ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Bayer 04 Leverkusen defeated Estudiantes de la Plata 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the two teams had played to a 1-1 draw in the opening game of the 2017 Florida Cup at Al Lang Stadium. Bayer had rallied from a halftime deficit through Sam Schreck’s goal against the 10-man Argentinian side, which had taken the lead through Elias Umeres, while Mexico international Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez missed a first-half penalty kick.

The shootout sat tied 2-2 after three rounds after a miss apiece, but Bayer gained the upper hand when Julian Brandt fired home his shot into the right corner, and Leverkusen goalkeeper Ramazan Özcan saved from Lucas Diarte. Alexsandar Dragovic’s shot to the left corner then sealed the shootout victory.

Leverkusen had the majority of possession, and almost took the lead in the seventh minute when a free kick by Hakan Calhanoglu from the right found Joel Pohjanpalo near the penalty spot, but his first time effort came back off the crossbar.

Moments later Estudiantes went close on the counter-attack. Umeres broke in on the left and had the chance to shoot at the top of the penalty area, but instead a low centering pass to Lucas Viatri saw his finish go tamely wide of the left post. Viatri also sent a low, turning shot wide of the right post after Bayer failed to clear a corner properly.

The game then started to even out. Umeres failed to connect cleanly with a volley for Estudiantes as Bayer’s defense looked hesitant, but a dipping effort by Leverkusen’s Calhanoglu went over the crossbar from 30 yards out. The Estudiantes defense proved resilient, though, as it proved able to thwart Bayer when the German side got the ball into dangerous areas in the opening half-hour.

Estudiantes took the lead in the 33rd minute after a good piece of build-up play on the left saw Viatri hold possession in the center of the penalty area with a clever piece of control. The ball shifted to Carlos Auzqui on the right side of the penalty area, and his low cross was put home by Umeres with a first-time finish from 12 yards.

Bayer got the opportunity to answer four minutes before the break after Estudiantes was called for a handball in the penalty area off a free kick. Hernandez’s low shot to the right corner was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Mariano Andujar, however, a finish that was symbolic of the Mexico forward’s first half that saw him frequently active, but lacking a cutting edge before being substituted at halftime.

Estudiantes was reduced to 10 men two minutes later when Rodrigo Brana was sent off after strong, high challenge near the halfway line. The man-advantage saw Bayer take control early in the second half, and Stefan Kießling was denied in the 55th minute as the Bundesliga side sought an equalizer.

Kießling again went close moments later as his header was deflected over the crossbar by a defender, but the Argentinians held on resolutely, scrambling when necessary to close down other half-chances. Bayer’s Danny Da Costa squandered the clearest chance in the 69th minute when he was played in alone on the right side of the penalty area, but fired wide of the far post.

The dam finally burst with 19 minutes to go when Schreck got on the end of a knockdown by Kießling, who beat two defenders to a chipped forward pass to find a late-arriving Schreck to fire home first time. Leverkusen continued to push for a winner, while Estudiantes looked to try and counter, but Bayer was unable to find a late breakthrough, sending the game to a shootout.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

• January 11 - Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atletico Mineiro, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

• January 15 – Estudiantes de la Plata vs. Clube Esporte Bahia, 4:45 p.m. ET, Bright House Networks Field, Orlando, Fla.