Former Siena soccer player JC Obregon scored the 78th-minute equalizer for Honduras, who went on to beat New Zealand 3-2 in group play on Sunday at the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Obregon scored on a right-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom right corner to level the score at 2-2. Teammate Rigoberto Rivas scored in the 87th minute to give Honduras the victory from behind in the match played in Kashima, Japan.
Honduras will face South Korea on Wednesday at 4:30 a.m. EST in their final group game. Honduras, who lost their opening match to Romania on Thursday, are 1-1 in the Group B standings. A victory over South Korea would advance Honduras to the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Obregon, whose full name is Juan Carlos, played in midfield for Siena in 2015 and 2016 before leaving for a professional career in Mexico’s top league.
In March, he scored as Honduras beat the United States 2-1 in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico. The victory put Honduras in the Olympics and eliminated the United States.
“It’s a surreal feeling,” Obregon said after that game. “After the final whistle, everything fell suddenly. It was just a surreal moment, a lot of happiness. I felt proud of myself, of the team, of the whole country, and it’s going to be a amazing experience to go to Tokyo and compete in the Olympics, that’s for sure.
Obregon was born and raised in Brooklyn but has dual citizenship because both parents are Honduran.
Obregon has registered five goals and three assists in 39 career games for Siena.
“It was a great place,” Obregon said in March. “It was two important years in which I grew a lot, matured a lot as a person and as an athlete.”
