River Plate Puerto Rico News Release -- www.rivercaribe.com
Saturday, April 2, 2011
CAROLINA, Puerto Rico – River Plate Puerto Rico rallied twice from deficits to earn a 2-2 draw against Sevilla FC Puerto Rico, Yaikel Perez scoring the game-tying goal in the 80th minute in a fierce contest to open the 2011 USL PRO season.
The game offered both teams clear chances to win the match. Sevilla twice took the lead thanks to goals from Ryan Massoud in the first half and and Nicholas Cardenas in the second but River answered with a pair of goals in the second half from captain Peter Villegas and Perez.
After a slow start to the game, River’s Matias Arce had the first clear chance to open the scoring in the 20th minute but was unable to get a shot off. Sevilla then took the lead in the 33rd minute through Massoud, who scored from a corner kick by Erik Hort to give his side a halftime lead.
River hit back 10 minutes into the second half, a good spell of pressure resulting in the equalizer for Villegas, who played a clever give-and-go with Arce before slipping his shot into the left corner of the net.
River then pressed to try and take the lead, but it was Sevilla that retook the lead in the 71st minute on another corner by Hort from the right that found Cardenas 10 yards out for a header that went in off the right post.
Sevilla was denied a chance at all three points nine minutes later, though, as Perez’s looping header from a cross by substitute Julio Maya tied the game.
Both sides pressed for a game-winner, but neither were able to find one as the game ended tied. Next up for River Plate is a match against Puerto Rico United on April 17 at 3 p.m., while Sevilla faces Puerto Rico United next Sunday, April 10, at 3 p.m.