Toluca reach Apertura quarter-finals
Reuters - Monday 02 November 2009, 03:16
MEXICO CITY - Toluca beat Queretaro 2-0 to
become the first team to qualify for the Mexican Apertura
championship quarter-finals with three matches to spare on
Sunday.
Goals by Carlos Esquivel and Brazilian-born Mexico
international Antonio Naelson gave Group One leaders Toluca the
victory which could have been bigger but for a penalty save by
Queretaro's Argentine goalkeeper Carlos Bossio from Chilean
Hector Mancilla.
The top two teams in the three groups plus the two best
placed teams in the overall standings qualify for the
quarter-finals.
Morelia edged closer to qualification with a 3-1 win over
Guadalajara to consolidate their position at the top of Group
Two.
Guadalajara owner Jorge Vergara did not hide his
disappointment at his team's cautious game despite having
appointed Raul Arias, a coach renowned for his pragmatic
tactics, in September to get the team out of a slump.
"The truth is I don't like it, I like attacking
football...I also understand we had to strengthen the back to
stop conceding goals," said Vergara, who vowed when he bought
the club in 2002 to make them the best in the world.
Guadalajara, one of Mexico's two most popular clubs, had
taken five points from seven games when Arias took charge.
After taking 10 points from their next seven matches, they are
in danger of missing out on the quarter-finals.
VILLA GOALS
Cruz Azul, second in Group Three, beat Atlante 3-1 on
Saturday with two goals by Argentine striker Emanuel Villa, who
took his top marksman's tally to 13.
Group Three leaders Santos Laguna bade farewell to their
Corona stadium with a 1-1 draw against title holders Pumas
UNAM, who are bottom of the group.
The club from northern Mexico who have won three league
titles including last year's Clausura, are moving to a brand
new complex called "Santos Model Territory" to be inaugurated
on November 11 against Santos of Brazil with Pele and FIFA
president Sepp Blatter as guests of honour.
The complex includes the 30,000 capacity New Corona
Stadium, a hotel overlooking the ground, a university, a
shopping zone and a church.
The last goal scored at the Corona was Argentine-born
striker Matias Vuoso's equaliser for Santos.