Plaza Amador took all three points at Sporting San Miguelito on Friday night, closing out a 2-0 win in the Liga Panama de Futbol, Apertura round two. The visitors moved a point clear at the summit with the victory, while the hosts remain anchored in sixth place after sixteen games.
It was H. Rios who opened the scoring in the 27th minute, a moment that shifted the balance before the half. Sporting pressed forward but could not find a response, and the visitors felt the pressure without letting it dictate their shape.
The second goal came in the 53rd minute when O. Alba turned the ball into his own net by then, and that was enough to settle the contest. The home side threw everything at it after that, but the visitors saw the game out with composure.
Both managers made changes from the 63rd minute onwards, bringing on J. Scarpetta, C. Hormechea, Y. Cerezo, A. Valencia, L. Zuniga and J. Sanchez in total. The substitutions reflected a game where Sporting needed to chase rather than control.
There was more to the match than the scoreline, with Sporting registering 96 attacks against 100 for the visitors, yet only two chances counted. Possession sat at 44 per cent for the hosts and 56 for the away side, but many shots went begging when it mattered.
Plaza Amador now sit 13 points clear at the top, having won nine of sixteen this season, while Sporting San Miguelito remain on 18 points with four wins, six draws and six defeats. The gap does not close overnight, and the history between them adds an edge to what comes next.
