Goats have Tigers for dinner in Mexico
Reuters - Thursday 27 October 2011, 05:32
Guadalajara strung a
third consecutive win together beating 10-man UANL Tigres 1-0 in
a highly charged clash at the Jalisco on Wednesday to open a
four-point lead in the Mexican championship.
Chivas (Goats) midfielder Alberto Medina (pictured) surprised the home
faithful almost as much as Tigres' (Tigers) when he unleashed a
shot from outside the box past Enrique Palos for the only goal
six minutes after half-time.
Tigres midfielder Manuel Viniegra had been sent off after 25
minutes for a nasty foul on Marco Fabien de la Mora, leaving his
team with an even tougher task in front of a crowd of 30,000
baying for blood after Chivas scored eight goals in their
previous two games.
The visiting side's Argentine playmaker Lucas Lobos almost
equalised at the death but failed to get high enough to
substitute Edgar Pacheco's cross to bring it down into the goal
and his effort was just wide.
Guadalajara, with 28 points from 15 matches, have secured a
place in the knockout phase of the Apertura championship with
two games to spare. The top eight go through after the 17
matches of the league format.
Santos Laguna, who drew 1-1 at home with America, are four
points behind in second place with a match in hand.
Title holders Pumas UNAM are also on 24 points after they
beat Atlante 1-0 at home in Mexico City. Tigres are six points
adrift of Guadalajara in sixth place.
Guadalajara's arch-rivals America, beaten 3-1 by Chivas at
the Azteca on Sunday, continue to languish near the bottom of
the table with little chance of a quarter-final berth after
their draw at Santos.
America would have lost but for a fine one-handed penalty
save by goalkeeper Armando Navarrete after a handball by their
Colombian captain Aquivaldo Mosquera.
America were without Mexico forward Angel Reyna, who was
suspended indefinitely by the club for saying publicly his team
had a "watery captain and a plastic defence" after their weekend
defeat by Guadalajara.