Argentine Martínez scores twice as Mixco defeats Umecit 4-1

Argentine forward Nicolás Martínez scored a brace, guiding Guatemalan club Mixco to a decisive 4-1 victory over Panama's Umecit in the Copa Centroamericana. The match, contested between the two bottom-ranked teams in Group C, saw Martínez find the net in the 16th and 25th minutes, setting Mixco on course for their first win in the CONCACAF-organized tournament.

Mixco's other goals came from Lynner García in the 20th minute and Yonatan Pozuelos in the 34th minute. Umecit managed a consolation goal with half an hour remaining, scored by Emmanuel Gómez. The match was played at Guatemala City's El Trébol stadium, as Mixco's usual home ground, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, was not approved by CONCACAF.

Despite the encouraging win, the result offers little hope for Mixco's advancement in the regional competition. Coached by Fabricio Benítez, the Guatemalan team faces almost insurmountable odds to reach the second stage. They would need to win their final match against Panama's Alianza and hope that Honduras's Olimpia loses its remaining two games, while also improving their goal difference.

For Umecit, the loss marked the official end of their tournament participation. The Panamanian side concluded their Copa Centroamericana campaign with four defeats in as many matches. Group C is currently led by Costa Rica's Saprissa with nine points, followed by Olimpia with six, and Alianza with three. Only the top two teams will qualify for the quarterfinals, with the ultimate goal of securing one of the six berths in next year's CONCACAF Champions League.