Mexican clubs Toluca and Cruz Azul reached the semifinals of the
CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday, setting the stage for the
possibility of all-Mexico semifinals in the regional club
tournament.
Toluca defeated Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew 3-2 to
advance with a 5-4 goal aggregate over the two quarterfinal legs.
Cruz Azul had an easy time with Panama club Arabe Unido, winning
3-0 and advancing with a 4-0 aggregate.
A third Mexico club, Pachuca defeated, Comunicaciones of
Guatemala 2-1 on Tuesday, advancing 3-2.
Yet another Mexican club, Pumas, trails 2-0 going into
Thursday's match against Marathon of Honduras in Mexico City.
In Toluca, Antonio Naelson of Brazil scored two second-half
goals and Hector Raul Mancilla of Chile added another for Toluca.
Argentine forward Guillermo Schelotto scored both Crew goals.
Toluca will face Pachuca in the two-leg semifinals.
Schelotto gave the U.S. club a surprising 1-0 lead in
first-half injury time when he converted a penalty after Edgar
Esteban Duneas was called for a clear handball in the area.
Mancilla scored from a penalty in the 47th, and Naelson
scored his first in the 57th with a powerful free kick from 25
meters (yards) that hit the bottom of the crossbar and dropped in
just beyond the goal line.
Schelotto gave the MLS team hope in the 70th, leveling at
2-2, but again it was a Naelson free kick in the 72nd - almost
identical to the first and from nearly the same spot - which sealed
the victory.
In Cruz Azul's victory, Javier Orozco scored twice - in the
50th and 75th minutes -and Cesar Villaluz got the other in the
64th.
Cruz Azul will play the winner of Thursday's match between
Pumas and Marathon.
