Alianza saw off Atlético Balboa 2-0 in the seventh round of the Apertura, a match that looked destined to drift into nothing until the dying seconds. The home side had controlled proceedings for long stretches, but it was the final moments that would define the afternoon. By then, the visitors were already searching for something to build on.
And here's the thing — you don't forget a finish like that. Rodriguez Arias found the net in the 90+1 minute, and Rivera added a second just eleven seconds later in the 90+12. The visitors dug in for a while, but there was no value left at that number. One goal might have been a consolation, two is a statement.
The statistics told the story you'd expect. Alianza registered 143 attacks against 108, and held possession at 0.66 while the visitors managed 0.34. Five shots on target for the hosts compared to just two for Atlético Balboa, and eleven corners to one — they pressed high up the pitch and kept their side in it through volume. Two yellow cards each, nothing more dramatic than that.
By then, Alianza had climbed to eighth place with eight points from six games, while Atlético Balboa sat sixth with nine from seven. Not a massive gap, but the visitors will need the points badly if they want to stay within touching distance. The hosts had shown vulnerability in recent outings — a 0-2 loss to Isidro Metapán and a 1-3 defeat to Real Esteli — but this result suggests they're finding their feet.
To be fair, Atlético Balboa had looked dangerous in their previous fixture with a 4-2 win over Águila, but they couldn't replicate that tonight. The old head settled them down, perhaps, or maybe they simply didn't have the legs for another push. Either way, the points stayed home.
