Sporting Kansas City fans who believe in good omens will feel good about two facts pertaining to Mario Escobar, the Guatemalan referee who will officiate tonight’s first leg of the Concacaf Champions League Semifinals between Sporting Kansas City and CF Monterrey at Estadio BBVA Bancomer in Guadalupe, Mexico.
At the forefront, Escobar was the man in charge of Sporting’s 2-0 win over Toluca on Feb. 28, the club’s first and only victory on Mexican soil which sent Manager Peter Vermes’ men through to the quarterfinals 5-0 on aggregate. A flashbulb moment in that game saw Escobar award Sporting a penalty and issue a straight red card to Toluca defender Adrian Mora for hacking Krisztian Nemeth from behind inside the box.