Valentin Castellanos scored two first-half goals as New York City FC rolled to a 2-0 win over Santos de Guapiles FC in first-round action of the CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The contest was the opener of a two-game, total-goal series. The second leg is scheduled for Feb. 23 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.
Castellanos put the visitors on top in the fifth minute when he fired a penalty kick into the left side of the net.
In the 30th minute, NYCFC doubled the lead after two Santos defenders botched clearance attempts in the 18-yard box. The ball rolled to a wide-open Castellanos to the left of the penalty spot, and he blasted a shot into the top right corner.
The main downside for NYCFC was that midfielder Santiago RodrÃguez received a red card in the 68th minute after a late challenge caught Santos’ Erson Mendez on the ankle.
One other game was on the CONCACAF Champions League opening-night schedule, with Montreal opposing Santos Laguna at Torreon, Mexico, later Tuesday.
–Field Level Media