August 5, 2012
LIGA MX APERTURA
Match Day 3 roundup

Tijuana 1, Pumas 0
Center back Pablo Cesar Aguilar scored seconds before halftime to give Tijuana (2-0-1) a 1-0 win over Pumas (1-1-1) Friday at Estadio Caliente.

Aguilar’s goal capped a dead ball play that started with Leandro Augusto’s free kick just inside midfield. Javier Gandolfi ran onto the long service and touched it left to Aguilar, who has scored two of the Xolos’ three goals so far in the Apertura.

Santos Laguna 2, Puebla 2
Santos Laguna jumped out to a quick two-goal lead, but Matias Alustiza scored twice in the second half to lift Puebla into a 2-2 draw Friday at Estadio TSM Corona.

Darwin Quintero staked the defending champions to a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute, beating netminder Alexandro Alvarez one-on-one after Alvarez turned the ball over with a bad clearance, and Herculez Gomez made the score 2-0 with a header in the 14th. Alustiza started La Franja’s comeback in the 65th minute, and volleyed home the equalizer with ten minutes left on the clock to give Puebla (0-1-2) their first point of the season.

Santos Laguna are third on the tournament table at 2-1-0 and seven points, trailing Tigres on goal differential.

Morelia 3, San Luis 3
Morelia scored twice in the last six minutes, and goalkeeper Federico Vilar stopped a 26th-minute penalty kick, to salvage a 3-3 draw with San Luis Friday at Estadio Morelos.

Monarcas led 1-0 for much of the first half, after Joel Huiqui one-touched a shot past netminder Oscar Perez in the eighth minute. But Sebastian Fernandez leveled the score in the 44th minute off a cross from Emilio Lopez, and, after failing to get a spot kick past Perez in the first half, gave the Gladiadores a 2-1 lead from the penalty spot in the 51st. Luis Trellez put San Luis up by two in the 65th minute.

Antonio Pedroza pulled Morelia within a goal off a rebound in the 84th minute, and Huiqui completed the home team comeback with a tap-in in the 88th.

Morelia (1-2-0) have taken points from each of their first three Apertura matches, while the result snapped a two-game season opening losing streak for San Luis (0-1-2).

Pachuca 1, Queretaro 0
Paulo Da Silva scored in the 62nd minute to give Pachuca their first win of the season, 1-0 over Queretaro Saturday at Estadio La Corregidora.

Da Silva sent a sharply angled shot just out of reach of sprawling ‘keeper Juan Castillo to seal the win. Queretaro threatened to equalize in the closing seconds, but ‘keeper Rodolfo Cota deflected Diego Guastavino’s free kick away from the net.

The game-winner also was the 1-1-1 Tuzos’ first goal of the season. The Gallos Blancos fall to 0-0-3.

Cruz Azul 0, Chivas 0
Cruz Azul and Chivas de Guadalajara battled to a scoreless tie Saturday at Estadio Azul.

Goalkeeper Luis Michel was the hero for Chivas, coming up with key late saves on Hugo Pavone and Alejandro Vela to keep the match scoreless.

La Maquina are in the middle of the Apertura table at 1-1-0 and 5 points. The draw gave Chivas (0-1-2) their first point of the season.

Monterrey 2, Jaguares 1
Neri Cardozo scored in the 31st minute to give Monterrey a 2-1 win over Jaguares Saturday at Estadio Tecnologico.

Both teams got off to quick starts, with Hector Morales getting his left foot on a loose ball in the penalty area and putting the Rayados on the board in the third minute, and Luis Esqueda leveling the score with a header in the 21st.

Humberto Suazo set the table for Cardozo’s game-winner.

Monterrey improve to 1-1-1 and four points, while Jaguares trail the Apertura field at 0-0-3 and a -7 goal differential.

Atlas 0, Tigres 0
Tigres fell out of first place in the Liga MX Apertura with Saturday’s scoreless draw against Atlas at Estadio Jalisco.

Juninho appeared to put Tigres on the board in the 30th minute, but was whistled offside. Atlas’ Juan Pablo Vigon backtracked to sweep a shot by Damian Alvarez away from the goal in the 52nd, and then came through with one of the Zorros’ rare solid scoring chances with a long shjot at te hour mark that was blocked out by ‘keeper Enrique Palos for a corner kick.

Tigres finish week 3 at 2-1-0 and six points, one point behind league-leaders Toluca. Atlas are sixth in the standings at 1-2-0.

Toluca 2, Leon 1
Toluca moved to the top of the Apertura standings with Sunday’s 2-1 win over Liga MX newcomers Leon at Estadio Nemesio Diez.

Sinha’s game-winning goal came in the 37th minute. Ivan Loboa put the Esmereldas on the board in the closing seconds of the first half.

Toluca’s Lucas Silva opened the scoring with a header in the 15th minute, giving him three goals in as many games. Sinha sealed the win with a hard shot from the right side, off a service from Marvin Cabrera.

The Diablos Rojos are the only team in the Apertura field to have won their first three games. Fourth-place Leon fall to 2-0-1.

Atlante 2, America 2
Atlante blew a two-goal first-half lead over Club America, settling for a 2-2 draw Sunday at Estadio Andres Quintana Roo.

Esteban Paredes stunned the Aguilas (1-2-0) in the 14th minute, and Osvaldo Martinez doubled the Potros’ lead with a 39th-minute penalty kick.

Rubens Sambueza pulled America within a goal in the 48th minute, and Christian Benitez put the equalizer past netminder Jorge Villalpando in the 65th.

The result leaves Atlante in 13th place at 0-2-1 and three points.