America claimed the final spot in Mexico's Clausura playoffs by
beating Santos 1-0 at Aztec Stadium on Sunday through Angel Reyna's
seventh-minute goal.
Seven of the eight teams had already qualified before Sunday:
defending champion Monterrey, Guadalajara Chivas, Toluca, Pumas,
Santos Laguna, Morelia, Pachuca. The quarterfinal playoffs start
next weekend in a home and away series.
In the playoffs, it's: Monterrey-Pachuca, Chivas-Morelia,
Pumas-Santos and America-Toluca.
In other matches Sunday, Toluca defeated Puebla 2-1 and
Indios beat Pumas 2-0.
Reyna summed up his winning goal.
"Miracles exist," he said. "I lit an extra candle at home and
it's thanks to the Virgin of Guadalupe that we will get another
chance."
Reyna was referring to the country's patron saint, who is
widely revered in Mexico and often used as a symbol of the nation.
Defending champion Monterrey will be the favorite to win back
to back titles, the Rayados having lost only one of 17 matches in
the regular season.
Chivas won a record eight consecutive matches to start the
season, but won only two more after that. Though Chivas finished
second, it has played the last month without five of its top
players who are away at a training camp for Mexico's World Cup
team.
Three players finished equal for the scoring title with 10
goals in the Clausura: Herculez Gomez of Puebla, Javier Hernandez
of Chivas and Johan Fano of Atlante. Hernandez has not played for
Chivas for a month and Gomez was suspended from Puelba's final
match after picking up two yellow cards last weekend.
Gomez, who was born in Los Angeles to Mexico-born parents, is
the first U.S. player to win or share the regular season scoring
title.
