TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – Fredixon Elvir netted a hat-trick to help pace Olimpia to a 6-0 win over Alpha United in Group 5 of the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) at Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino on Thursday night.
Olimpia (2-0-0, 6 points), which also beat Alpha United, 1-0, in their first meeting on August 5, moved into first place. The Portland Timbers (1-0-0, 3 points) are second, while Alpha United (0-0-3, 0 points) has been eliminated from contention with a game to play.
The Honduran power, which recorded its four consecutive CCL shutout, scored three times inside the opening half hour.
Antony Lozano struck first in the 19th minute after Alpha United goalkeeper Dwaine Sandy spilled a low, bouncing shot by Oliver Morazan from distance. The 21-year-old forward picked up the ball, turned and hit the back of the net from eight yards.
Sandy had no chance to stop a blast by Morazan six minutes later as the midfielder hammered in a golazo from 26-yards out to give Olimpia a 2-0 lead.
Elvir made it 3-0 in the 29th minute, when he ran onto an Ever Alvarado cross that was blocked by Wayne Ellis and curled a shot from 24-yards out over Sandy and inside the far post.
The host went up 4-0 nine minutes into the second half. Elvir tapped in a ball cut back into the box by Carlos Mejia, who beat his defender and made a run at Sandy.
Lozano netted his second goal in the 61st minute, leaping high to latch onto a Bayron Dionicio free kick and heading past Sandy from the edge of the six-yard box to extend Olimpia’s lead further..
Elvir capped the scoring with his third goal in the 74th minute, easily knocking a low shot from the edge of the 18-yard box past Sandy, who was off his line to challenge an initial Olimpia attempt.
Group 5 returns to action on September 16 with a meeting between the Portland Timbers and visiting Olimpia. (CONCACAF.com)
