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Odds and Ends from Liga MX quarterfinals

By Thomas Buckley

Cruz Azul overcame a 2-1 first-leg deficit to advance to the semifinals over Toluca. (Photo by Cesar Gomez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
Cruz Azul overcame a 2-1 first-leg deficit to advance to the semifinals over Toluca. (Photo by Cesar Gomez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /
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Liga MX Quarters, final
Fans were allowed into Estadio Azteca for the first time since March 15, 2020, and Cruz Azul delighted them with a 3-1 victory. (Photo by Cesar Gomez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /

Two wildcard teams remain in the hunt even as home teams have yet to lose through the first two rounds of the Liga MX playoffs.

No. 8 Pachuca knocked out No. 2 América despite a 4-2 loss at Estadio Azteca thanks to the away-goal rule. The Aguilas scored only once in a poor first-leg performance in which a late Tuzos goal (Luis Chávez netted in minute 90+4 to make it 3-1) proved to be the difference.

Another extra-time goal, in Monterrey, boosted a second wildcard team – No. 5 Santos – past the favored Rayados and into the Liga MX semifinals.

No. 1 Cruz Azul and No. 3 Puebla survived tough challenges at home after losing on the road in their first-leg matches, playoff results which left home teams with a 10-2-0 record – and a 29-11 goal differential – after two rounds.

Cementeros overcome scrappy ‘Choriceros’

Top-seeded Cruz Azul battled past a feisty Toluca side to reach the semifinals for the second season in a row. The 4-3 aggregate win was a worthy sequel to the Cementeros’ dramatic 3-2 triumph over the Diablos on Matchday 7.

In that Feb. 20 game, Cruz Azul leaped out to an early lead before Toluca was awarded a questionable penalty that knotted the score 2-2 just before halftime. Earlier, Cruz Azul was denied a goal when ref Oscar Macías veered in front of a “Cabecita” shot during a Cruz Azul fast break, deflecting it out of bounds.

The first 45 minutes of that regular-season game mirrored the first leg of the quarterfinals in Toluca in which ref Marco Ortiz was the protagonist, awarding a very questionable penalty then declining to check the video replay. The offense was such that during the coin flip ahead of the return match Cruz Azul captain Jesús Corona called on the ref not to be Toluca’s 12th man. Toluca captain Rubens Sambueza covered his mouth in amazement as ref Fernando Hernández reacted indignantly.

As it happened, turnabout was fair play as “La Máquina” was the beneficiary of a penalty call (a legitimate one) and Jonathan Rodríguez thumped home from the spot in minute 80 to put Cruz Azul in the driver’s seat. Rodríguez assisted on his team’s two other goals, including the helper he supplied to Santi Giménez to finish off the series-clinching fast break.

More from Liga MX

Inspired by Corona’s boldness, Juan Reynoso and his Blue Machine overcame a 2-1 first-leg deficit with Saturday’s 3-1 symphony at the “Coloso de Santa Ursula,” the first Liga MX match at Estadio Azteca with fans in attendance since March 15, 2020, when Cruz Azul outlasted América 1-0. That game came on Matchday 10 of the Clausura 2020, a season that was canceled just days later as the pandemic descended upon Mexico.

Back in that February match, “Pol” Fernández volleyed home a spectacular winner in the second half to punctuate a lengthy Cruz Azul possession and the Cementeros defense held up to secure a 3-2 win that allowed the “Blue Man Group” to leapfrog Toluca into first place. Cruz Azul held onto the top spot the remainder of the season while the Diablos went 2-3-5 from there on out, falling from 1st to 11th.

Out of character

Overturning a first-leg deficit in the quarterfinals has not been a habit for the Cementeros. The series against Toluca marked the eighth time Cruz Azul had lost in the opener of a quarterfinals (twice before to Toluca) and only three times had “La Máquina Celeste” managed to rebound and advance, and never against the Diablos Rojos.

Playoff parallels?

This marks the second season in a row that the reigning Liga MX champs were eliminated in a wildcard penalty shootout. Last season, No. 12 seed Puebla stunned No. 5 Monterrey on penalties after finding a late equalizer to force the shootout. This season, Toluca toppled holders León from the spot after a 2-2 draw.

My question is: did Toluca just lose to the eventual champ as Puebla did last season? The Camoteros followed up their wildcard victory over the Rayados by slapping the visiting Esmeraldas with a 2-1 loss, just as the Diablos did last Wednesday against Cruz Azul.

León manhandled Puebla in the return match last season 2-0 to move on, eventually claiming the Liga MX title over UNAM.

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