Pumas dump Cruz Azul out of title race
Reuters - Sunday 21 November 2010, 02:38
MEXICO CITY, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A penalty by Juan Carlos
Cacho five minutes from time gave Pumas UNAM a 2-0 away win
over 10-man Cruz Azul that sent the Mexican title favourites
crashing out in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Pumas, 2-1 down from Wednesday's first leg, went through
3-2 on aggregate having taken a second-minute lead in the
second leg with a fine shot from outside the box into the top
corner of Jesus Corona's goal by Argentine Martin Bravo.
Cruz Azul, known as the "Blue Machine", had defender
Horacio Cervantes sent off two minutes before half-time for
kicking an opponent off the ball in the match at the Azul
Stadium.
Previously unbeaten at home and top of the overall
standings after the qualifying phase, Cruz Azul sat back to
defend their tenuous advantage after Cervantes was dismissed,
looking to qualify on the away goals rule.
However, defender Nestor Araujo handled the ball in the
area six minutes from time and Cacho buried the penalty for
Pumas, who were the last team to qualify for the knockout
phase, leaving Cruz Azul little time to save the tie.
The scores were level in the other three quarter-finals
after the first leg.
America and San Luis, playing later on Saturday at the
Azteca, were 0-0 with Sunday's matches between Monterrey and
Pachuca and Santos Laguna and Chiapas level at 1-1.