Los Diablos Rojos del Toluca took a minimal advantage in the semifinals of the 2022 Opening tournamentdefeated Águilas del América 2-1 at home and cut a streak of 15 games without losing in the Mexican league.
With this result, Toluca will enter the Azteca stadium in the semifinal round, where any tie or win is enough for them. America needs a victory even by one goal, since the global tie classifies them to the final for better position in the table.
CHANGES IN THE DEVIL
In Toluca there were changes for this game, in midfield Leo Fernández returned to the starting lineup together with Marcel Ruiz, Carlos Guzmán was enabled on the left side and Haret Ortega in the central defense.
In the Eagles they returned to the stellar 11, the one with which they sentenced the last series from the first leg.
The game started and both tried to impose conditions. Toluca tried to possess the ball with his customary touch all over the pitch, but his goal was cut short by some Águilas who pressed all over the field, took the ball away from him and even generated their first offensive warnings.
At 4′ Alejandro Zendejas escaped from the right, based on speed he took off Valber Huerta’s markentered the area and instead of sending a cross, he finished at the first post where Tiago Volpi rejected his shot.
Later, at 5′, Diego Valdez tried a shot from outside the area that went just wide of the choricero goal.
AWAKEN THE DEVIL
It was not until after the first quarter of an hour of play that Toluca woke up, Finally he was able to string together passes to reach the rival zone and there generate approaches.
The first clearly was the 18th minute, a cross into the area by Leo Fernández where he found Valbert Huerta completely alone, who finished off with a header but directly into the hands of the goalkeeper, Guillermo Ochoa.
It was at minute 23 that the scoring opened. Once again, a set piece where Leo Fernández sent a service to the height of the small area, there Guillermo Ochoa tried to cut the service, but he only got in touch with Carlos González, the ball drifted, just at the arrival of Haret Ortega who he only pushed it into the nets for 1-0.
After the goal, Toluca took possession of the ball, causing America to withdraw lines, harassing their area until the defensive error arrived.
At 40 ‘Emilio Lara tried to cover the ball inside his own areaJean Meneses squeezed it there and snatched it from him, causing the América defender to shoot him down, a move that the whistler Marco Ortiz declared as a penalty.
At 41′ Leo Fernández executed the maximum penalty, a powerful shot down the center that deceived Guillermo Ochoa for 2-0.
In the final part of the first half, TIago Volpi avoided the goal of the Eagles shot by Diego Valdés, in addition, Jonathan Rodríguez missed a header inside the area.
GOAL DISABLED
For the second half, America came out ready to close the gap. Alejandro Zendejas gender arrivals from the right, reached the final line, sent services but did not find a receiver.
Afterwards, andn a counterattack at 52′, Diego Valdez was left alone in the area, resolved with a shot that went very cross and far from Tiago Volpi’s goal.
Toluca little by little recovered ground, Orta time he touched the ball to the rival and at 54 ‘they seemed to widen their difference. Carlos González extended with a header for Camilo Sanvezzo, who won the ball from Sebastián Caceres, reached the area and beat Ochoa, but the play was annulled by a previous offside by Sanvezzo himself.
America’s strategist, Fernando Ortiz, had no choice but to modify his team. Enter Pedro Aquino, Brian Rodriguez and Roger Martinez.
Toluca responded with the entry of Fernando Navarro and Jordan Sierra, two men from the midfield to contain a PAOK lee visiting reaction.
Now the Devils chose to defend their advantage and attack with counterattacks. A) Yes, at 71 they were close to a third goal. Leo Fernández took the ball to the rival areayielded to Fernando Navarro who took a shot that Guillermo Ochoa covered in the background.
América responded at 76′ to a shot inside the area by Brian Rodríguez that Tiago Volpi saved in the background.
YELLOW DISCOUNT
The Eagles took advantage of the fact that Toluca practically renounced the attack, took over the local goal and at 78′ they discounted the score. The 2-1 came in a play where Henry Martín took the ball from the left, sent a cross to the second post where Emilio Lara arrived completely alone to push the ball into the net.
In the final minutes America pressed in search of the tie, but the good throws of Tiago Volpi prevented them.
MGC
