Own goal sends title favourites Tigres into final
Reuters - Monday 05 December 2011, 03:18
An own goal by
Queretaro defender Manuel Lopez gave Tigres UANL a 1-0 victory
on Sunday and earned them a place in the final of the Mexican
Apertura championship against Santos Laguna.
Lopez headed the ball into his own net trying to clear a
cross from midfielder Damian Alvarez a minute before half-time in
the semi-final second leg at the Universitario stadium in the
northern city of Monterrey.
"Fortunately we got the result with their own goal and now
we're going to the final," Tigres defender Hugo Ayala told
television broadcasters Televisa.
It was the only goal of the tie after Queretaro, playing in
the eight-team knockout phase of the championship for the first
time, held Tigres 0-0 at home in midweek.
Tigres were also awarded a penalty on the hour but forward
Hector Mancilla's kick was saved by goalkeeper Liborio Sanchez,
who was again his team's best player.
Queretaro had Michel Vazquez sent off three minutes into
added time for a foul on midfielder Manuel Viniegra.
Tigres will be looking for their second league title and
first since the 1981/82 season.
Santos have three titles, all since the introduction in
1996/97 of two championships per season, with their last the
2008 Clausura.
They reached the final by beating Morelia 3-2 in a thrilling
semi-final second leg on Saturday.
The aggregate score was 4-4
with Santos qualifying by virtue of having finished higher in
the league standings before the knockout phase.