The Paraguayan Richard Sánchez and the Uruguayan Rodrigo Aguirre guided the victory of America by 3-4 over Blue Crosswith which the two-time champion qualified for the final of the Mexican Apertura tournament. In the second leg of this semifinal series, the American Alejandro Zendejas, Ramón Juárez, Sánchez, with a goal and assist, and Aguirre, with the final goal, sealed the classification. The series ended 0-0 in the first leg last Thursday.
The Uruguayans Ignacio Rivero and Gabriel Fernández scored for the light blue team, leaders of the regular phase, who with a tie on the aggregate score were in the title series due to their best position in the first round. América opened the scoring with their first shot on goal. Richard Sánchez, on a counterattack, assisted Zendejas, who then filtered the ball out of the reach of Colombian goalkeeper Kevin Mier in the 15th minute.
Cruz Azul, led by Argentine Martín Anselmi, had no offensive power in the first half and at the beginning of the second, in which at 49, Sánchez took advantage of another counterattack to surprise an advanced Mier and with a lofted shot make it 0 -2 in the 49th. After the second goal, América relaxed and Cruz Azul grew, which allowed the 69th to cut back with a pass from the midfield of the Argentine Gonzalo Piovi to Rivero, who slipped between three defenders to define the 1-2 before the departure of goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón.
Former Barcelona player Jonathan dos Santos disputes a ball with Giakoumakis
Despite the blow, América put pressure on its rival in the 72nd minute, in a corner kick from the left launched by the Spanish Álvaro Fidalgo that Ramón Juárez headed into the area to make it 1-3. When Anselmi’s men were on the canvas, Jorge Sánchez, from the right, put a service into the area that at the second post the recently introduced Gabriel Fernández connected with his forehead to make it 2-3.
In the 86th minute, Amaury Morales took advantage of a defensive rebound to make it 3-3 with a left-footed volley, giving Cruz Azul the ticket to the end. However, in the next play, the Argentine Rodolfo Rotondi fouled him. A penalty to Erick Sánchez that Aguirre took for the final 3-4.
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In the final, which will begin on Wednesday or Thursday with the first leg at América’s home, The two-time champion will receive Monterrey from Argentine strategist Martín Demichelis, who eliminated San Luis last Saturday.
