Michael Orozco and San Luis will have nightmares of Cruz Azul's Emanuel Villa for weeks to come while Paco Torres and Pachuca could not derail the Monterrey freight train in weekend Apertura action.
Cruz Azul 4 - 2 San Luis
Four goals by Cruz Azul forward Emanuel Villa created plenty of misery for San Luis on Saturday evening at Estadio Azul in Mexico City.
Michael Orozco started on the San Luis back line, which was terrorized all match long by Villa, and went the full 90 minutes for head coach Juan Antonio Luna.
Villa's first goal arrived early via a header off an Alejandro Vela pass which opened the scoring in the sixth minute for the hosts.
Ten minutes later the Argentinean forward struck again, this time netting a shot with a simple tap in after receiving a cross from Rogelio Chavez.
San Luis halved the margin three minutes later when Pablo Cesar Aguilar headed in a shot of his own after taking in a cross from Brualio Luna.
The next goal for Villa may have been his best of the evening as he outjumped the San Luis defense to head the ball past Gladiadores goalkeeper Adrian Martinez.
The visitors showed they still had some fight when they pulled a goal back in the 53rd minute courtesy of Alfredo Moreno's shot which deflected off the left post and banked into the goal.
Any thoughts of a comeback were extinguished by Villa in the 86th minute when the former Derby County man streaked past the San Luis defense to receive a cross from Emilio Hernandez and poked the ball home as he was falling to the ground.
Orozco and crew will look to regroup next weekend when they return home to face Jaguares.
Pachuca 1 - 3 Monterrey
A second half surge by Monterrey was too much for Paco Torres and Pachuca to handle in a battle of two of the Apertura's top teams on Saturday evening at Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca.
Torres got another start at his customary midfield spot before yielding to Ulises Mendivil in the 74th minute.
After an equal first half which saw no one get on the scoreboard, the goals finally started coming in the second half as the Tuzos broke the ice with a 50th minute strike.
Christian Gimenez played a perfect back cross to Juan Carlos Cacho who scored with a shot just inside the right post.
Unfortunately for the Tuzos, their offense would come to a screeching halt as Humberto Suazo and the Rayados took over the match in the 56th minute when they equalized courtesy of Suazo's deftly played chip over the head of Tuzos goalkeeper Miguel Calero.
Suazo waited just seven minutes to give the visitors the lead as this time he had help from Luis Perez who played a ball into the Chilean striker who then beat Calero again.
Osvaldo David Martinez completed the comeback in the 85th minute with a solo effort that sent the home fans to the exits.
Torres and crew look to rebound next weekend when they visit Santos.
Tigres 0 - 0 Indios
Edgar Castillo and Tigres let two points slip out of their grasp after drawing with Marco Vidal and Indios on Saturday evening at Estadio Universitario in Monterrey.
Castillo started at left back for head coach Daniel Guzman and went the distance while Vidal was a late second half substitute for Indios head man Hector Hugo Eugui.
With both teams desperately needing a win to avoid any type of relegation, it looked as if the three points would be claimed by Tigres in the early going.
Tigres forward Francsico Fonseca was fouled by Javier Hernan Malagueno in the penalty area giving the referee no option but to whistle for the penalty kick in just the third minute of action.
Brazilian forward Itamar Batista walked to the spot to take the kick but his effort was a feeble one and was saved by Indios goalkeeper Cesar Lozano.
Sensing a lost opportunity, the hosts continued to push but that played right into the hands of Indios' greatest strength which is their defense.
Even though Eugui's squad continue to be winless on the season, their defense affords them with opportunities to at least stay in matches and Saturday was no different.
But it got even more complicated for the Aborigenes in the 67th minute when Juan de la Barrera picked up his second yellow card, however Tigres were never able to take advantage of having an extra man.
Castillo and crew hit the road next weekend to face Atlas while the Vidal and Indios return home to Juarez to face Estudiantes. |
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