Geancarlo Castro’s Last-Minute Goal Leads Cartaginés to Victory

CARTAGO, Costa Rica – The Concacaf Copa Centroamericana 2025 resumed on October 21, 2025, with CS Cartaginés defeating FC Motagua 1-0 in the first leg of the playoff match at the Estadio Rafael Fello Meza.

In a tightly contested match, Marco Ureña nearly gave Cartaginés the lead in the 37th minute, striking the right post from outside the box. Motagua’s goalkeeper, Marlon Licona, made a crucial save in stoppage time of the first half to deny Ureña’s long-distance effort.

The home team created two scoring chances around the hour mark in search of a breakthrough. Mauro Quiroga’s header from the center of the area was saved by Licona, followed by Everardo Rubio’s attempt from a corner that narrowly missed the left post.

Substitute Geancarlo Castro entered the match in the 87th minute and scored the winning goal in the second minute of stoppage time. He headed the ball into the net after Licona failed to clear it properly, much to the delight of the home fans.

Goalkeeper Kevin Briceño secured a solid performance for Cartaginés, making two key saves and keeping a clean sheet. Cartaginés will defend their 1-0 lead when they face Motagua in the return leg next Wednesday in Honduras. The overall winner will advance to the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.

Cartaginés aims to preserve their slim advantage, while Motagua strives to exploit their home field to reverse the situation and score at least one away goal.

The thrilling encounter featured moments of intensity, with both teams creating opportunities but lacking the final touch in front of goal until Castro’s late header decided the match.