Five-time Digicel T&T Pro League champions DirecTV W Connection buckled under some second-half pressure and conceded three goals in a 4-0 away loss to Mexican champions Santos Laguna in their 2015/2016 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Group A opener at at the Estadio Corona, Torreon, Mexico on Tuesday night.
Djaniny Tavares scored two goals to lead the way, while Jesus Alonso Escoboza and substitute Luis Mendoza added one each for Santos against the youthful visitors whose winless streak in the competition was extended to nine consecutive games as it failed to find the back of the net for the fourth straight time.
The T&T club, headed by technical director and head coach, St Lucian Stuart Charles-Fevrier, entered its fifth match against a Mexican team, having played Toluca in 2003, Chivas Guadalajara in 2007 and 2012, and Pumas UNAM in 2009 in an optimistic mood.
And the visitors almost took the lead but Jamal Charles missed the opportunity by blazing just over the crossbar off his own neat work in the left side of the box.
Santos, beaten in its first two domestic league matches this season slowly grabbed hold of the encounter and four minutes before the half-time whistle it took a 1-0 lead when Jose Javier Abella got loose in the right side of the box and slammed the ball across the front of the net, where Tavares tapped home easily.
Tavares then had multiple chances to increase his goal haul, forcing goalkeeper Julani Archibald into a diving save and then shooting high from the right side.
The Guerreros as Santos is called, doubled their advantage in the 61st minute through Escoboza after W Connection failed to clear.
A right-sided cross into the box was headed skyward by W Connection Colombian defender Christian Viveros,
but Santos' Cesar Ibanez got to it first, and headed to the left for Escoboza, who eluded Shannon Gomez, and pounded the ball past Archibald from nine-yards out.
Seven minutes later, fellow Colombia Tavares finally completed his brace as he intercepted a backpass and outmuscled his countryman Viveros to shoot off the left post and across the line to make it 3-0.
Mendoza completed the scoreline in the 90th minute, slotting in a rebound off an attempt that crashed off the right post for a 4-0 score, equalling W Connection's heaviest defeat in Mexico.
In 2012, W Connection was also hammered 4-0 by Chivas while it drew 1-1 at home.
And in its other clashes with Mexicans clubs, W Connection, which qualified for the tournament as Caribbean Football Union Club Champions runner-up to fellow T&T club, Central FC drew 3-3, and lost 2-3 to Toluca; won 2-1 at home with just 10 men against Chivas Guadalajara in 2007, later suffering a 3-0 defeat on the road; drew 2-2 at home against Pumas in 2009, and losing 2-1 on the road in a match that could have easily seen the Caribbean giants qualify for the quarter final stage of the Champions League having missed by one point.
With the loss on Tuesday night, W Connection's record in 17 CCL matches dropped to three wins, five draws, and nine losses while the win was Santos' 26th in SCCL play, giving it sole possession of second-place on the all-time list, six behind Cruz Azul and one ahead of Monterrey.
Group A returns to action on August 20 with Saprissa hosting W Connection in Costa Rica.
Tuesday's Group A Scotiabank CCL result:
Santos Laguna 4 (Djaniny Tavares 41st, 68th, Jesus Escoboza 61st, Luis Mendoza Escamilla 90th) vs W Connection 0
Teams:
W Connection: 18. Julani Archibald, 21. Shannon Gomez, 2. Kurt Frederick, 25, Christian Viveros, 5. Tristan Hodge (35. Keston Julien 30th), 12. Dimitrie Apai, 23. Kevon Goddard, 34. Jabari Mitchell (17. Aikim Andrews 46th), 16. Alvin Jones (46. Anfernee Frederick 78th), 20. Jamal Charles, 10. Jomol Williams
Subs not used: Terrence Lewis, Neil Benjamin, Aquelius Sylvester, Kion Joseph
Santos Laguna: 1. Agustin Marchesin, 2. Jose Abella, 14. Nestor Araujo Razo, 24. Carlos Izquierdoz, 5. Cesar Ibanez Jimenez, 11. Nestor Calderon Enriquez, (10. Bryan Rabello 78th), 4. Jesus Molina, 88. Ulises Rivas Gilio, 17. Jesus Escoboza Lugo (9, Luis Mendoza Escamilla 71st), 18. Edson Rivera Vargas, 21. Djaniny Tavares.
Subs not used: 32. Julio Gonzalez Vela-Alvizu, 3. Kristian Alvarez, 6. Sergio Ceballos Hernandez, 23. Carlos Orrantia Trevino
W Connection remaining matches:
August 20: Deportivo Saprissa vs W Connection, 9.30pm
September 16: W Connection vs Deportivo Saprissa, 7.30pm
September 22: W Connection vs Santos Laguna, 7.30pm