Gabriel Heinze debuted with a win at Atlanta United
Esequiel Barco scored the winning goal.
Atlanta United, with the debut of Argentine Gabriel Heinze as coach and a goal scored by his compatriot Ezequiel Barco, beat Deportivo Alajuelense, of Costa Rica, as a visitor, by 1 to 0, in the first leg of the second round of the Concachampions, whose winner will qualify for the Club World Cup.
The game was played at the Alejandro Morera Soto stadium, in the Costa Rican city of Alajuela, and the only goal was scored by Barco (former Independiente) five minutes into the second half, through a penalty kick.
In Atlanta, in addition to Barco, Lisandro López (former Racing Club), Franco Ibarra (former Argentinos Juniors) and Santiago Sosa (former River Plate) played as starters, while Alajuelense was led by Santa Fe Andrés Carevic, who as a footballer played in the lower divisions of Boca Juniors and emigrated to Mexico where he developed as a DT.
The revenge will be played on Tuesday, April 13 when Atlanta United receives Alajuelense (lost the final of the 1987 Inter-American Cup against the River directed by Carlos Timoteo Griguol) at the Marcedes-Benz Stadium of the American team.
