Cruz Azul punishes Real Hope 5-0 after defensive, goalkeeping mistakes in Champions Cup

Five costly defensive errors doomed Real Hope Football Academy in a crushing 5-0 loss against Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Tuesday night. The Haitian side struggled to find attacking rhythm and failed to capitalize on a penalty opportunity, sealing their first-round exit from the competition.

After losing the first leg 2-0 at home, Real Hope’s Champions Cup journey ended with a 7-0 aggregate defeat. Despite the lopsided scoreline, many Haitian fans remain proud of the club’s achievement in qualifying for the prestigious tournament.

“It was a difficult game because the weather is different,” Real Hope’s forward, Watz Leazard told Concacaf after the game. “We wanted to win, but unfortunately, we lost.”

Despite the scoreline, many Haitians were pleased because Real Hope managed to make it to the competition despite the country’s many challenges. The Cap-Haitien based club qualified for the Champions Cup after finishing third in the Caribbean Cup, surprising many.

“Congratulations, Real Hope, for flying the country’s flag at the top of the CONCACAF club competition,” Jean Wenson Costy of Cap-Haitien commented on Facebook after the game against Cruz Azul. 

“We hope to learn more,” Costy added. “We know the country’s situation is not easy, the results are not favorable. This is the game, the better prepared you are, the more competitive you are. We hope that one day, the country will mentor young people and invest in sports. That’s how our club will make the best faces in these competitions.”

In the first leg last week, Real Hope players looked confident as they often attempted to beat their opponents on the dribble but did not take advantage of this momentum by scoring. Tuesday night was a different ball game. Cruz Azul shut Real Hope down, making them unable to express themselves freely, and defensively, they had them in a chokehold. 

To make matters worse, Cruz Azul played under the bright light of their home stadium at Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City. The Haitian players gave in. It is highly common for Haitian defenders and goalkeepers to crack under pressure and make inexperienced mistakes in big matches.

A defensive nightmare

It all started in the first minute of the game. Real Hope’s goalkeeper, Gooly Elien, was arguably one of the most in-form Haitian goalkeepers going into the game. The 24-year-old only conceded eight goals in eight games recently in the Caribbean Cup late last year.

But in the first minute, he spilled a cross and if it wasn’t for a save off line from Peterson Pierre, Cruz Azul would have drawn first blood then.

Later in the 21st minute, Elien charged off his line in an unnecessary situation, and Ángel Sepúlveda headed the ball over him and into the net.

The defensive mishaps carried on in the 24th minute when the Real Hope defenders left Sepúlveda unmarked in the box in a corner kick. Fernández did not fail to make Real Hope pay for its mistake. The defense looked unorganized as about every defender — even the goalkeeper — constantly went after the ball.

Elien’s nightmare continued, and in the 26th minute, he let Gabriel Fernández’s low shot from outside the box slip from his fingertips.

Real Hope’s forward Stanley Joseph drew a penalty in the 43rd minute, but Angelo Exilus could not find the target since Andrés Gudiño saved his shot.

After the restart in the 59th minute, the Real Hope midfielders left Andrés Montaño open in the midfield. Montaño had time to set his shot, whipping the ball in the net past a helpless Elien.

Fifteen minutes later, Colo Myson kept Fernández onside and attempted to slide tackle him but mistimed his tackle. Fernández dribbled around Elien to steer the ball into an empty net.

It was Real Hope’s first-ever appearance in the Champions Cup. Many Haitians are hoping that the club will build on the experience they have learned this year and return to the competition stronger.

“I want the club to learn from those results, identify their weaknesses, and work so they can keep moving forward,” Jean Ismenor of Cap-Haitien commented on Facebook. 

“I congratulate the players for their courage even though things were not set in place for them, but the soldiers did not stop fighting. Real Hope Academy is one of the country’s pride.”

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