November 6, 2009 MEXICAN LEAGUE APERTURA Match Day 15 roundup
MORELIA 2, JAGUARES 1
Morelia (10-1-4) took over first place in the overall standings and booked their spot in the aperture playoffs with Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Jaguares (4-4-7) at Estadio Victor Manuel Reyna.
The Group 2 leaders wrapped up the win before the half-hour mark, with goals by Luis Gabriel Rey in the 19th minute and Fernando Salazar in the 28th. Oribe Peralta pulled Jaguares within one at the 42nd minute mark, but that was as close as it came.
A red card to Neri Raul Cardozo in the 67th minute further slammed the door on Jaguares’ comeback hopes.
Morelia, with 31 points, top the table by two points over previous superliders Toluca.
CRUZ AZUL 3, PACHUCA 1
Cruz Azul (9-0-6) roared to the top of the Group 3 standings Wednesday, routing Pachuca (7-2-6) Wednesday at Estadio Hidalgo.
Jaime Lozano got things started for la Maquina, scoring on e fifth-minute corner kick. Javier Orozco netted the game-winner in the 14th, off a leading ball from Lozano, and Emanuel Villa made the score 3-0 off a rebound in the 54th.
Marco Ivan Perez spoiled goalkeeper Jose Corona’s shutout bid in the 79th minute.
The win leaves Cruz Azul with 27 points. Pachuca are fifth in Group 2 with 23.
CHIVAS de GUADALAJARA 2, INDIOS JUAREZ 2,/b>
Chivas de Guadalajara (4-4-7) squandered a golden opportunity to improve their place in the Group 1 standings by settling for a 2-2 draw with bottom-dwelling Indios (0-5-10) Wednesday at Estadio Jalisco.
Favored Chivas were poised to take the full three points, which would have left them tied with San Luis for second place in the group with 18 points, but surrendered the equalizing goal to Indios’ Tomas Campos in the third minute of stoppage time.
The teams traded early goals, starting with Alberto Medina’s sixth-minute strike for Chivas. Hector Gimenez leveled the score in the 27th, and defender Jonny Magalllon sent Chivas into the locker room with a 2-1 halftime lead with a looping volley in the 44th.
Netminder Humberto Hernandez picked off Javier Hernandez’s penalty kick in the 84th minute to keep Indios within striking distance, and Campos salvaged the rare point for Juarez with a long free kick.
QUERETARO 1, TIGRES 0
Mauro Vila scored in the 24th minute to give resurgent Queretaro (4-3-8) their fourth win in five games, 1-0 over Tigres (4-6-5) Wednesday at Estadio La Corregidora.
Queretaro are tied with Puebla for fourth in Group 1 with 15 points. Tigres are fourth in Group 3 with 18.
UAG 1, SAN LUIS 1
Diego Jimenez and Jose Reyes traded goals as Estudiantes UAG (4-4-7) and San Luis (4-6-5) battled to a 1-1 draw Wednesday at Estadio 3 de Marzo.
Jimenez gave Estudiantes the early advantage, scoring in the 31st minute. Reyes responded in the 60th for San Luis. Nine minutes later, Noe Maya received his second yellow card of the match and was ejected, leaving San Luis shorthanded for the final 21 minutes.
UAG is fifth in Group 3 with 16 points. San Luis is second – by a1 11-point margin behind powerhouse Toluca – in Group 1 with 18.
MONTERREY 2, SANTOS LAGUNA 1
Despite the gift of an early own-goal by Felipe Baloy, Santos Laguna (7-5-3) dropped to second place in Group 3 with a 2-1 loss to Monterrey Wednesday at Estadio Tecnologico.
Baloy staked Santos to a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute, and the score held through halftime. Osvaldo Martinez made up for his teammate’s miscue in the 46th, knotting the score at 1-1 with a rocket shot from 30 yards out. Aldo de Nigris delivered the game-winner three minutes later, with a shot that cracked off the underside of the crossbar and hit just inside the goal line before bouncing back onto the field. The goal was upheld over vigorous protests from Santos.
Monterrey sit second in Group 2 with 29 points. Santos, with 26, fall two points behind group leaders Cruz Azul.
ATLANTE 3, TOLUCA 2
Atlante (7-1-7) stunned then-superliders Toluca (9-2-4), and delighted the rest of the Apertura field, with Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Group 1 leaders Wednesday at Estadio Andres Quintana Roo.
Rafael Marquez delivered the coup de grace in the 83rd minute, leaving Atlante with an imposing 3-1 lead. The game-winner was his second goal of the match. Hector Raul Mancilla got in the last word for Toluca in the 89th, but it was not enough to change the result.
Carlos Esquivel got Toluca off to a fast start, connecting in the first minute for a 1-0 lead. Marquez equalized in the 32nd, and Santiago Hernan Solari gave Atlante the lead for good in the 65th.
Atlante remain third in Group 3 with 22 points. Toluca, who already have qualified for the playoffs, have 29.
PUEBLA 1, ATLAS 0
Joaquin Vasquez’s 77th-minute goal gave Puebla (6-8-1) a 1-0 win over Atlas (4-3-8) Wednesday at Estadio Cuauhtemoc.
Puebla moves into a tie with America for third place in group 2 with 26 points. Atlas (15 pts) share fourth place in Group 1 with Queretaro.
PUMAS 3, AMERICA 2
Martin Bravo’s stoppage-time penalty kick gave Pumas (4-3-8) a dramatic 3-2 win over Club America (7-5-3) Thursday at Estadio Olimpico Universitario.
Dario Veron staked Pumas to a 2-0 first-half advantage, with goals in the 21st and 44th minutes. Salvador Cabanas coutered for America after the intermission, leveling the score with goals in the 53rd and 79th.
Pumas improve to 15 points, but their path out of the Group 3 cellar will be a steep one, since they face Superliders Morelia in their next match, on Saturday. America has a share of third place in Group 2, with 26 points.
