Soccer  > General Soccer  > A draw in Honduras pushes Toronto forward
August 4, 2010, 11:19 AM
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Chad Barrett's 79th-minute goal clinched Toronto FC's berth in the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, leveling for the Canadians in a 2-2 draw with host Motagua at Estadio Nacional Tuesday night.

Toronto, which won the aggregate series 3-2, advances to the tournament's main draw for the first time and will join fellow Major League Soccer squad Real Salt Lake from the United States, Panama's Arabe Unido and Mexico's Cruz Azul, which defeated San Francisco from Panama, 9-2, on aggregate in a preliminary series Tuesday night at Estadio Azul in Mexico City, in Group A.

Barrett, who scored the lone goal in the opening leg at BMO Field July 27, took a ball off a sliding Johnny Leveron and raced on goal, placing a deflected shot past goalkeeper Donaldo Morales to level the game at two.

Motagua and Honduran captain Amado Guevara struck twice against his former club, leveling the series in the sixth minute as the unmarked midfielder's diving header at the edge of the six-yard box from Mauricio Weber's cross beat Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei.

The 34-year-old added a second goal in the 64th minute on a left-footed blast from the top of the 18-yard box to put Motagua in front, 2-1. That goal came five minutes after Canadian international Dwayne DeRosario scored a critical away goal, picking up a well-weighted ball from Brazilian Maicon and burying it past Morales from 16 meters.

Motagua, which had several missed opportunities, including a few by Colombian Charles Cordoba on either side of halftime, furiously went on the attack but again faltered in the final third. While star striker Georgie Welcome was unavailable -- the Honduran international is in Scotland for a week-long trial with Glasgow Rangers -- Motagua coach Ramon Maradiaga brought on his cousin, Shannon Welcome, in the 62nd minute for his first substitution.

The lanky 21-year-old forward raced free on goal in the 72nd minute, but fired wide from 14 meters. Three minutes later, Guevara nearly added a third goal, but his first-time volley of Emilio Izaguirre's cross from inside the six-yard box sailed just wide of the far post.

Two minutes after parrying a long-distance attempt over the net, Frei was again called into action in the 78th minute, but Guevara bounced his shot wide of the net.

While Guevara missed, Barrett, who was invisible for much of the match, didn't one minute later and a year after losing to the Puerto Rico Islanders in the preliminary round, Toronto FC booked its ticket to the group stage.

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