Mazatlan gave a surprise in Washington in the Leagues Cup by eliminating in a penalty shootout by 1-3 Blue Cross after drawing 2-2 in regulation time in the round of 16 match that they had started off winning by two goals. The cement team hinted at a spectacular change in the history of the match by drawing 2-2 in the second half with one less.
Mexican league leaders Cruz Azul and second-to-last Mazatlán faced off at Audi Field in the US capital in the round of 16 of the Leagues Cup. The only one of the eight matches in the tournament with two Mexican teams. The two teams met a month ago, in the first round of the Mexican League, which Cruz Azul won 1-0 in added time.
The first half was played practically on Mazatlán’s field, with Cruz Azul dominating but unable to transform possession into too many dangerous opportunities against a rival that was strong at the back.
But after minutes of fruitless dominance, Mazatlán took advantage of one of the few opportunities it had to take the lead. Brian Rubio opened the scoring on the left wing for Alonso Escoboza, who put in a cross that Bryan Colula headed into the back of the net, beating his marker. It was the 40th minute and Cruz Azul needed the break to put their ideas in order, but Mazatlán had other plans.
With Cruz Azul knocked out, Mazatlán doubled the punishment in added time, with a second goal that put the Sinaloa side in the tie’s finals downhill. Ramiro Árciga broke through the defensive line from the edge of the area with an excellent pass to Ecuadorian Jordan Sierra, who gifted the goal to Panamanian Édgar Bárcenas, who only had to push it in with the goalkeeper already outpaced. Bárcenas already scored for Mazatlán on Friday in this same stadium in the round of 32 match against DC United.
Cruz Azul came out of the locker room more aggressively and that led to Gonzalo Piovi receiving his second yellow card in the 49th minute, leaving the team with ten men. Right after, Giorgos Giakoumakis tested Gutiérrez, who saved Mazatlán again with a great save.
The need to score and the numerical inferiority made Cruz Azul open spaces for a fearless Mazatlán to gain presence in the opponent’s field in a match that was beginning to break down. Escoboza could have sentenced the tie in the 63rd minute, alone against Kevin Mier, who deflected his shot.
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Cruz Azul narrowed the gap with a goal in the 84th minute by Uriel Antuna, who got hold of an aerial ball contested by Giakoumakis and entered the area to beat Rodríguez, but there was little time left to maneuver. He called upon the epic Cruz Azul, who, on the front foot, managed to tie the game in added time, after overcoming a 0-2 deficit playing with one less player.
Colombian Willer Ditta was the author of the heroic feat, heading in an indirect free kick from Andrés Montaño, unleashing madness among the blue fans who filled the stands. With time running out, the tie went to penalties, with Rodríguez the new hero of the match, stopping Cruz Azul’s first penalty from Uriel Antuna, Ditta’s third, and watching as Giakoumakis sent the fourth and final penalty off the post.
For Mazatlán, Bárcenas, Colula and Alan Torres had scored all their shots for the final 1-3 in the shootout. Mazatlán is the first Mexican team to advance to the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup after the elimination of Pumas UNAM, Tigres UANL and Cruz Azul.
