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Cruz Azul Continue Dominance Over Pumas
Cristain Riveros and Emmanuel Villa scored second-half goals as Cruz Azul put Pumas away and won 3-0 in Estadio Olimpico on Sunday.
Aug 2, 2009 4:03:36 PM
On Thursday, Cruz Azul dropped six goals on Club Sport Herediano as la Maquina beat the Costa Ricans 6-2 in a CONCACAF Champions League match.
Jaime Lozano was Cruz Azul’s most dangerous player as Pumas had no answer for his crosses and set pieces.
First Half
Pumas had the better of play early on. Dante Lopez tested Jesus Corona in the ninth minute from 20 yards out as Lopez turned and found space to fire a shot but Corona dived and parried the ball away. The match was Corona’s first league appearance with Cruz Azul and showed early on why the club was so interested in acquiring his services.
In the 19th minute, Corona helped save Cruz Azul again. Julio Cesar Dominguez had a terrible pass from the left side of the field back towards the penalty area. Francisco Palencia intercepted the attempt and dribbled into the box but Corona broke apart the scoring chance.
Horacio Cervantes fouled Ismael Iñiguez on the right side of the penalty area in the 34th minute but Pumas failed to take advantage of the chance deep in Cruz Azul’s area.
In the 43rd minute, though, the match changed in Cruz Azul’s favor. La Maquina had done little to generate chances but found offense from an unlikely source. Corona punted a ball deep into Pumas territory and nearly reached the penalty area. Dario Veron ran onto the ball as ‘keeper Sergio Bernal ran towards it, well off his line. Veron tried to head the ball to his teammate but instead sailed it over Bernal’s head and the two helplessly watched it trickle over the goal line.
Second Half
The goal seemed to inject a jolt of confidence in Cruz Azul while demoralizing Pumas. Three minutes into the second half, Cruz Azul won a set piece far on the right side. Lozano fired a cross on goal and several flat-footed Pumas defenders stood helplessly by as Cristian Riveros headed the ball past Bernal and into the back of the net.
Cruz Azul’s confidence grew while Pumas players seemed lost for most of the remainder of the game.
Marco Antonio Palacios had a chance to slice into Cruz Azul’s lead but his 68th-minute header off a corner kick went just wide of the goal.
Near the end of the game, Gerardo Torrado and Emmanuel Villa helped create another goal. Torrado dribbled past a Pumas defender and slipped a ball to the front of the goal. Villa latched onto it but Bernal scrambled to try and clear the ball out of danger. With Bernal on the ground, Villa turned and fired a shot as Veron charged towards him. Villa’s shot was well-placed, though, and he earned the third goal of the match and first league goal with Cruz Azul.
Cruz Azul have now beaten Pumas for the 12th time in 14 encounters since the Apertura 2004 season.
Goal.com
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