Playing for the first time since the shooting of its star striker
Salvador Cabanas, America defeated lowly Ciudad Juarez 1-0 in the
third round of the Mexican Clausura tournament Sunday.
Enrique Esqued scored the lone goal of the match when he
collected a cross from Argentine midfielder Daniel Montenegro and
found the net with a with a right-footed strike.
After scoring, the 21 year old striker raced to the end of
the pitch, lifted his right sleeve and kissed his shoulder, the
same routine used by Cabanas when he scores a goal.
Cabanas, the star of Paraguay and Club America, was shot in
the head at point-blank range last Monday. He's in a serious
condition at a Mexico City hospital.
America goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made two keys saves to
preserve the second win of the season for the Eagles, who now have
six points and are tied with four teams in third place.
Ciudad Juarez is winless in their last 20 matches and appears
to be on its way to the second division.
Chivas leads the Mexican league with a perfect 3-0 record
after Javier Hernadez netted two goals for the third straight time
in a 3-2 win over Estudiantes.
Queretaro is a surprising second place with seven points
after a 2-1 win over Puebla.
Rodrigo Ruiz scored in the fifth minute and Fredy Bareiro in
the 61st to put the Estudiantes side ahead, but Alberto Medina
scored in the 78th on a cross from Hernandez who added goals in the
80th and 85th for Chivas, who has not started a season with a 3-0
record since the Invierno 1999 tournament.
Hernandez, who is only 21 years old, leads the league in
scoring.
"The main thing is that we got the win and the three points.
We showed character coming back from a 2-0 hole," Hernandez said.
In other matches it was: Monterrey 2, Cruz Azul 0; Pumas 0,
Toluca 0; Santos 1, Atlas 2; Chiapas 2, Tigres 2; Pachuca 5,
Atlante 1; San Luis 0, Morelia 2.
