Mexico City.- The “Vamos América” resounded in the Azteca Stadium because the Águilas defeated the leader Monterrey 2-1, in a game in which Federico Viñas scored the winning goal and in which Luis Ángel Malagón saved a penalty from Joao Rojas at 90 ‘.
Malagón threw the fans into the bag, those who a few days ago demanded their entry due to the disagreement with Óscar Jiménez. The “porter, porter!” It was one of the battle cries in a match in which the Azulcremas climbed to third place in the Clausura 2023 standings, with 27 points.
The game had a Liguilla label and it did not disappoint, first due to Maxi Meza’s great goal in a counter-attack, then due to the cream-blue comeback thanks to the blunder of the goalkeeper Esteban Andrada and a goal from the unexpected hero Viñas, later due to the missed penalty by Rojas and even by the attempt to fight after the friction between Viñas himself and Cortizo, or the expulsion of the goalkeeper Esteban Andrada in the last minute of compensation, when outside the area he covered a shot by Álvaro Fidalgo with his hand; full-back Stefan Medina ended up as goalkeeper.
Monterrey does bleed, that was made clear tonight at the Azteca Stadium.
Los Rayados went ahead on the scoreboard at 19′, when Germán Berterame prevented a shot by Jonathan Rodríguez and set up the counterattack that culminated in a shot blocked by Malagón, but whose rebound was left at the mercy of Maxi Meza, who with pure technique finished off the local.
The tie fell in the most unusual way, in a grotesque mistake by Andrada, who, wanting to avoid a corner kick, left the ball alive, at the mercy of a hungry Diego Valdés.
The Rayados goalkeeper had been key in shots by “Cabecita” Rodríguez and Alejandro Zendejas, but the night would bring him pure bitter drinks.
At 79′, Viñas, with just two minutes on the field, received a filtered pass and vaccinated Rayados before the two full-backs could close. The party would still lack history.
Sebastián Cáceres, a defender who never tires of making mistakes at important moments, committed a penalty on Duvan Vergara. It was Malagón’s turn to show that he has the wood for important games.
Monterrey stagnated at 34 points. It is only his second defeat of the tournament, a serious warning that he can be hurt by teams with as much hierarchy as América.
