Just three weeks Indios were looked to avoid relegation. But the first-year club in Mexico's First Division has been the toast of Ciudad Juarez, the troubled border town hit by a violent drug war, beating Guadalajara on the last day of season to make the Clausura playoffs and then knocking off giant Toluca in the quarterfinals.
It was the biggest soccer game ever played in Ciudad Juarez, but Indios were no match for Pachuca, winner of five titles in the last decade.
Goals by Christian Gimenez in the 18th minute and Luis Montes in the 85th minute gave Pachuca the win.
Torres played 78 minutes, while Vidal played 45 minutes before being replaced by Daniel Frias, a former gang member and illegal immigrant in the United States.
UNAM defeated Puebla, 2-1, away on Wednesday in the other semifinal.
May 21 in Juarez
Indios 0 Pachuca 2. Goals: Gimenez 18, Montes 85.
Indios -- Saucedo, Balderas, Malagueno, de la Barrera, Campos, Vidal (Frias, 46), Curbelo, Santibanez, Perez (Saavedra, 60), J.P. Rodriguez, Maggiolo (Gimenez, 72).
Pachuca -- Calero, Aguilar, Munoz, M.I. Perez, C.Rodriguez, Torres (B.Perez, 78), Correa, Cardenas (Montes, 62), Alvarez (Caballero, 72), Gimenez, Mendivil.
Referee: Paul Enrique Delgadillo.
No comments yet.
