonathan Reyes scored second-half goals to lift Marathon to a 2-1 win over Caledonia AIA Wednesday night in a match between two teams already eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League.
It is Marathon's first win of the group stage and the Hondurans move into sole possession of second place with one match remaining. Marathon closes out its Champions League with a match against quarterfinal-bound Seattle at CenturyLink Field on October 24.
Caledonia wrapped up its competition, earning just one point from four matches. That came in a 0-0 draw with Marathon at Ato Boldon Stadium on August 22.
Reyes assured the victory by collecting a deflected ball in the box and lifting it over a charging Glenroy Samuel to give Marathon the lead for good in the 81st minute.
Rochez put Marathon in front in the 53rd minute, pouncing on the rebound of Cristhian Altamirano's saved shot from the edge of the six-yard box.
Tulio Vega appeared to double the lead in the 65th minute, again capitalizing on a rebound of a saved shot. But he was ruled offside and his goal from 12 meters was voided.
Three minutes after having a shot blocked by a Marathon defender in the box, Jamal Gay struck for Caledonia.
Abdallah Phillips started the play by winning the ball from Kevin Espionza in the Marathon defensive third. He raced into the box and cut the ball back to Gay, who hammered home the equalizer from 12 meters in the 72nd minute.
Marathon had its best scoring chances of a scoreless first half late as Altamirano's low 35-meter shot in the 37th minute was saved by Samuel, who was the busier of the two keepers in the opening 45 minutes.
One minute later, Vega beat Samuel to a ball along the right side of the box, but the keeper retreated to his goal and saved the shot from just outside the six-yard box.
One minute from halftime, Vega had an open shot from the top corner of the 18-yard box, but it just missed the target.
Caledonia's most dangerous opportunity of the first half came in the 23rd minute as Nathan Lewis' shot from 17 meters was parried away by Jose Mendoza and the ball was cleared out for a corner kick.
Teams
Caledonia AIA: - 33.Glenroy Samuel; 2.Aubrey David (Yellow 27), 3.Nuru Muhammad (Yellow 78), 12Kareem Joseph (15.Walter Moore 67th), 24.Kemron Purcell, 21.Densill Theobald, 8.Cornelius Stewart (11.Abdallah Phillips 61st), 7.Stephan David, 9.Keyon Edwards, 27.Nathan Lewis (13.Trayon Bobb 61st), 23.Jamal Gay.
Coach: - Jamaal Shabazz (T&T).
Marathón: - 27.José Mendoza; 2.Pastor Martinez, 5.Luis Castro, 47.Axel Guzman, 6.David Meza, 14.Christian Altamirano, 10.Michel Rivera (18.Harrison Róchez 46th), 13.Julián Rápalo, 24.Oscar Durón (Yellow 75) (7.Alexander Aguilar 79th), 51.Kevin Espinoza, 15.Marco Vega (25.Jonathan Reyes 81st).
Coach: - Manuel Keosseian (Uruguay).
Referee: - Christophel Stewart (Cayman Islands).
Standings
GP W T L GF GA GD Pts
Seattle Sounders 3 3 0 0 9 4 +5 9
Marathón 3 1 1 1 4 4 +0 4
Caledonia AIA 4 0 1 3 3 8 -5 1
General Game Stats
Marathón v Caledonia AIA
5 Shots on goal 5
6 Shots wide 2
11 Fouls 7
7 Corner Kicks 5
1 Offsides 1
56% Possession 44%