The Pumas UNAM relied on the performance of their Brazilian players to beat Toluca 5-0 this Monday, at the close of the first day of the Closing 2022 of Mexican soccer. Against an innocent rival in defense, the university students won with a couple of goals from the Brazilian Jose Rogerio De Oliveira, two other of his compatriots Diogo de Oliveira and Higor Meritao and one of the newbie Jorge Ruvalcaba.
In their stadium, the Pumas of Argentine coach Andrés Lillini soon imposed conditions and humiliated an opponent with disorderly defense, asleep midfield and no attack. Rogerio converted to Alan Mozo’s pass, in the 31st minute, Diogo made it 2-0, in the 61st on an assist from Marco García, Rogerio scored in the 64th with a scissors on the edge of the area and Rubalcava did it from the right to the departure of the goalkeeper, in the first minute of his career in the first division. When it seemed that Pumas had done everything, in the 81st minute Meritao swept into the area, saved a ball and put it into the net with his left foot. The local team became the first leader by better goal difference than the Chivas de Guadalajara, which this Sunday passed over Mazatlán by defeating it 3-0 with goals from Ángel Zaldívar, Alan Torres and Alexis Vega, in another match that went one way.
The day started on Thursday when Argentine Nicolás Ibáñez scored a pair of goals and gave Pachuca a 0-2 win at the home of Atlético de Madrid’s San Luis. Uruguayan Diego Rolán scored a couple of times on Friday to guide Juárez FC to a 2-1 win over Necaxa and compatriot Maximiliano Araujo rescued Puebla from a 1-1 draw with Argentina coach Santiago Solari’s América. Cruz Azul, who won last Clausura, but was left out of the league in the Apertura, started the tournament on the right foot by defeating Tijuana 2-0, this Saturday, with annotations by Carlos Rodríguez, on his first day with the light blue shirt, and Rafael Baca. In the other duel of the first round of the championship, Monterrey under strategist Javier Aguirre underperformed and, with poor aim from his forwards, drew goalless with Querétaro, whose hero was in the Uruguayan Washington Aguerre.
The León-Atlas match, among the finalists of the last Apertura, will be played on January 19 and the Santos Laguna-Tigres will take place on the 12th.
Games of the second day:
Friday 01.14: Querétaro-Pumas UNAM and Necaxa-Monterrey.
Saturday 15.01: Atlas-San Luis, Tigres UANL-Puebla, Cruz Azul-Juárez FC and Tijuana-León.
Sunday 16.01: Toluca-Santos Laguna, and Pachuca-Guadalajara.
No definite date: Mazatlán-America.
