PANAMA CITY -Tauro FC scored four second-half goals to defeat nine-man FC Dallas 5-3 in a CONCACAF Champions League Group C encounter at Estadio Rommel Fernandez Wednesday night.
Anything but a win would have eliminated the Panamanians from advancing into the quarterfinals. But Tauro remains alive, albeit barely, with five points, two behind FC Dallas and Toronto FC. Pumas UNAM leads the group with eight points.
The host jumped in front in the 12th minute as Juan Barrera ran into ample space and laid the ball off to Luis Moreno, who beat Kevin Hartman with a low shot from 22 meters for his fourth Champions League goal.
Four minutes later, Marvin Chavez pulled Tauro goalkeeper Alvaro Anzola off his line and chipped the ball in front of goal, but Carlos Rodriguez and Temistocles Perez did well to clear the ball out of trouble.
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In the 19th minute, Barrera lined up a shot from distance, but the ball deflected out for a corner.
Three minutes later, Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez awareded the Americans a penalty kick when Moreno nudged Ruben Luna inside the six-yard box after heading back to Anzola. Jair Benitez converted past Anzola, who guessed correctly, to the keeper's right to level the score in the 22nd minute.
Fabian Castillo forced Anzola into a diving save on the half hour as the ball was parried away for a corner.
However, three minutes later Tauro struck for what proved to be the winner as Auriel Gallardo's glancing header off a corner kick beat Hartman from 10 meters.
FC Dallas attacked efficiently in the opening moments of the second half, but Zach Loyd's ball that floated toward the back post trickled back across the face of goal with no teammate to capitalize.
In the 52nd minute, Castillo took a touch inside a defender, but his powerful shot from 16 meters was well off the mark.
Castillo had another chance three minutes later, but Anzola did well to force him outside and the Colombian was unable to get a shot off. His pass in front of the goal was cleared away by the Tauro defense.
FC Dallas' chances to rally were hampered in the 59th minute when Rodriguez issued a red card to Benitez for dissent.
With a man advantage, Tauro tried to put the game away in the 62nd minute, but Carlos Rodriguez's blast through traffic was saved by a diving Hartman. The ball caromed off the crossbar and out for a corner.
Perez, however, all but assured the victory for Tauro in the 77th minute, taking a nice through ball from William Aguilar and beating Hartman from 16 meters.
Second-half substitute Marco Sanchez added a fourth goal in the 81st minute, rounding Hartman and scoring from 12 meters.
Luna scored a consolation goal in the 84th minute, putting the ball inside the side netting from the edge of the six-yard box after rounding a defender at the top of the box.
Four minutes from full time Tauro added a fifth as Perez struck for his second of the match, tapping past Hartman from 12 meters.
FC Dallas was reduced to nine in the 90th minute when Castillo received a straight red, fouling Sanchez from behind.
Rodriguez, though, wasn't done, issuing a final red to Carlos Rodriguez for a tackle in the penalty area. Luna scored his second from the spot for what proved to be the final kick of the match.
Group C will come down to the final round as Major League Soccer foes FC Dallas and Toronto FC meet at Pizza Hut Park on October 18, and Pumas hosts Tauro at Estadio Olimpico Universitario a night later.
