Monterrey (Mexico), April 16. Colombian Harold Preciado scored a last-minute goal on Sunday to give Santos Laguna a 1-2 win over leaders Monterrey, who lost their second game in a row in Mexican football’s Clausura 2023.
At the end of the fifteenth and penultimate day of the championship, the Argentinians Juan Brunetta and Harold Preciado scored for Santos, winner for the first time at the Rayados stadium, who clinched with a goal from the Argentinian Rogelio Funes Mori.
The duel started stuck in midfield until in the 20th minute Funes Mori gave them the home lead with a left-footed goal from the corner.
Santos, forced to win to stay in the fight for the quarter-finals, responded quickly; at minute 23 Brunetta received a ball from compatriot Javier Correa and with the left foot to make it 1-1.
Funes Mori fell to the ground in the box to fake a foul to see if the referee awarded a penalty, at minute 40; the official reprimanded him for the deception and, faced with an aerial protest from the attacker, expelled him.
Santos lasted a few minutes with an extra man on the pitch as in stoppage time Argentina’s Lucas González received a red card.
In the second half the two teams arrived, Monterrey with more insistence than Santos, saved several times by their goalkeeper, Carlos Acevedo.
It looked like Santos was comfortable with the draw on such a difficult pitch as Rayados, but in the 94th minute there was a foul in the box, Preciado took the penalty well and gave the victory to his team, which climbed to ninth place with five wins. , four draws, six defeats and 19 points, 15 less than the Rayados who remain leaders despite a loss of gasoline.
Monterrey are four points ahead of América, who this Saturday beat Cruz Azul 1-3 with two goals from Alejandro Zendejas and one from Henry Martín, ratified as the leader in scorers with 13 goals, three more than the Colombian Julián Quiñones, from the Atlas.
América took second place, taking advantage of Toluca’s 3-1 loss to Pumas UNAM on Sunday.
The university students led by Argentinian coach Antonio Mohamed continued to live the tournament by winning at home with goals from Argentinians Juan Ignacio Dinenno and Eduardo Salvio and Mexico’s César Huerta; Toluca discounted with a penalty well taken by the Paraguayan Carlos González.
With eight wins, four draws, three losses and 28 units, Toluca overtake fourth-placed Chivas de Guadalajara for the best goal difference for and against.
In another duel on Saturday, Spanish Serbian coach Veljko Paunovic’s Chivas beat León 0-2 with goals from Pavel Pérez and Fernando González keeping the team in fourth place.
In other matchday results, this Saturday Julián Quiñones added two goals to lead Atlas’ 4-1 win over champions Pachuca, complete with scores from Argentina’s Julio Furch and Mexico’s Ozziel Herrera on Thursday San Luis won 2-0 against Juárez FC and Friday Tijuana, 1-2 against Mazatlán but after the 1-1 draw between Necaxa and Puebla.
This Sunday, Querétaro drew and goalless with Tigres UANL.EFE
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