Rodríguez and Post Pick Up Point
Pumas will be thanking their doorman, Rogelio Rodríguez tonight, while Guadalajara will be thanking the right hand post as the game ended in a goalless draw. Chivas was the favorite coming into this match as they sat atop their group. Surely Pumas fans, and players alike will approve of picking up a point off of Chivas.Pumas began the game looking somewhat equal to Chivas creating chances, and moving the ball skillfully about the pitch. Pumas began attacking early in the sixth minute when they had a shot deflected back into the box that couldn’t be finished. At this point no one realized this was how much of the game would look. Ignacio Scocco showed his determination early on when he stripped the ball from a Chivas defender off a goal kick. Unfortunately his touch was a little heavy and the Chivas portero Luis Michel came out to scoop it up cleanly.
The chances continued to favor Pumas until the forty second minute when Rodríguez got his first real test of the game from a long shot that caught him diving backwards. The deflection stayed in and was moved around by Chivas until Sergio Santana headed over the bar. In injury time of the first half, the cross bar would come to the aide of Pumas as Rodríguez got caught a bit out and the ball was headed over him only to catch the cross bar.
Both teams looked equal in the first half creating viable chances, and moving the ball comfortably. It appeared as if the fouls were favoring Chivas as their players were always on the ground, although not always due to a foul.
The beginning of the second half saw some amazing saves from Rodríguez as Chivas began to dominate. The first fifteen minutes Chivas forced Rodríguez to perform with through balls that found unmarked strikers. Rodríguez came up big multiple times saving from point blank range with nothing behind him but open net. If it weren’t for Rodríguez Pumas would undoubtedly have lost the game in the second half.
In the sixty-seventh minute it looked like Pumas’ defense had finally allowed Chivas to put one in. Rodríguez made a phenomenal first save but the rebound went to the same Chivas striker who gently put it in the back of the net. Luckily for Pumas – he was offsides. No goal.
The rest of the game really looked to be in Pumas’ favor with most of the shots going their way. Chivas was forced into some saves that sent the ball sprawling back into the box, but the follow up shots from Pumas were either deflected or sent wide.
One of Pumas’ better chances came in the final minutes of play when Israel Castro (I think) ripped a long range shot that beat the keeper and knocked the same post that kept Pumas from going one nil up earlier in the half.
Although Pumas will be happy with a point, it was a game against a top team that could have seen Pumas walk away with three points. Rodríguez was an all-star in the net for Pumas and Scocco looked good as well. In fact, most of the Pumas players appeared to be playing decently, with the exception of Paco Palencias whom I thought should have left the pitch at half-time or shortly after. Of course this probably has something to do with the suspension of Parejita.
Pumas: 8/10 | Chivas: 8/10
Final Score: Pumas 0 - 0 Chivas
really excellent report, BC. Just a couple of things, I think a draw was a fair reflection, and “RoRo”’s three saves in one-on-ones were truly remarkable and all off Mexico International Omar Bravo.
The first long range effort which hit the post was from Jehu Chiapas and the second, as you say, was from Castro, also now an International footballer.
Íñiguez came on, and made a fine header from a great Leandro cross, but was very well saved - both keepers had good days today.
Not sure about Palencia, he does so much work linking the midfield, he’s strong and hold the ball up well. However, he is often too deep and too negative, and is very slow. I think I would have rather seen him come off around 65-70 mins, for Gonzalez, although that may have been a risk, though….
Comment by DT — March 12, 2007 @ 3:47 pm