Queretaro 3-2 Pumas: Gallos Come From Behind Twice To Win

Pumas led Queretaro twice but could not hold on to the lead and wound up losing 3-2.

Feb 18, 2010 1:03:00 AM

More On :  Pumas, Querétaro
Gallos Blancos Queretaro (Mexsport)
Queretaro fell behind twice to Pumas but overcame the deficit both times and eventually overtook the visitors as Gallos Blancos won 3-2.

The loss was Pumas' first setback of the season. The club is now 1-1-4 on the season, while Queretaro's win gave them 13 points on the year.

First Half

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Israel Castro helped set up the game's first goal. In the 24th minute, Castro found Martin Bravo inside the box. Bravo trapped the ball with his chest, controlled it and fired the ball into the back of the net.

The goal was significant for several reasons. It gave Pumas the lead, but it also marked the first time a forward has scored for Pumas this season.

Queretaro had problems breaking down Pumas' defense, which had only yielded three goals in five games prior to Wednesday. In the 42nd minute, though, Queretaro made that total four. Isaac Romo flicked a pass on to Julio Cesar Laffatigue, who fired a shot from the corner of the penalty area into the back of the net to give Queretaro the equalizer heading into the break.

Second Half

Israel Castro gave Pumas the lead in the 57th minute. Pumas had threatened on several occasions in the half, including a shot by Dante Lopez minutes prior that was stopped with a splendid save by Carlos Gustavo Bossio.


But Castro eventually broke through to give Pumas the lead once more. Pumas built up a quick counterattack through the middle of the field when Castro took the ball and carried it towards Queretaro's area. Castro fed Bravo, who dribbled the ball down the left side of the box and slipped the ball back to the middle of the area. Castro easily slotted the ball into an empty net as Bravo had attracted quite a bit of attention.

Queretaro, though, stormed right back and responded with a goal of their own. On a throw-in from the right side of the field, Queretaro saw the ball sail into the box but cleared out by a Pumas defender. Gonzalez ran onto the ball, though, and ripped a 30-yard rocket on goal. The ball went straight to Pumas' Sergio Bernal but was much too potent for him to stop. Bernal saw the ball bounce away and Emilio Lopez was there to clean up the rebound. Lopez easily knocked the ball into an open net as Queretaro once more showed bite and resiliency.

The two teams battled evenly on a corner kick, Isaac Romo found the ball at his feet. Bernal was off his line and Romo tried to slip the ball into the net. Efrain Velarde stood on the goal line and knocked the ball away with his chest. However, referee Jaime Herrera ruled that Velarde had used his hand to knock the ball away. Television replays appeared to show Velarde using nothing but his chest to clear the ball, but the call was made. To add insult to injury, Herrera sent Velarde off with a straight red card.

Gonzalez, who has one of the most vicious right feet in the league, stepped to the spot and buried a ball into the right corner of the net. Bernal had guessed right but he did not come close to turning the ball away.

Pumas pushed forward in the waning moments but with 10 men and a deficit could not do much to break down the hosts' defense. Pumas helplessly watched their unbeaten streak end at five while Queretaro improved to 4-1-1, and their 13 points are good for third place in the overall table.

Goal.com

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