San Luis Unable To Win On The Road
San Luis controlled their Liguilla destiny before the match but their failure to produce away from home could lead their downfall.
San Luis still have not won a single away game this season. The tie means the Liguilla hopes that Estudiantes had have vanished, they will have to wait till next season to try and get in.
First Half
Both teams looked conservative to start the first half. Both generated very little danger but Estudiantes were pressing the most.
Estudiantes kept San Luis pinned back early in the game. Rodrigo Ruiz had a couple of good crosses into the box but were all blocked by the Gladiator's defense.
San Luis tried to explode up top but always seemed to be caught offsides by the Estudiantes' well set back line.
Noe Maya tried to create for his team in the 22nd minute. Maya carried the ball outside the box and decided to have a crack at it from there. His shot was way off target as Mario Cervantes' goal continued to be untested.
Estudiantes' hopes to enter the Liguilla looked bleak but they still believed they could make it.
Estudiantes opened up the scoring in the 31st minute. Rodrigo "Pony" Ruiz serviced a good ball from a corner kick which Jorge Zamogilny grazed. All that was left to do was to tap it in and that's exactly what Diego Jimenez did. Estudiantes went up, 1-0.
The game was played in the middle for the rest of the half until San Luis responded in the 42nd minute. Braulio Luna swung one into his teammates of a corner. Alfredo Moreno was able to get it and shoot it but his shot hit the crossbar. Estudiantes took a 1-0 lead into the break.
Second Half
Tecos came out with the same intensity for the second half. Marcelo Alatorre fired the first warning shot for Estudiantes in the 48th minute. Alatorre had a go from outside the box which Adrian Martinez had problems handling.
Jose Reyes had the first one of the second half for San Luis in the 53rd minute. Reyes tried his luck from outside the area and it almost paid off for him. Cervantes just kept it out as he kept his clean sheet.
San Luis knew that a defeat would be detrimental to their Liguilla chances and scored the tying goal in the 60th minute. Braulio Luna started the play with a good filtered ball to Alfredo Moreno. Moreno then crossed the ball inside the box to find a trailing Jose Reyes. Reyes sent the ball home and tied the game for the visitors.
San Luis saw their chance to take take the lead wasted in the 64th minute. Reyes stole the ball away form Juan Carlos Leaño. Reyes then serviced the ball to Moreneo who was wide open. Moreno was alone with the keeper had a go but his shot hit the post. San Luis could not get a break form the frame of the goal.
Estudiantes almost spoiled San Luis' chances in the 80th minute. Juan Carlos Leaño some how got a shot off despite him being on the ground. The shot came close but it just went wide of the post.
The game ended shorty after in a 1-1 tie.
Sylvestre Adame, Goal.com
For more coverage of the Mexican Apertura 2009 season, visit Goal.com's Mexico page.
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