The Lowdown On Arabe Unido
Arabe Unido are six-time champions of Panama and are playing in the CONCACAF Champions League for the second time.
Arabe Unido opened the Group Stage with a 2-1 defeat to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium last week. They led 1-0 with a goal from Armando Cooper before Alvaro Saborio scored twice, including a stoppage time penalty, to win the game for RSL.
RELATED: Arabe Unido v. Toronto Broadcast Info
Arabe Unido starting 11 vs. Real Salt Lake: Jose Calderon, Nahil Carroll, Fidel Cesar, Andres Santamaria, Eric Davis, Mario Sergio Angulo, Rolan DeLaCruz, Luis Jaramillo, Jose Justavinho, Victor Mendieta, Armando Cooper.
Arabe Unido had two players sent off during the defeat in Utah. Right back Nahil Carroll and central defender Andres Santamaria will both be suspended for the match against Toronto.
Three to watch:
Argentina Blasts Canada
Buenos Aires – Toronto captain Dwayne De Rosario was in action Monday for Canada in an international friendly against Argentina.
Using this match as a final tune-up for the upcoming FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa, head coach Diego Maradona had his side well prepared as they blasted Canada 5-0.
Liverpool winger Maxi Rodriguez scored the opening two goals, before Benfica's Angel Di Maria made it 3-0 at half. At the restart, Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez capitalized on an error by Houston Dynamo defender Andrew Hainault to give the Albicelestes a four goal advantage. Within seconds of his introduction to replace Tevez, Atletico Madrid and 2007 U-20 World Cup hero in Toronto, Sergio Aguero made it a five-star rout for the World Cup contenders.
De Rosario played 87 minutes and sent a 74th minute shot high over the bar in a match where Argentina dominated possession. He left the match without the appearance of any significant injuries. He will not be with Canada for their second friendly in Venezuela on May 29, and will rejoin his Toronto teammates in time for their next match away against San Jose (Saturday, May 29 at 10 p.m. on Rogers Sportsnet).
Jose Justavino is a 28-year-old midfielder who signed for Arabe Unido in 2008. He scored the winner in the 2010 Clausura final as Arabe Unido beat San Francisco 1-0 to lift the trophy. Justavino started his career with Plaza Amador in Panama City and also spent time playing in Argentina, and with in Honduras with Motagua. He has seven caps for Panama national team.
Armando Cooper is a Panama international midfielder/forward who has made over 100 appearances for Arabe Unido since signing for the club in 2006. He is a 22-year-old who was in the Panama squad at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Canada in 2007.
Champions League Last Year
Arabe Unido made it out of the Group Stage in the 09/10 Champions League finishing second in Group A behind Pachuca of Mexico. The Panamanians won three of their six matches and ended with 10 points. They played Houston Dynamo of MLS in the Group, losing 5-1 in Houston and drawing 1-1 in Panama.
Arabe Unido created one of the biggest shocks of last season’s CCL when they beat eventual CCL champions Pachuca 4-1 in front of barely 1,000 fans in Colón.
The Stadium
The match will not be played at Arabe Unido’s home stadium Estadio Armando Dely Valdez, located in Colon as it does not meet CONCACAF requirements. Instead, TFC will face Arabe Unido at Estadio Agustin Sanchez – known as The Muquita. The stadium has a capacity of 3000 and is located 30 kilometers southwest of Panama City in La Chorerra and is the home stadium of San Francisco FC who lost to Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the CCL Preliminary Round this year.
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