Last minute goal gives Pumas victory over America
· Yahoo Sports
Pumas defeated Club America by a 1-0 score courtesy of an injury time Penalty Kick goal. It was a match that ended in controversy because of a possible PK not being called for Club America. Still it was a deserved result since Pumas had been the slightly better team and the more offensive unlike an America side that was defensive from the start. After the FIFA break, Pumas will have an extremely tough visit to play against current Liga Mx leaders Chivas while Club America will travel to face off against last placed Santos Laguna.
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The 1st half started with Pumas coming out with three attackers up top in Juninho, Guillermo Martinez and Robert Morales, leaving Jordan Carrillo on the bench. America also had an offensive linuep with Brian Rodriguez and Alejandro Zendejas from the start. Morales would get the ball in the area and get off a right footed shot that would go wide. A cross into the area had Martinez being brought down by Sebastian Caceres but no foul was given. A great pass from Adalberto Carrasquilla would find Martinez but he failed to control the ball before America’s goalkeeper, Rodolfo Cota, could get to the ball. Rodriguez would get off a great right footed shot from outside the area that forced a great save from Pumas’ goalkeeper, Keylor Navas. A long ball would be headed by Martinez into the path of Juninho, who got off a 1 vs 1 and got off a right footed shot past Cota but the ball would hit the post. A cross into the area was just out of reach of Alvaro Angulo, who missed a close range chance. A right footed shot from outside the area from Carrasquilla was saved by Cota. The halftime whistle blew and although Pumas had been the better side, they hadn’t created much chances at all.
The 2nd half started with neither team making a substitution so far. Rodriguez would get off a right footed shot from outside the area that would go wide. Also from outside the area, Erick Sanchez got off a left footed shot that was blocked by Navas. America subbed out Raphael Veiga for Vinicius de Lima. Pumas subbed out Juninho for Uriel Antuna. Another left footed shot from outside the area, this time from Zendejas, was saved by Navas. While Pumas was dominating possession, they weren’t creating any danger and America had the chances from counter attacks and long range shots, that were easily handled by Navas. Pumas subbed out Adalberto Carrasquilla for Jordan Carrillo. America subbed out Erick Sanchez and Brian Rodriguez for Jonathan Dos Santos and Raul Zuñiga. After a mistake in a back pass, Morales won the ball and got into the area but as he tried to get past Cota, the goalkeeper won the ball off his feet. Had Morales gotten past Cota, he would have had an empty net chance. A cross into the area was headed by Morales right to Cota. America subbed out Patrico Salas and Alejandro Zendejas for Thiago Espinosa and Alexis Gutierrez in an extremely defensive move. After Martinez won the ball in the area, Cristian Borja brought him down. Although nothing was called, referee Cesar Ramos went to VAR and gave Pumas the Penalty Kick. Robert Morales stepped up to take the PK and got off a right footed shot past Cota to give Pumas the 1-0 lead. Pumas would sub out Robert Morales for Antonio Leone. A cross into the area was missed on a header by Espinosa and it looked like Leone handled the ball in the area but nothing was given. Pumas held on and with a controversial play, Pumas won a match in which they were the side that went for it offensively against a very defensive America.
Pumas got an almost last minute goal to win another edition of the Clasico Capitalino. It was a controversial victory as America had a case for a PK in the last play of the match. Still while Pumas hadn’t dominated, they were the better side and more importantly, they were the side that was more offensive. Surprisingly Club America would be defensive from the start and be more defensive as the match continued even when Pumas wasn’t on such a high level of play, especially in the final third. The loss means that Club America has lost 2 of the 3 clasicos of the regular season and will have to turn things around in the final clasico against Cruz Azul. Pumas is now solidly at fourth place but will have a tough match when they return after the FIFA break when they will travel to face off against first placed Chivas. America will have an easier task when they also travel but they will face off against last placed Santos Laguna.