TOUGH VISIT TO MEXICO CITY
Pumas UNAM 3-0 Club Tijuana; LIGA Bancomer MX-2014 Clausura: Week 5
MEXICO CITY (Feb, 2, 2014)–Pumas UNAM scored a pair of goals in the first half and another late in the second to beat visiting Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente 3-0 in a Week 5 match of the LIGA Bancomer MX-2104 Clausura Sunday at Estadio Olimpico Universitario.
Daniel Ludueña, Dario Veron and David Cabrera scored for Pumas.
Ludueña opened the score in the 16th minute when he took a ball, set it up and sent a right-footed bending shot past Club Tijuana goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo into the upper-left corner of the net. It was one of a handful of plays in which Pumas caught the Xoloitzcuintles defense off balance.
Club Tijuana tried to answer the Pumas goal when Javier Guemez tried a left-footed shot that zipped just inches from the right post. It was one of the Xoloitzcuintles few offensive attacks in the first half as Pumas pressured up the field resulting in another first half goal. Veron gave Pumas a 2-0 lead in the 35th minute when he sneaked behind the defense and headed in a corner kick just inside the right post from inside the six-yard box.
The Xoloitzcuintles came out attacking in the second half, forcing Pumas to defend mostly in its territory. A wide open Fidel Martinez took a shot from inside the six-yard box but couldn’t clearly connect, sending the ball high over the crossbar into the stands in the 46th minute. Fernando Arce nearly set up a scoring play for Club Tijuana when he sent an arching free kick looking for Herculez Gomez charging the net but the ball was deflected by the Pumas defense.
Martinez appeared to have cut UNAM’s lead in the 71st minute when he sent in a Paul Arriola cross into the net. But the Ecuadorian striker was whistled offsides on the play and the goal was disallowed. Club Tijuana tried some adjustments with three second half substitutions but couldn’t find another clear shot at goal against a Pumas team bunkering in its territory looking for a counter attack. And the strategy worked for UNAM as it sent in a late goal (86th). Cabrera scored via a header as he charged the goal line on a centered pass into the area to close out the scoring.
The Xoloitzcuintles came into the match looking for its first road win of the season after a 1-0 win against Monarcas Morelia at Estadio Caliente last week. Javier Gandolfi scored in the second half on a header off a free kick pass by Martinez.
Coach Cesar Farias’ team is 2-2-1with seven points in the standings. Farias sent Arce, Saucedo, Edgar Castillo, Gandolfi, Gomez, Martinez, Cristian Pellerano, Juan Carlos Núñez, Guemez, Arriola and Elio Castro as his starting 11 against Pumas. Richard Ruiz, Juan Hernandez and Gregory Garza were second half substitutes.
The Xoloitzcuintles return to Tijuana for a Week 6 match against Rayados de Monterrey Friday Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m. Pacific). Tou
