Cruz Azul on course for Clausura final
Reuters - Friday 13 May 2011, 04:51
MEXICO CITY - Argentine duo Christian
Gimenez and Emanuel Villa scored a goal apiece to give Cruz Azul
a 2-0 home win over Morelia in the first leg of their Mexican
championship semi-final on Thursday.
In the other semi-final, a goalkeeping error by Alejandro
Palacios allowed striker Omar Arellano to notch an 89th-minute
equaliser and give Guadalajara a 1-1 home draw against Pumas
UNAM.
Defender Efrain Velarde had headed Pumas into the lead after
51 minutes in a match in which both teams played the second half
with 10 men.
Guadalajara's Hector Reynoso was shown the red card after
half an hour and David Cabrera of Pumas was sent off for a
second booking on the stroke of half-time.
At the Estadio Azul, midfielder Gimenez put Cruz Azul ahead
just before the half hour when compatriot Federico Vilar in the
Morelia goal could not hold his stinging shot.
Striker Villa added the second on the stroke of half-time for
the "Blue Machine", who are looking for their first title since
1997.
The second leg matches are on Sunday.
Toluca, Clausura champions last year, said on Thursday they
had sacked coach Sergio Lugo after his team's failure to qualify
for the eight-team knockout phase.
Mexico City giants America, on the other hand, ratified
Chilean coach Carlos Reinoso as coach despite the team's
quarter-final elimination last weekend.
Tigres UANL, also knocked out in the quarter-finals after
finishing top of the overall standings, said they would retain
all five foreign players on their squad, including Chile striker
Hector Mancilla, for next season.