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Globe Live Media, Monday, January 25, 2021
Paraguayan defender Juan Escobar scored in the second half and Cruz Azul overcame the absence of his Uruguayan striker Jonathan Rodríguez and defeated Pachuca 1-0 to win his first win of the Mexican Clausura tournament, which he disputes his third date.
Escobar scored the only goal of the match with a header in the 61st minute. The goal was enough for the Machine to break a string of two defeats that had him at the bottom of the table.
Cruz Azul came out of the bad streak without “Cabecita” Rodríguez, who was suspended and fined by the team after a video went viral in which he appeared at a party with women and alcohol the night before the match for the second date against Puebla .
Rodríguez was the top scorer last tournament, when Cruz Azul was eliminated in the semifinals by missing a four-goal lead in his series against Pumas. Later, the Celestes lost to Los Angeles FC in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions League.
After his triumph, Cruz Azul has three points with which he places himself in 12th position when there are two games pending for the date.
Pachuca is still unable to win and with his two points he ranks 15th.
The Argentine side of Pachuca, Matías Catalán, had the first goal opportunity in the match at 12 minutes in a corner kick in which he connected a shot that went over the rival goal.
Los Tuzos became dangerous again at 30, when the Ecuadorian Romario Ibarra entered the area and took a powerful shot deflected by goalkeeper José de Jesús Corona.
Cruz Azul, who had arrived shortly, took the lead in a corner kick in which Escobar went ahead of a marker and hit a header that entered the left side of Argentine goalkeeper Óscar Ustari.
Pachuca was close to the tie at 79, with a header from Argentine Mauro Quiroga that was deflected over the goal line by Uruguayan Ignacio Rivero when Corona was already beaten.
Quiroga had one more in the discount when he was alone in front of the goal, but he could not specify and sent it high.