BC Pangie

After the last three matches Puma’s fans are left with a rather interesting feeling. Should we be excited? Should we be upset? We’ve drawn six of our matches this season, three of them coming in the last three matches. The first may have been acceptable when we held Chivas to a nil - nil draw. The next two came from matches against bottom dwellers which we should have taken three points from. The first was a one – one draw with Necaxa, the third came today
against Querétaro.

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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

It was a disappointing day for Pumas as they controlled the majority of the game, but couldn’t seem to find any real opportunities to pull ahead. The first fifteen minutes saw both sides create some good movement around the opposing eighteens, but it was Cruz Azul who struck in the fifteenth minute. José López took down César Delgado six yards outside of the eighteen yard box. The resulting free kick found the head of Miguel Sabah who nodded past the approaching Pumas Doorman Sergio Bernal. A vain attempt was made to clear the ball from the line but it had clearly crossed the goal-line.

Pumas looked to respond quickly in the eighteenth minute when some good movement upfield led to a out swinging cross from the right side just outside of the six-yard box. This was one of the few times a ball in would find the feet of a Pumas striker, except it was mis-hit and trickled into the arms of the Cruz Azul keeper.

The remainder of the first half saw dominance from the Pumas side as Cruz Azul had very few chances after their first goal. López showed good work to move the ball and take on defenders, but his crosses were usually met with open space or a Cruz Azul defender. Perhaps the best chance came for Pumas just before half time in the forty-fifth minute when yet another cross in found the head of a Pumas striker. The shot crossed back in front of the goal and almost beat Oscar Pérez to his back post, but an astounding save denied Pumas of anything before the half-time whistle.

The second half saw Pumas continue to dominate with more wasted opportunities. One of their better chances came within the first minute of the second half when a ball in found the foot of Ignacio Scocco who put his shot well over the goal.

Pumas continued knocking with crosses in, or set piece corner kicks that tested the goalie well. At least twice Pérez was forced to make reaction saves from near point blank range. However, Perez was also given some room to breath as many of Pumas’ attempts looked like Antonio Sánchez’s attempt in the eighty-third minute as he took a volley with his right foot that sailed just inches over the bar.

All in all, Pumas outplayed Cruz Azul and looked the better team on the day, but it was the early goal from Cruz Azul that would stand to determine the winner.

Pumas: 7/10 | Cruz Azul: 5.5/10

Final Score: Pumas 0 - 1 Cruz Azul

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