The UNAM Pumas scored twice within three minutes to beat Jaguares
2-0 on Sunday for their fourth win in five matches in the Mexican
Clausura tournament.
In the other three matches Sunday, Group 3 leader Santos
defeated Puebla 2-1, Ciudad Juarez beat Queretaro 1-0 and America
and Pachuca had a 2-all draw.
In Saturday matches, Group 2 leader Monterrey had a 2-1 win
over Group 1 leader Chivas to take the overall lead in the three
group Clausura tournament.
Monterrey has 26 points after 11 rounds, followed by Chivas
(25) and Santos (24).
Pumas moved into second place in Group 3 with 20 points, four
points behind Santos, via goals from Ismael Iniguez and David Lopez
in the 53rd and 55th minutes.
"We keep getting closer to the main objective which is to
qualify for the postseason", said Pumas midfielder Israel Castro.
"The team is improving each week".
The Jaguars had a couple of scoring chances including a shot
by Christian Valdez that rattled the Pumas goalpost in the 10th but
after Christian Alvarez was sent off in the 31st minute, the match
was dominated by the hosts.
"We were playing great before the red card, but we gave Pumas
the ball and that killed us," Valdez said.
Later on, at estadio Azteca, Antonio Lopez' 67th-minute goal
salvaged a 2-2 draw for America against Pachuca.
Angel Reyna gave the Eagles the lead in the 28th, but Dario
Cvitanich equalized from a penalty kick in the 41st and Edgar
Benitez gave Pachuca the lead in the 63rd before Lopez' equalizer.
In Ciudad Juarez, the Indians won for the first time in their
last 27 matches to retain a slim chance of staying in Mexico's top
flight.
Julio Frias scored in the 38th for Ciudad Juarez, which needs
to win all of its remaining seven matches to avoid relegation.
In Torreon, Colombian striker Darwin Quintero in the 38th and
Argentine Daniel Luduena in the 44th scored for Santos, which has
not lost a match since the third round.
