MEXICO CITY (AP) — With a goal from Jordi Cortizo and an own goal from Argentina’s Nicolás Freire in the first half, Puebla defeated Pumas 2-1 to secure their place in the playoffs and eliminate the university team, sentencing their failure. resounding in the campaign in which he signed Dani Alves.
Cortizo first shook the nets just after five minutes and Freire made his blunder at 28 to set the game on course.
With the result, the poblanos stringed together their second victory and accumulate 22 points to place themselves in seventh position with one date left in the regular calendar.
The meeting was for the seventh date and Pumas postponed it in order to play a game in Spain against Barcelona, who beat him 6-0 for the Joan Gamper trophy. That beating marked the beginning of a series of humiliating results for the feline group.
Argentine Eduardo Salvio discounted at 82 for Pumas.
The setback against Puebla left the university team stuck at 14 points and in 16th place, with no chance of reaching the playoffs.
It is an embarrassment for the team’s leadership, which in this tournament decided to unusually open the portfolio to sign high-profile reinforcements such as the Brazilian star Alves, in addition to the Argentines Gustavo del Prete and Eduardo Salvio.
All three had campaigns to forget. Pumas closed the tournament with just one win in their last 13 games.
Puebla took the lead almost immediately when Cortizo received a pass through the middle, entered the area and converted with a shot over goalkeeper Julio González.
Shortly after, the Uruguayan Maximiliano Araujo sent a cross from the left and Freire, in his attempt to reject, sent the ball into the back of the net.
When the match expired, Salvio took a ball inside the area and made a powerful shot that entered the right post of the Puebla goal.
THE RAYS POINT TO REPESCA
Uruguay’s Facundo Batista scored a brace and Necaxa drew 2-2 with Mazatlan to keep their hopes of advancing to the playoffs alive.
Batista scored his goals at 45 and 59 minutes for the Rayos, who needed a victory to advance to the playoffs without depending on anyone.
The team led by Jaime Lozano now has 19 points, with which they are in eleventh position and continue to control their destiny. He will advance to reclassification with a victory over Atlas on the last date.
Miguel Sansores at 34 and Roberto Meraz at 45 scored the goals for the Cañoneros, who have accumulated 17 units and are placed 13th, also with hopes of advancing to the final phase, but they will need to beat Pumas on the last date and wait for combinations from other markers.
