April 15, 2010 MEXICAN LEAGUE CLAUSURA Match Day 15 roundup
PUEBLA 2, ATLAS 0
Alvaro Gonzalez and Andres Olivera scored to give visiting Puebla (4-4-7) a 2-0 win over Atlas (6-2-7) Wednesday at Estadio Jalisco.
Gonzalez delivered Puebla’s fourth win of the season off a rebound in the 42nd minute. Olivera’s insurance goal came in the 76th. Both teams finished the match with ten men, after red cards to Puebla’s Manuel Lopez in the 79th minute and Atlas’s Andres Chitiva in the 88th.
TIGRES 2, QUERETARO 1
Early goals from Jesus Molina and Itamar Batista were enough to lift Tigres over slumping Queretaro Wednesday in an empty Estadio Universitario.
Tigres’ fans were barred from the match after widespread brawling and pitch invasion at the team’s last home match, a 1-0 loss to Toluca on March 27.
Molina opened the scoring in the 18th minute, and Batista made the score 2-0 in the 26th. Joaquin Beltran gave Queretaro a glimmer of hope with a well-placed header in the 57th, but the comeback effort fell short.
Tigres improve to 4-4-7, while Queretaro fall to 5-3-7.
INDIOS 1, CHIVAS 0
Relegation seems to agree with Indios Juarez, who on Wednesday posted their second straight win since being banished from the Primera Division – a stunning 1-0 victory over stumbling Chivas de Guadalajara at Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez.
Jair Garcia served early notice to the Rojiblancos, cracking a shot off the bar within the first two minutes, then connected with the game-winner in the 65th minute. Chivas’s attack, decimated by World Cup callups, provided little challenge to goalkeeper Christian Martinez.
The win lifted Indios (3-3-1) out of the Group 1 cellar for the first time this season. Chivas fall to 10-1-4.
TOLUCA 2, ATLANTE 0
Toluca continue to close in on powerhouse Chivas at the top of Group 1, extending their winning streak to six games with Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Atlante at Estadio Nemesio Diez.
Carlos Esquivel snapped a scoreless tie in the 44th minute, and Osvaldo Gonzalez put the game out of reach in the 50th.
Toluca (7-5-3, 26 pts) needs only one more point to clinch a playoff berth. Atlante is well down the table at 4-4-7 (16 pts).
SAN LUIS 1, ESTUDIANTES 1
Estudiantes Tecos got off to an encouraging start against San Luis on Wednesday, but had to settle for a 1-1 road draw at Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramirez.
Fredy Bareiro gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute. Cesar Gonzalez leveled the score for San Luis in the 21st.
Estudiantes are tied for fourth place in Group 3 with 16 points (4-4-7). The draw was not enough to keep San Luis from slipping to the bottom of Group 1 at 2-5-8 (11 pts).
CRUZ AZUL 2, PACHUCA 2
In a game that was theirs for the taking, Pachuca settled for a 1-1 draw with Cruz Azul Wednesday at Estadio Azul.
Pachuca took an early lead when Victor Omar Manon scored in the 11th minute, but needed Dario Cvitanich’s 79th-minute tally to tie the score at 2-2. In the 90th minute, Leobardo Lopez went to the penalty spot for the visitors, but sent his shot clattering off the woodwork.
Jaime Lozano propelled the Cruz Azul attack, converting a penalty kick in the 26th minute to knot the score at 1-1, and assisting as Cristian Miguel Riveros made the score 2-1 seconds before halftime.
Cruz Azul is third in Group 3 at 7-3-5, while Pachuca is fourth in Group 2 at 6-3-6.
JAGUARES 2, MORELIA 1
Morelia really needed a win over lowly Jaguares on Wednesday, but didn’t get it, falling 2-1 at Estadio Morelos.
The result left the Monarcos (7-3-5) only two points ahead of Club America for second place and an automatic playoff berth in Group 2. Jaguares trail the Group at 3-6-6.
Hugo Droguett gave Morelia an early lead, scoring just 25 minutes into the match. Antonio Salazar equalized in the 50th, and Danilo Veron silenced the crowd with the game-winner for Jaguares in the 80th.
SANTOS LAGUNA 1, MONTERREY 1
Santos Laguna and Monterrey traded second-half goals on their wy to a 1-1 draw Wednesday at Estadio Corona.
Oribe Peralta scored first for Santos, in the 53rd minute. Jose Arellano salvaged the draw for the Monterrey in the 84th, in the process lifting the 9-5-1 Rayados to the top of the overall standings.
Santos are tied with Pumas at the top of Group 3 at 7-4-4 (25 pts), only one point ahead of Cruz Azul.
AMERICA 0, PUMAS 0
Club America and Pumas battled to a scoreless draw in a Mexico City clasico Wednesday at Estadio Azteca.
Pumas (6-7-2), who are tied with Santos Laguna at the top of Group 3, seized the early momentum. But by game’s end they needed an heroic performance from goalkeeper Sergio Bernal to stay even.
America is third in Group 2 with 22 points (6-4-5).
