Jaguares defeated Toluca 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in the last group game in InterLiga 2005, earning a spot in the InterLiga finals to be played in Houston on Wednesday.
The first half began with Toluca on the attack as midfielders Antonio Naelson and Manuel de La Torre looked to connect with Uruguayan forward Vicente Sanchez. In the first several minutes, the Toluca managed to constantly threaten the Jaguares goal in the first minutes of the match.
Their efforts paid off as in the ninth mniute, veteran striker Jose Manuel Abundis, picked up a ball on the left side of the field, beat both Gilberto More and Jose de Jesus Gutierrez before entering the area and releasing a shot to the far post of keeper Omar Ortiz.
Star forward Salvador Cabanas managed to give the team from Chiapas the tie in the 26th minute of the first half. Cabanas connected, using his head, with a cross f rom his teammate Victor Gutierrez and beat Cristante.
Jaguares wasn't done and in the once again Victor Gutierrez was the original source of the Jaguares attack. Gutierrez found Brazilian teammate Didi who hit the ball first time with his right foot to beat Cristante only two minutes after the first Chiapas goal. The Brazilan nearly widened the lead ten minutes later as his headed was kept out thanks to an excellent effort by Cristante.
Toluca fought on for the tie and depsite several chances could not produce a goal. IN the 71st minute, midfielder Amaury Ponce grabbed a rebound but could only a produce a shot that flew wide of the left post.
In the 78 minute, Jaguares coach Jose Luis Trejo received a red card after protesting the work of linesman Thomas Supple.
The game ended 2-1 in favor of Jaguares, signifying that both teams could pack their bags for Houston as they join Chivas and Tigres as the finalists of Interliga 2005.
InterLiga Player of the Game: Sebastian Pereira (Jaguares)
Jaguares vs. Toluca - InterLiga 2005
Sunday, January 9, 2005 - Cotton Bowl - Dallas, Texas
18:30 (local time)
Scoring Summary:
TOL- Jose Manuel Abundis 7'
JAG- Salvador Cabanas 24'
JAG- Sebastiao 'Didi' Pereira 27'
Lineups:
TOL: Hernán Cristante, Josué Castillejos (Paulo César Chávez 77'), Paulo Da Silva, Edgar Dueñas, Emilio Hassan Viades (Gilberto Jiménez 46'), Manuel de la Torre (Uzziel Lozano 60'), Israel López, Amaury Ponce, Antonio Naelson ´Zinha´, Vicente Sánchez, José Manuel Abundis.
JAG: Omar Ortíz, Omar Rodríguez, Ismael Fuentes, Melvin Brown, Sergio Almaguer, Víctor Gutiérrez, Jose Damasceno ´Tiba´ (Jorge Manrique 61'), Gilberto Mora, Everaldo Barbosa, Salvador Cabañas (Walter Gugliemone 72'), Sebastiao Pereira (Jonathan Martínez 59').
Referee: Baldomero Toledo (USA)
Assistant Referees: Thomas Supple (USA); Jose Corro (USA
Fourth Official: Abbey Okulaja (USA)
Attendance: 20,918
