After Saturday night's 2-2 draw against Tigres, Cruz Azul remains winless in their five appearances in InterLiga, but the Cementeros showed something that didn't show up on the score sheet against the two-time reigning InterLiga champs -- a great deal of character.
Tigres stormed to an early 2-0 edge, getting first half goals from Jaime Lozano in the 13th minute and from Aldo de Nigris in the 24th, but the Cementeros never folded and scored through Israel Lopez just before the half to cut the lead to 2-1 at the break.
Cruz Azul came out of the locker room with a newfound energy. Their inspired effort paid huge dividends when Miguel Sabah was left open just outside the Tigres box in the 51st minute and beat an outstretched Saucedo for the equalizer.
One Cementeros player, defender Alberto Rodriguez, summed up his side's performance as a tale of two halves.
"In the first half, we stopped playing the way we are used to playing," he said. "We were hesitant and gave them too much. In the second half, we fought back. We realized that we could come back and take control of the game."
Throughout the second half, the Cementeros controlled the run of play and were the better side on the field. They were unable to convert any of those chances into a go-ahead tally and were forced to settle for the draw, leaving the Lone Star State with one point to show for their efforts in two games.
A major difference between the two halves was that Tigres were able to effectively utilize their counterattack in the opening 45 minutes to create a number of great scoring chances. In the second half, the Cruz Azul defense tightened up and the Tigres counterattack that was so effective in the opening frame was practically nonexistent.
Just before the final whistle, Tigres had a great chance at stealing a win when they were awarded a free kick just outside the Cementeros box. Lozano lined up for the first attempt which was taken and then whistled off by the referee because Cruz Azul's wall was less than 10 yards off the ball.
Lozano then stepped up again and hit another blast. But this time, his effort deflected and landed harmlessly in the middle of the field. Moments later, the final whistle sounded and the sides finished tied at two goals apiece.
Tigres defender Jesus Chavez said he and his team were not surprised by how tough tonight's match was.
"We knew it would be a tough game," he said. "We started off well but at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half, we let down. Their first goal helped them a lot because I think if they had gone into the locker room down 2-0, it would have been different."
Overall, Chavez and his teammates were pleased with the end result and with leaving Frisco with one additional point.
"It was a good result anyway," he said. "The team is still alive. Now we will just wait to see what happens in the third game."
The draw gives Tigres four points after two games in Group A and Cruz Azul one point, putting them near the bottom of the group table. On Wednesday, both sides will hit the pitch at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., with Tigres and Necaxa squaring off at 9 p.m. ET and Cruz Azul facing Monterrey in the nightcap at 11:15.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to InterLiga.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the tournament organizers or clubs.
