For the fourth consecutive season, the Mexican league’s regular-season’s top team was eliminated from the playoffs at the quarterfinal stage. This time it was Chivas Guadalajara, which tiedQueretaro, 0-0, in their second leg despite outshooting Queretaro 23-2. Guadalajara had lost the first leg, 2-1. Queretaro goalkeeper Liborio Sanchez, who is on loan from Chivas, madeseveral key saves.
Tigres, having won the first leg, 1-0, downed Pachuca, 3-0, in the second leg of their quarterfinal series.
Cruz Azul needed a win over Morelia after its 2-1loss in the first leg but again fell, 2-1, for a 4-2 defeat on aggregate.
Santos claimed the fourth semifinal spot with a 2-1 win over Jaguares for a 4-3 aggregate win. Santos hostsMorelia in their first leg on Wednesday; Tigres hosts Queretaro on Thursday.