Monterrey's Martinez: Cruz Azul Are Important, Difficult

Monterrey midfielder Diego Martinez said Cruz Azul were not just another run-of-the-mill club.

Dec 7, 2009 3:49:20 PM

More On :  Monterrey
Monterrey (Mexsport)
To reach the Apertura 2009 final, Monterrey have toppled two formidable opponents in America and Toluca. But if the club wants to reach the glory that has eluded them for some time, Monterrey must take down another standout club.

Monterrey will face Cruz Azul in the final, a team that handed Monterrey a 2-0 loss early in the Apertura regular season.
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Cruz Azul are a team of respect, Monterrey players said.

"I'm not going to get tired of saying this: Cruz Azul is an important and difficult rival," Monterrey's Diego Martinez told reporters. "They just finished off beating Morelia who were also a complicated team."

Cruz Azul finished second in the overall league standings and knocked off Puebla by a 7-6 aggregate before outlasting Morelia in a 2-1 aggregate in the semifinals.

La Maquina finished five points ahead of Monterrey in the regular season, but Martinez said the distance between the two sides is even closer than that.

"These two teams are very even," Martinez said. "There are no advantages for anyone. There's nothing anymore for either team except two games to the death for the championship."

Cruz Azul have now reached the final for the third time in the last four seasons, and while La Maquina have not won a league title since 1997 the club remains competitive and has shown to be a serious contender for most of the last two calendar years.


Monterrey, meanwhile, have not been as fortunate. Their last league final was in the Apertura 2005 season, one which was lost to Toluca.

But having reached the final was a major step for the club, even if one more step remains.

"We're very happy for having taken this important step, to have beaten such a difficult team like Toluca," Martinez said. "This is an important accomplishment for the institution but we are also aware that we haven't won anything. We have two difficult games left in order to win the title was so desperately want."

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For more coverage of the Mexican Apertura Final, visit Goal.com's Mexico page.

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