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Matchday 8 Notes: Cruz Azul up, Chivas down

By Thomas Buckley

Jonathan Rodríguez leaps into the air after scoring Cruz Azul's first goal against Morelia. The Cementeros defeated the Monarcas 4-2 in their Matchday 8 contest. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
Jonathan Rodríguez leaps into the air after scoring Cruz Azul's first goal against Morelia. The Cementeros defeated the Monarcas 4-2 in their Matchday 8 contest. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /
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Cruz Azul continued its recovery from a winless start to the Clausura with a ragged road win, bumping its unbeaten streak to a league-best six games.

Cruz Azul nearly squandered a 3-goal lead, hanging on for a clutch 4-2 win at Morelia. The final 10 minutes turned into farce as the Cementeros floundered about while the officiating crew bungled two key calls.

Jonathan Rodríguez scored twice to take his tally to a league-leading 7 goals, sandwiching a goal by Elías Hernández. The Monarcas responded with goals in minutes 72 and 84, and were pressing forward for the equalizer when ref Alejandro Funk whistled a non-existent foul against Sebastián Vegas. Funk compounded his error by showing Vegas a yellow card, his second of the match.

The bungled call left Morelia with only 10 men but fourth official – Edgar Rangel – made up for it with his own blunder. When Cruz Azul made its final substitution, Rangel entered a wrong number and the wrong player was taken out. The Cruz Azul bench erupted in anger, but the damage was done.

Moments later, Orbelín Pineda collected a nifty lead pass from Santiago Giménez and chipped home the clincher.

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The Cementeros have now won 7 straight matches in all competitions, temporarily moving into first place pending the weekend results. Siboldi has crafted a solid rotation of players and the competition in practice has produced quality on the pitch. This has allowed Cruz Azul to overcome several key injuries, especially on defense.

Pineda returned to the starting line-up, taking the spot of the 18-year-old Giménez who assisted him on the final goal. Giménez – starting because top striker Milton Caraglio has a broken foot – had shown marked improvement after a slow start, but coach Siboldi opted for experience.

Pineda started the season opener against Atlas, but picked up a red card only 30 minutes in, earning a spot in Siboldi’s dog house. He had been relegated to the bench since, seeing only mop-up duty until getting the call against Morelia Friday night. It was a good decision as Orbelín was a constant pest for the Monarcas defense.

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