MEXICO: Pachuca leads six into quarterfinals

• by Soccer America , Apr 30, 2007

Pachuca, which has won championships on two continents in the last six months, defeated Atlante, 4-1, to finish Mexico's Torneo Clausura as the overall leader of the first stage with 39 points, eight more than Guadalajara and nine more than Club America.

Pachuca, which won last year's Torneo Clausura, captured the Copa Sudamericana in December and CONCACAF Champions Cup last Wednesday with a shootout win over Chivas.

Guadalajara lost its final game to Jaguares, 1-0, but Chivas star Omar Bravo became the first Mexican to win a scoring title since 2001 when he finished the Clausura with 11 goals.

The top six teams in the first phase -- Pachuca, Guadalajara, America, Cruz Azul, UAG and Tigres -- receive byes to the quarterfinals, where they will be joined by the winners of this week's repechaje series between Santos and San Luis and Atlas and Morelia.

Queretaro lasted just one year back in the First Division when it was relegated after falling to Atlas, 2-0, on goals by Uruguayan Nicolas Olivera. Santos, for which American Edgar Castillo came on as a second-half substitute, assured itself of staying up with a 2-0 win over Cruz Azul. Santos plays San Luis