Kim Bokyung’s 23rd-minute strike sent shivers down the spine of the America squad, as one of their substitutes later confirmed to FIFA.com: “We all felt it on the bench. We were asking ourselves how we were possibly going to score against a side that can play and defend really well and is physically very strong too.”
Score they did, though, and thanks in no small part to the sub in question, Ecuadorian forward Michael Arroyo, who came on at the start of the second half and had a big hand in the in-form Silvio Romero’s match-winning two-goal salvo.
The equaliser came when Arroyo clipped a pinpoint cross into the box for Romero to glance home, and the second when his corner kick found its way to the Argentinian striker, whose shot deflected of a Jeonbuk defender and into the back of the net.
It was no surprise to see the two link up to such great effect, as the 29-year-old Arroyo explained: “Whenever I’m on the pitch, I connect really well with him and Oribe (Peralta). We work well together and we’re all delighted he scored.”
Heaping praise on the whole team for America’s comeback, Arroyo added: “We had a very clear idea of what we wanted to achieve. We had a very positive mindset because that was the only way we could fulfil our dream of playing that game against Real Madrid. We had to come from behind, and we all did our bit to make it happen.”
Delighted to have helped the Mexican outfit achieve its objective, the Ecuadorian said: “We did it, thanks to God, and now we’re up against Real Madrid, which is what we were all dreaming of.”
Arroyo has two goals in mind when the two sides meet in Yokohama: to link up once more with Romero so that America can keep finding the back of the net and to swap shirts with Cristiano Ronaldo, one of his idols. Which of those two tasks will be easier for him to complete? All will be revealed this coming Thursday.
