Pumas advance in CCL, ‘Capital Classic’ is next
The Pumas scored three late goals Wednesday night to blow past Saprissa and join León as Liga MX representatives in the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals.
Cruz Azul has a chance to make it a threesome Thursday night, but Santos Laguna was knocked out in Montreal Wednesday night.
UNAM continued its stunning turnaround from Liga MX cellar dweller to trophy contender with another explosive performance against the Costa Rican giants. Juan Ignacio Dinenno scored in minutes 75 and 82 before Rogerio added a stoppage time goal to produce the 4-1 final score, giving the Pumas a 6-3 aggregate victory.
Andrés Lillini will next lead his Pumas into a quarterfinal match-up against MLS club New England Revolution in two weeks. But first, “los felinos” must focus on this weekend’s “Capital Classic.”
Pumas continue amazing turnaround
After a 2-0 loss to bitter rivals América on Oct. 3 last season, the Pumas were in 17th place with one of the league’s worst offenses (6 goals in 11 games).
As pundits speculated who might become the next UNAM coach, the Pumas found a spark, racing to the finish line with a 4-1-1 record while scoring 11 goals. “Los Auriazules” claimed the last wildcard spot then marched into Toluca and erased the Diablos, setting up a quarterfinals showdown with América, the No. 1 seed in the Liga MX playoffs.
After a scoreless draw at home, UNAM headed to Estadio Azteca for the return match where the Pumas had not won in six years. Ninety minutes later, “los felinos” had stunned the football world, spanking the Aguilas.
UNAM’s season ended a week later, but the club had revived its fortunes and the team’s form has carried on into this season as Lillini & Co. sit in sixth place with a 3-1-2 record. And up next on their schedule is another “Clásico Capitalino.”
This time, América finds itself buried in the standings (in 16th place with a 1-1-4 record) with the knowledge that anything less than a win will cost coach Santiago Solari his job.
Although the Pumas enter this latest Mexico City derby with some momentum, it appears they will have to host the hated Aguilas without All-Star goalie Alfredo Talavera and top defender Nicolás Freire.
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Without those two stalwarts, UNAM held off a game challenge from Saprissa in Wednesday’s CCL match at the CU. Even before the late flurry of goals, the Pumas were poised to advance thanks to the away-goals rule (the first leg in Costa Rica ended 2-2, so the 1-1 score at the three-quarter mark – before Dinenno’s first goal – would have seen UNAM through).