GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Last season’s Copa MX winners Tigres, featuring Herculez Gomez and Jose Torres, advanced to the knockout stages of the Apertura tournament Tuesday after defeating Querétaro 1-0 in the final group game.
Both Americans went the full 90 minutes in Estadio Universitario and put in positive displays, with Gomez almost opening the scoring in the 52nd minute when he stretched and came close to steering the ball towards the net from a pass over the top of the defense. Gomez had a fierce shot saved by Querétaro’s goalkeeper Hugo Hernandez in the 68th minute, while Torres – playing on the left of midfield – had a couple of long-range efforts in the first half.
In Group 2, Alonso Hernandez’s Monterrey fell 2-1 to Santos Laguna, with the Texan striker seeing a headed chance saved in the 72nd minute after starting the game. Los Rayados finished in third place and miss out on the quarterfinals.
Gabriel Farfan won a late penalty for Chiapas in their 1-1 tie at Veracruz and completed the full match, but his side finished in last place in Group 7 and are also out of the competition.
For Dorados de Sinaloa, eliminated before their final group game, Stevie Rodriguez came on in the 32nd minute and then left the field in the 57th of the 2-1 loss.
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. E-mail him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
