Woe To Be A Pumas Fan
It was a poor day to be an UNAM de Pumas fan as they squandered two one-goal leads. Overall, it wasn’t a very good day for either side as neither team really dominated any portion of the field. Passes were sloppy and there seemed to be a lack of creativity in regards to team dynamics. There were however, a few moments of individual skill and creativity for both sides that resulted in goals for either side.Juan Francisco Palencia opened the scoring for Pumas in the twenty-sixth minute with easily the best goal of the game. Israel Castro whipped the ball in to the penalty spot from about thirty yards out. Palencia, with his back to goal, was able to bring his boot up and around with a solid connection as the ball went by, only to find the inside of the side netting. It was easily one of the better goals in recent months.
The goal didn’t really seem to spark anything in either side as no one really saw any attempts on goal until the fortieth minute when Toluca did well to posses around the box until they found an unmarked Carlos Adrían Morales who was able to control the cross and rip a point blank shot that Rodríguez did well to push out of bounds.
Unfortunately for Toluca two minutes after this showing of skill they would find themselves a technical director and a man down as Emilio Hassam Viades picked up his second yellow card a bit harshly. Americo Rubén Gallego, the technical director, was also sent off with a straight red for his protests of Emilio’s sending off.
The second half saw ten-manned Toluca capitalize on a poor clearance from Pumas and rip a shot that was deflected wide by Rodríguez. Pumas defense was caught standing still and Da Silvia capitalized for Toluca to make it one all in the fifty-third minute.
Toluca started to string a few passes together and looked sharp in the fifty-ninth minute as a long ball from half met a brilliant run down the right side only to amount to a cross that was behind the head of the oncoming Toluca striker.
Pumas continued to look flat and Ariel Maximiliano López was brought on in the sixty-third minute. His impact was felt only a minute later when he controlled the ball just outside the arc and ripped a low rolling shot that caught the Toluca stopper off guard. There wasn’t much Rolando Hernán Cristante could do as the shot just nicked the left post and rolled in.
Toluca’s next chance came in the seventy-ninth minute when a foul by Vernon resulted in a free kick just out side Pumas’ box. The free kick was blazed in around the wall forcing Rodríguez to make another astounding save. Unfortunately for Toluca the following corner kick was nothing to speak of.
At this point Toluca began to see some life despite being a man down and only two minutes later tied the game up with a great bit of individual skill from Vincente Martín Sánchez. A long cross was sent in by goal scorer Da Silvia to be chested down by Sanchez who then dribbled into the box, around two players and sent his shot past the keeper into the back of the net.
Overall, neither team really looked in this game to win, and it was no surprise that the game ended in a draw. Previously in the Apertura these sides drew again nil – nil. Unfortunately for Pumas they were unable to hold on to their leads despite being a man up, and in the end sacrificed two points. Although Toluca didn’t look like anything spectacular they should be recognized for their persistence to stay in the game being a man down.
Toluca: 5/10 | Pumas: 5/10
Final Score: Toluca 2 - 2 Pumas
Excellent report, thanks. I was sort of in two minds. If you had offered me a draw before the match, I would have been happy. But the way that Pumas were unable to really take control of this match (especially in the middle of the park) really depressed me.
The Palencia “wonder-goal” (I don’t think there was intention, to be honest) and then the sending off gave us all the breaks we needed to get full points away from home, but we needed Sancho and/or Leandro to step up and take control. But we were unable to hold onto the ball, and a couple of silly and uncharacteristic (even within this game) defensive errors let us down.
Disappointing overall. Let a point is a point, and Toluca is a tough team to get a result, especially at their place:- lets hope we regroup, pick it up for Wednesday night, at home to Santos, we really should win that one….
Comment by DT — February 12, 2007 @ 10:11 am
The Pumas team out there this weekend looked nothing like the team out there last weekend. I thought for sure they could hang on for a win, especially after the second goal from Lopez (Chupa?). Better luck mid-week.
Comment by BC Pangie — February 12, 2007 @ 5:28 pm
Yes, “Chupa”, lots of our players have nicknames, we have two “Lopez”s in the team, and both have distinctive nicknames which are usually used:-
Ariel “El Chupa” Lopez - Argentinian who joined in the summer, and has said this will be his final year in Mexico http://www.mediotiempo.com/jugadores/jugador.php?idj=10680
and the legend that is
Jose Luis “Parejita” Lopez - been at Pumas since he was 7 or something, heart and soul a Puma. More and more you will notice him being called “Pareja”, his father was also a legend of Pumas and had the same name, and was nicknamed “Pareja”, Parejita being the diminutive form, but the respect we have for him leads us to often call him Pareja, make sense?
http://www.mediotiempo.com/jugadores/jugador.php?idj=10673
Comment by DT — February 15, 2007 @ 2:03 pm