November 25, 2012
LIGA MX APERTURA
Liguilla semifinals – second leg roundup

America 2, Toluca 1 (Toluca advances, 3-2)
Club America scored twice in the first half to level their aggregate-goals Liguilla semifinal against Toluca 2-2, but Edgar Benitez scored in the 59th minute to send the Diablos Rojos through to the finals by a 3-2 margin Sunday at Estadio Nemesio Diez.

Toluca, who finished on top of the regular-season table, will face #2 Tijuana for the Liguilla championship.

The two-goal cushion that Toluca brought into Sunday’s match disappeared quickly, starting in the 15th minute, when Miguel Layun latched on to a cross from Rubens Sambueza. Daniel Montenegro scored America’s second goal in the 36th, with a header off a assist from Paul Aguilar.

Benitez turned Aguilar into the victim on the deciding goal, darting past the America defender and slotting a shot to the far post.

Tijuana 3, Leon 0 (Tijuana advances, 3-2)
Tijuana overcame a two-goal aggregate-goals deficit with a dominating 3-0 win over Leon in Sunday’s semifinal return leg at Estadio Caliente, and advance to next week’s Liguilla finals by a 3-2 score.

The Xolos, who spent much of the regular season in a nip-and-tuck battle with Toluca at the top of the table before finishing second on goal differential, will face the top-seeded Diablos Rojos for the Liguilla crown.

Tijuana started chipping away at La Fiera’s led in the 42nd minute, with a left-footed goal by Fidel Martinez. Duvier Riascos tied the aggregate score 2-2 in the 67th minute, and Richard Ruiz provided a thrilling finish, snatching the series for the Xolos in the 90th minute.