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Sambueza Leads Estudiantes Into InterLiga Finals
Rubens Sambueza set up two critical goals as Estudiantes tied America 3-3 as both teams reached Wednesday's InterLiga finals.
Jan 10, 2010 1:57:18 AM
Estudiantes overcame a large pro-America crowd and an early two-goal deficit to tie America 3-3 as both teams reached Wednesday's finals with hopes of advancing to Copa Libertadores.
The result sent Santos packing, who got back into the fray with a 3-0 win over Atlante in the opening match.
Despite a huge crowd support, America could not jump out in front first as Oswaldo Alanis Pantoja gave Estudiantes the early lead. Pantoja headed a ball off a corner kick into a wide-open portion of the goal as Estudiantes opened the scoring in the fourth minute of play.
However, Angel Reyna leveled the match four minutes later with a great individual effort. Reyna darted down the middle of the field, shook off Juan Carlos Leaño's mark and dribbled into the penalty area. Running down the left side of the box, Reyna pushed the ball towards the far post and tucked his shot just outside the reach of Estudiantes' Mario Rodriguez.
Reyna was again responsible for the second. Just four minutes after leveling the match, Reyna lifted a ball from the edge of the penalty area to the middle of the box. Salvador Cabañas powered a header past Rodriguez to give America a 2-1 lead.
Adolfo Rosinei threatened to blow the game wide open in the 17th minute when he gave America a 3-1 lead. This time it was Cabañas setting up the play as he and Rosinei combined on a nifty give-and-go. Rosinei ran towards Cabañas a fed him the ball. Standing some 30 yards out, Cabañas slipped the ball back towards Rosinei's path. As Estudiantes defenders were temporarily knocked off balance by the pass, Rosinei took advantage, carried the ball into the area and beat Rodriguez from 15 yards out.
But the blowout never happened, much to Santos' dismay. Santos would have gone through to Wednesday's finals had the two-goal advantage held up, but Rodrigo "Pony" Ruiz made sure that didn't happen. In the 53rd minute, Rubens Sambueza did well to penetrate America's defense from the left side as he dribbled into the area and along the end line. Sambueza knocked a ball to the edge of the six-yard box and Ruiz tucked his shot into the back of the net.
Fredy Bareiro gave Estudiantes the equalizer in the 66th minute. Sambueza again placed the right ball to the right player as he fed Bareiro on a quick counter. Bareiro ran down the left side of the penalty area when he got the ball from Sambueza and easily beat Guillermo Ochoa.
The goal sealed Estudiantes' fate as they were able to hang on to their 3-3 draw and finished in second place in Group A. America, meanwhile, won the group and, depending on how Puebla fares on Sunday, could get a direct berth to Copa Libertadores with a win on Wednesday.
Goal.com
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