Daniel Montenegro and Salvador Cabanas scored second-half goals to
lead Club America to a 3-1 win over Santos Laguna in Group A of the
Interliga football tournament Saturday.
Earlier, Guillermo Rojas scored in the 47th minute as a
10-man Atlante beat Estudiantes Tecos 2-1.
Enrique Esqueda got Club America off to a good start in the
27th minute, controlling a pass from Pavel Pardo and beating Santos
goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez.
Four minutes later, America defender Juan Carlos Valenzuela
was called for a hand ball in the penalty area, and Juan Pablo
Rodriguez drove the penalty past goalkeeper Francisco Ochoa to
level the scores.
Montenegro scored in the 62nd minute after lunging forward to
head home a high cross from Oscar Rojas to give America a 2-1 lead.
Santos defender Jorge Estrada was given a red card in the
76th minute and Club America controlled the game from there.
Cabanas scored from a penalty in the 84th minute after he was
dragged down near the area.
The InterLiga tournament is an annual eight-team event
between Mexican clubs to determine the two that will play in the
Copa Libertadores, the South American club championship.
In the first game, Daniel Arreola put Atlante ahead in the
10th minute, launching a left-footed shot from 30 meters that
sailed over Tecos keeper Mario Rodriguez.
Tecos leveled it in the 29th minute, when Cejas drove home a
short, left-footed pass from Bareiro.
Atlante played a man down in the second half after defenseman
Jose Daniel Guerrero was sent off shortly before the break for
tripping Tecos midfielder Rubens Oscar Sambueza.
Atlante took the lead for good two minutes into the second
half, when Christian Bermudez threaded a short cross to a sprinting
Rojas for an easy goal past Rodriguez.
Tecos missed a point-blank chance to equalize a few minutes
after Rojas scored. Fredy Bareiro's header hit off the left post
and Mauro Cejas' rebound shot caromed off the crossbar.
Atlante won for the first time in its seven Interliga games.
Tecos is playing in the Interliga for the third time in four years.
The four teams will play again Tuesday.
