Monterey reached the semi-final stage of the Apertura Mexican soccer tournament on Sunday after beating 5-3 as a visitor to UNAM Pumas in the second leg of their quarterfinal series. The ‘Rayados’ of Monterrey advanced to the next phase with an aggregate score of 6-3 after their 1-0 victory in the first leg.
In the definition of the series that was played at the Olympic University Stadium in Mexico City, Monterrey took the lead in the 31st minute when the naturalized Mexican Argentine Germán Berterame took advantage of a defensive error by Pumas to score with his left foot before the exit of the goalkeeper Julio González.
The local team tied in the 36th minute through Guillermo Martínez, who scored with his left foot in the six-yard box after a shot by César Huerta hit the crossbar after a deflection by goalkeeper Luis Cárdenas. Monterrey regained the lead in the 56th minute with a powerful and placed shot by Argentine Lucas Ocampos from outside the area.
Pumas equalized in the 66th minute when Argentine Ignacio Pussetto scored with a volley after goalkeeper Luis Cárdenas rejected a cross sent from the left sector. Monterrey took the lead again in the 73rd minute with a double from Berterame, who beat the goalkeeper by finishing off a cross from Erick Aguirre with his right.
Pumas and Monterrey players get into a fight
The visiting team scored the fourth goal in the 79th minute when Gerardo Arteaga put the ball into the left corner with a powerful left foot shot from outside the area after a defensive rebound. Pumas scored again in the 87th minute when Martínez recorded his double by heading a cross sent by Huerta from the left sector.
Monterrey’s fifth goal came in the 93rd minute after an error by goalkeeper Julio González, who lost the ball from his hands, which Spaniard Oliver Torres took advantage of to define in front of the unprotected goal.
Thus, Monterrey will face Atlético de San Luis in the semifinal, which won the first leg 3-0 and 1-0 in the return match against Tigres. On Saturday, champion América became the first semi-finalist after winning 2-0 as a visitor to Toluca in the definition of the series, and register an aggregate score of 4-0 after their 2-0 victory in the first leg.
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In the semifinal, América will face Cruz Azul, who overcame the defeat suffered by three goals in the first leg, and achieved their place with a 3-3 aggregate draw thanks to their better position in the general table at the end of the 17 days of the regular season where they finished as the general leader.
