August 26, 2012
LIGA MX APERTURA
Match Day 6 roundup

Jaguares 2, Queretaro 1
Franco Arizala’s 88th-minute goal lifted Jaguares to their first win of the Apertura season, 2-1 over Queretaro Friday at Estadio Victor Manuel Reyna.

The Gallos Blancos, who sit at the bottom of the table with one point from six games (0-1-5), had their hearts raised in the 62nd minute, when Mitchel Oviedo capitalized on an error by defender Leonardo Bedolla to give them a 1-0 lead. Luis Gabriel Rey leveled the score for Jaguares in the 77th, with a long-distance blast into the upper left corner.

Arizala’s game-winning shot deflected off defender Efrain Cortes on its way into the net.

Jaguares improve to 1-1-4 (4 pts).

Morelia 3, Leon 1
Joao Rojas scored twice as Monarcas Morelia handed upstarts Leon their first Liga MX loss, 3-1 Friday at Estadio Nou Camp.

Rojas put Monarcas on the board in the 17th minute, and Joel Huiqui netted the game-winner eight minutes later. Halftime substitute Matias Britos pulled the Esmereldas within one in the 49th minute, but Rojas restored Morelia’s two-goal advantage in the 77th, after Leon had been reduced to ten men by a red card to Uriel Alvarez.

Morelia dominated from the opening whistle, and had an apparent first goal called back in the fourth minute, when Miguel Sabah was ruled offside. Rojas opened the scoring off a sharp pass from winger Rodrigo Salinas, and completed his brace by powering a shot through the hands of netminder Edgar Hernandez. Huiqui headed home another pass from the right flank, this time from Carlos Adrian Morales.

The loss drops Leon (3-1-2, 10 pts) to fifth in the Apertura standings, two places behind Morelia (3-3-0, 12).

Tijuana 1, America 0
Tijuana took over second place in the Apertura standings with Saturday’s 1-0 win over Club America at Estadio Azteca.

Cristian Pellerano scored the only goal the Xolos needed to ground the Aguilas, in the 40th minute. Paul Aguilar helped seal America’s fate by picking up his second yellow card of the match in the 74th minute and leaving the hosts shorthanded.

Pellerano stunned the Aguilas with a long-distance volley for the only goal of the game. Minutes later, Alfredo Moreno cracked a shot off the post, but could not double the Xolos’ lead.

Led by goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo, the Xolos defense has posted three shutouts in six games. Saucedo came up big in the closing minutes on Saturday, turning away an 82nd-minute header by Christian Benitez and 84th-minute left-footer from Jose Maria Cardenas. Benitez had a final chance to salvage a point for America, but sent his stoppage-time penalty kick over the bar.

Tijuana are three points behind table-topping Toluca at 4-1-1 (13). America drops to 2-3-1 and nine points.

Pachuca 0, Santos Laguna 0
Pachuca played defending champions Santos Laguna to a scoreless draw Saturday at Estadio Hidalgo.

The result leaves the Tuzos at 1-3-2 and six points, while underperforming Santos enter Week 7 of the tournament at 2-2-2 (8 pts).

Tigres 1, Toluca 1
All of the scoring was over in the first ten minutes as Tigres and Toluca played to a 1-1 draw Saturday at Estadio Universitario.

Lucas Antonio Silva gave Toluca a short-lived 1-0 lead in the sixth minute, surprising goalkeeper Enrique Palos with a long shot that grazed the right post. Lucas Lobos equalized for Tigres with a header in the tenth, and the score held through the final whistle.

Toluca (5-1-0) remain at the top of the Apertura table with 16 points. The draw leaves Tigres at 2-3-1 (9).

Cruz Azul 1, Pumas 0
Mariano Parone scored in the 68th minute to give Cruz Azul a 1-0 win over Pumas Sunday at Estadio Olimpico Universitario.

Pablo Barrera set the game-winning play in motion, finding Parone off the far post, where he finished with a downward header.

La Maquina remain undefeated at 3-3-0 (12 pts), while Pumas fall to 2-1-3 (7).

Puebla 1, San Luis 0
Diego de Buen scored in the second minute, and Puebla held on for a 1-0 win over San Luis Sunday at Estadio Cuauhtemoc.

The scoring play started with DaMarcus Beasley, who drove down the flank and drew the Gladiadores defense before dishing off to de Buen, who slammed a shot past diving netminder Oscar Perez.

The win lifts Puebla (1-1-4, 4 pts) over San Luis (0-2-4, 2), but both remain near the bottom of the table.

Monterrey 2, Chivas 1
Humberto Suazo scored two goals in a five-minute span of the second half to lead Monterrey to a 2-1 comeback win over Chivas de Guadalajara Sunday at Estadio Omnilife.

Suazo’s first goal, in the 56th minute, countered a 16th-minute strike by the Herd’s Rafael Marquez Lugo. The Chilean striker, who entered the game after halftime, delivered the win in the 61st.

The Rayados improve to 2-3-1 and nine points, while Chivas fall to 1-2-3 (5 pts).

ATLANTE 1, ATLAS 0
Osvaldo Martinez chipped goalkeeper Miguel Pinto in the 42nd minute to give Atlante their second win of the 2012 Apertura, 1-0 over Atlas Sunday at Estadio Andres Quintana Roo.

Atlante improves to 2-3-1 and nine points, moving them past three teams, including defending champions Santos Laguna, into eighth place in the standings. The Zorros fall to 1-4-1 (7 pts).