GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Herculez Gomez netted twice for Puebla in the Copa MX on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to stop La Franja losing 4-3 in Estadio Nemesio Díez against Toluca.
Gomez's first goal came when he nodded down a cross from the left with his head and lifted his second touch over goalkeeper Miguel Centeno in the 24th minute to bring the score level at 1-1 in the Group 5 clash. The one-time US national teamer’s second made it 2-2, with Gomez sent clean through on goal and dispatching a clinical low finish into the left corner of the net five minutes before halftime.
Gomez now has four goals from four matches this season in the Copa MX, with Puebla in first place in the group on 12 points.
There was also American involvement for Club Tijuana, with Amando Moreno coming off the bench in the 61st minute and Paul Arriola joining him in the 68th minute in Xolos’ 1-1 away tie in Estadio Jalisco against Leones Negros. The point consolidated Xolos at the top of Group 3 and put them on the brink of qualification for the quarterfinals.
Group 6 saw an important win for Gabriel Farfan’s Chiapas, who defeated Pumas 3-0 on the road to go ahead of the Mexico City university team on goal difference at the top of the group. Farfan went 70 minutes for Chiapas, who can advance to the quarterfinals with a win at home against the same opponents in the final match-up of the group.
Finally, Emanuel Guzman completed the full 90 minutes for Merida in their 3-2 away win over Atlante, with his team now two points behind Puebla in Group 5 with one round of matches to go in the group.
