CARSON, Calif. - A near-sellout crowd that was heavily in favor of America watched their beloved Aguilas play to a less than dramatic 1-0 win over Jaguares in InterLiga action on Wednesday night at The Home Depot Center. One moment of brilliance from Nelson Cuevas was all that was needed for America to notch the victory and secure the top spot in Group B.
Some of the luster was taken off of the match following Morelia's 3-1 victory over Tecos in the night's first game. That result guaranteed both America and Jaguares a spot in Saturday's finals. The only thing in question was the positioning at the top of Group B.
The first half was little more than a stalemate in the midfield with neither side able to wrestle control away from the other. America got the first crack at goal, however, in the 5th minute. Salvador Cabanas stepped over a dead ball from about 30 yards out. The forward managed to get his shot on target but the effort lacked the venom required to test Jaguares keeper Omar Ortiz, who punched the ball away.
Five minutes later it was America on the attack again. Cabanas collected a cross from the wing and with his first touch laid the ball back for Juan Mosqueda. Mosqueda latched onto the ball at the edge of the penalty area, but right at Ortiz who made an easy save.
Following Mosqueda's shot the game became a battle of possession in the midfield. Both teams had their fair share of the ball, though neither could manage to do much with it.
The next scoring chance didn't come until the 30th minute, and it fell to Jaguares. Alejandro Corona picked up a loose ball outside of the America penalty area and hit a wicked drive that skipped just wide of the back post.
Right after that chance the field began to tilt in favor of America, as Jaguares were finding themselves more and more in their defensive third. However, ll the pressure really only amounted to one more chance in the half for the Aguilas.
German Villa carried the ball through midfield and when nobody picked him up, the midfielder tried to find the target from distance. But he could not find a corner, shooting along the ground leaving an easy save for Ortiz.
The domination in ball control that America enjoyed to end the first half continued when the two teams emerged from the locker room to begin the second 45 minute period. After a series of passes along the perimeter of the box, Alejandro Arguello found some room to shoot, but sent his shot high and wide of the top corner.
The 58th minute of the game produced the first booking and substitution of the game. Mendivil saw yellow following a late challenge along the sidelines. As the referee was putting Mendivil into his book, Jaguares coach Eduardo De La Torre used his first substitution to try and inject some new life into his attack bringing on forward Alejandro Vela for Juan Hernandez.
America came close to opening the scoring in the 64th minute. Cuevas slipped a well-weighted through ball into the path of Cabanas who dribbled into the area and hit a powerful left-footed blast towards the back post. Ortiz managed to make the save but left a huge rebound in front of his goal. Ortiz recovered in time to pluck the ball away from two onrushing attackers.
America finally broke open the scoring in the 69th minute when Cuevas and Cabanas worked a textbook give-and-go at the top of the box. The one touch passing broke Cuevas loose in the area, and he made no mistake with the finish, using a deft touch with the outside of his boot to direct the ball into the back of the net off of the inside of the post.
While the goal caused an eruption from the partisan America crowd, the players on the field went flat for a few anxious moments. Immediately off of the restart Mendivil forced a brilliant save from Ochoa. Some sloppy defending on the ensuing corner led to the ball inexplicably bouncing inside of the six yard box, but it was eventually cleared from danger.
The game turned a bit ugly in the 79th minute when Heriberto Morales blatantly elbowed the America goal scorer in the face, drawing straight red card from the referee. Reduced to 10 men, the chances for Jaguares to equalize all but disappeared.
The Jaguares frustration continued to manifest itself in poor challenges and reckless play as Jorge Manrique picked up a yellow card in the 85th minute after a challenge from behind. It was his second yellow card in group play, meaning that he is also ineligible to play in Saturday's final.
Following Wednesday's results, the match-ups for Saturday's finals are now set. Group A winners Necaxa will take on Jaguares in the first match, while America will take on Tigres to conclude the tournament.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to InterLiga.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the tournament organizers or its clubs.
