April 27, 2010 MEXICAN LEAGUE CLAUSURA Match Day 17 roundup
ESTUDIANTES 3, ATLANTE 2
Rodrigo Ruiz’s 67th-minute goal gave Estudiantes Tecos (5-4-8) a face-saving 3-2 win over visiting Atlante in both teams’ Bicentenario finale Friday at Estadio 3 de Marzo.
Atlante, who finished at the bottom of Group 3 at 4-4-9, seized the early advantage with a 14th-minute strike by Jose Octavio Guerrero. The lead disappeared in the 43rd minute, with Rafael Medina’s 1-1 equalizer. An own goal by Johan Fano gave Tecos a 2-1 advantage in the 54th minute, and Ruiz’s game-winner made the score 3-1.
Jeronimo Amione took a goal back for Atlante in the 90th minute.
CRUZ AZUL 1, CHIVAS 1
Slumping Chivas de Guadalajara managed to salvage a single point out of Saturday’s Clausura finale, playing Cruz Azul to a 1-1 draw at Estadio Azul.
The Rojiblancos, who started the Bicentenario with a record eight-game winning streak, finish second in the overall standings at 10-5-2 (32 points). Cruz Azul (7-4-6) could have sneaked into the playoffs with a win on Saturday, but handed the crucial point to Chivas with a 78th-minute own goal by Edcarlos Conceicao Santos.
Emanuel Villa scored the game’s only other goal, in the fifth minute.
Second-seeded Chivas will face #7 Morelia in the quarterfinals.
MORELIA 1, MONTERREY 1
Monterrey (10-6-1) already had clinched the top seed in the Liguilla, but Morelia (7-4-6) got the point they needed to sneak into the playoffs by playing the league champions to a 1-1 draw Saturday at Estadio Morelos.
Jared Borgetti was the hero for Monarcos, scoring in the 45th minute to counter Neri Cardozo’s 23rd-minute goal for the Rayados.
Monterrey will be paired with #8 Pachuca in the quarterfinals, while #7 Morelia will face second-seeded Chivas.
PACHUCA 2, TIGRES 1
A pair of penalty kicks by Edgar Benitez propelled Pachuca (7-6-4) past Tigres 2-1 and into the Mexican League playoffs Saturday at Estadio Universitario.
Benitez put Pachuca on the board in the ninth minute, and beat netminder Cirilo Caucedo from the spot again in the 78th minute to clinch the win. Jesus Molina scored the lone goal for Tigres (5-4-8) in the 82nd minute.
The Tuzos will host top-seeded Monterrey next Saturday (May 1) in the first leg of the Liguilla quarterfinals.
ATLAS 1, JAGUARES 1
Atlas (7-3-7) fell just short of qualifying for the Liguilla on Saturday, managing only a 1-1 draw with Jaguares (4-7-6) at Estadio Jalisco.
Jackson Arley Martinez gave Jaguares a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute, and Atlas needed the rest of the game to catch up. Cesar Ibanez finally slipped home the equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time.
SAN LUIS 3, QUERETARO 0
Relegation-bound San Luis (3-5-9) said goodbye to the Primera Division with a flourish on Saturday, hammering Group 1 rival Queretaro (6-3-8) at Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramirez.
Goals by Blas Perez (14th minute) and Alfredo Moreno (58th) sandwiched an own goal by Joaquin Beltran (41st) to give San Luis the win.
TOLUCA 3, PUEBLA 1
Toluca continued their streak into the playoffs, closing out the regular season with a 3-1 win over Puebla Sunday at Estadio Nemesio Diez. The win was the Diablos Rojos’ sixth in seven games, and they are unbeaten in their last seven.
The match got off to a torrid start, with all three goals scored within the first 16 minutes. Antonio Naelson have Toluca a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute. Alvaro Fabian onzalez equalized for Puebla four minutes later, and Hector Mancilla notched the game-winner in the 16th.
Toluca finishes the season in third place overall at 8-3-6 (26 pts), and will face Club America in the Liguilla quarterfinals. Puebla, who ended the season without suspended league scoring co-leader Herculez Gomez, finished last in Group 2 at 5-4-8.
Gomez shares the league scoring crown with wire-to-wire leader Javier Hernandez (Chivas) and Atlante’s Johan Fano, all with ten goals.
INDIOS 2, PUMAS 0
Pumas ended their run to the Liguilla on a down note, with a 2-0 loss to relegation-bound Pumas Sunday Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez.
Hector Gimenez scored both goals for Indios, in the 16th and 27th minutes.
Pumas end the season on top of Group 3 with 28 points (7-7-3). They are seeded fourth in the eight-team playoffs, and will take on #5 Santos Laguna in next weekend’s quarterfinals. Indios are fifth in Group 2 at 4-3-10.
AMERICA 1, SANTOS LAGUNA 0
Angel Reyna scored in the eighth minute to give Club America a season-ending 1-0 victory over Santos Laguna Sunday at Estadio Azteca and a Liguilla quarterfinal pairing with third-seed Toluca beginning next Saturday.
America closed out the regular season second in Group 2 with 25 points (7-4-6). Santos (8-4-5, 28) also are headed for the postseason, and are seeded fifth. Their quarterfinal opponent will be #4 Pumas.
