Mexican Champions Chivas rebounded in impressive fashion in the 2nd leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal handing W Connection a 3-0 drubbing to progress to the semi-finals winning 4-2 on aggregate.
It was a clinical double strike by Sergio Santana that secured the victory for the Central American team, who came into the match knowing they needed to win by at least two clear goals to advance in the competition.
W Connection failed to get it right when it mattered, and as expected the boys from Couva had to deal with an attacking Mexican outfit.
It was as early as the 2nd minute of the game and the Mexicans had their first strike, from the dangerous Omar Bravo, but the young Kerwyn Beckles got his body behind the shot and gathered easily.
However, that was a sign of things to come, as Chivas in front of close to 30,000 screaming fans dominated possession in the midfield, leaving the five Connection midfielders chasing.
In the 8th minute young Kerwyn Beckles was again called into action, when he had to jump high to collect a dangerous looking right sided cross from Alberto Medina.
W Connection vs ChivasIt was clear from the outset that the 20 year old Beckles was going to have a busy night between the uprights. In minute 16, Chivas worked the ball neatly across the face of the goal and Santana had his first crack at goal, which Beckles fumbled on the first bounce, but gathered safely.
In the 21st minute, the pressure began to take its toll on a hapless looking W Connection outfit that looked a far cry from the team that defeated Chivas 2-1 only two weeks ago.
The opening goal came from a defensive blunder, a clear misunderstanding between Brenton De Leon and goalkeeper Beckles and the combination of Medina and Santana worked well, Medina slipping the ball past an advancing Beckles for Santana to tap home Chivas in front 1-0.
Three minutes later there was a brief spark for the three time Caribbean Cup winners, when midfielder Kern Cupid banged a long range effort from some 30 yards out that looked threatening until the Mexican keeper held it with some ease.
The Mexicans however continued in search for the all important 2nd goal, and Bravo headed wide from another right-sided cross from Medina in the 26th minute.
One minute later, there was some drama in the Jalisco Stadium, as the referee surprisingly awarded Chivas a penalty, when a ball came across the face of the goal, and what looked to be a 50-50 chance which Beckles rose and took cleanly, before Santana collided into him.
The Honduras referee amazingly pointed to the spot, to obvious protest from Connection skipper Earl Jean and his troops.
However, as justice would have it, the penalty was blocked by a determined Kerwyn Beckles to give W Connection some hope.
Chivas continued to control the game up until the half time whistle, and Chivas took a 1-0 lead into the dressing room.
On the resumption nothing changed as Chivas came out hungry for that 2nd goal and did not have to wait long as in the 47th minute, it was Santana that received a pinpoint accurate cross and glanced his header wide of a diving Beckles, Chivas now in charge 2-0.
The home team continued to apply the pressure with the obvious intention to shut W Connection out of the contest.
Connection Coach made some changes hoping for something special, Christian Viveros came in for Kern Cupid and Andre Toussaint replaced Hughtun Hector.
However, despite Viveros stepped up Connection's game in midfield, the "Savonetta Boys" failed to create any clear chances for themselves.
Instead Chivas rocked Connection's bar with a thunderous strike from Adolfo Bavtista in the 61st minute.
Drawing on his last card, coach Fevrier sent in Andrei Pacheco for the less than match fit, but hard working Jose Luis Seabra, but by then it was too late as Chivas would knock the wind out of the Pro League outfit.
Bavtista would find himself on the end of a through ball and slotted it home to send Chivas into a commanding 3-0 lead.
The fresh legs of Pacheco tried to light some fire under a wilting W Connection, but his shot from on top the 18 yard box in the dying minutes flashed just wide.
In the end that was all she wrote, and Chivas accomplished what they set out to do, erasing a 1 goal deficit from the first leg to win the home and away tie 4-2 on aggregate and the Mexican side will now go on to play DC United in the semi-finals.
While W Connection will head back to the drawing board and prepare for the upcoming 2007 Pro League season which kicks off in April.
Final score
Chivas 3 - 0 W Connection
Teams
W Connection: William Da Silva Oliviera , Elijah Joseph, Earl Jean, Gefferson Goulart, Nickcolson Thomas, Hughtun Hector,(Andre Toussaint) Devon Drayton, Kern Cupid,(Christian Viveros) Jose Luis Seabra,(Andrei Pacheco) Brenton De Leon and Kerwyn Beckles
Chivas: Ernsto Michel, Roberto Rivera, Antonio Patlan, Deigo Martinez, Manoel Sol, Hector Reynoso, Omar Bravo, Sergio Santana, Gonzalo Pineda, Alberto Medina, Adolfo Bavtista
Goal scorers: Sergio Santana (21, 47), Adolfo Bavtista (61)