The bet to play backwards paid off for America, who rescued a 0-0 draw on Wednesday in their visit to Pumas, in the first leg for their quarterfinal series of the Mexican Apertura tournament.
The Eagles, led by Argentine coach Santiago Solari, require any tie in the second leg to advance to the semifinals, as they finished the regular schedule in first place in the table.
For this tournament, the leaders of Mexican soccer eliminated the away goal as a criterion to define a series and instead only the general table will serve.
Solari recently celebrated that the leaders have prioritized “sports justice” and have eliminated that tiebreaker criterion,
“Each game is a world and you (press) know that it can change and it is for moments, you know that the tournament starts back and the places in the table beyond the choice of fields and the regulatory issue does not matter,” he said. Solari. “Everyone starts with the same possibilities.”
In his first tournament with the Eagles, Solari saw his title dreams fade when he lost to Pachuca in the quarterfinals in a series that ended tied 5-5. The Tuzos advanced for the goal in someone else’s yard.
“Pumas had been doing things well at home,” goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa told the TUDN network. “Today is 0-0 because we had to learn from the last league. We emphasize it in the dressing room, that’s what experiences are for, not to be repeated ”.
It is enough for Pumas to win by any marker in the round to advance to the semifinals for the second time in the last three tournaments.
Under the old regulation and with 0-0, a goal from the visiting Auriazules would have forced the Eagles to score twice.
“The one who was better in the table must have a privilege which is to play at home in the second leg, the away goal I don’t take into account, one thinks about winning and we have no other choice,” said Argentine coach Andrés Lillini . “There is no other choice or we are eliminated, but if I’m honest, that of the away goal did not cross our minds. If the federation decides that it is because it must have its arguments ”.
The university students, who were penultimate on the eleventh date, won four of their last six games to make the play-off, where they eliminated Toluca.
The return match is Saturday night on the Azteca stadium field.
“We have no choice but to win, we have 90 minutes left and I am interested in recovering in every way,” added Lillini. “Today we had to wear out because we played 21 people in a single field and that wears out.”
With America retracted and in search of long transitions, the meeting was one of few arrivals on goal because the university students fought with the lock imposed by Solari.
Pumas generated the first shot on goal until 39, when Efraín Velarde cheered up from middle distance and his attempt was deflected by Ochoa.
América responded a minute later, when Uruguayan Federico Viñas stole a ball at the start and took a low shot that was deflected by goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera.
Before the break, Sebastián Saucedo took a free kick that was rejected by the Aguilas goalkeeper.
The second half kept the same narrative, with America backing down and closing the exits.
The Eagles had the first approach in the complement at 76 when Henry Martín sent a delayed ball for Paraguayan Richard Sánchez, who took a shot that was deflected to a corner kick by Talavera.
Pumas responded to the 80 with a mid-distance shot from Erick Lira that was deflected to a corner kick by Ochoa.
Two minutes later it seemed that the locals were taking the lead with a goal from Brazilian Higor Meritao, but the play was canceled out of place.
Pumas had a last arrival in the discounts, with a shot from the Argentine Favio Álvarez that went through the side.
–
