Torres' Pachuca advances with big comeback

• by Soccer America , Dec 15, 2008

Jose Francisco Torres became the first American to play in the Club World Cup when he started for Mexico's Pachuca in its 4-2 overtime win over Egypt's Al Ahly on Saturday before more than 30,000 fans in Tokyo.

Pachuca came back from two goals down at halftime to advance to the semifinals against LDU Quito of Ecuador on Wednesday in Tokyo (TV, Fox Soccer Channel, live, 5:30 am ET).

Mexican Luis Montes pulled Pachuca to within one goal two minutes after halftime, and Argentine Christian Gimenez equalized with his first of two goals in the 63rd minute. Argentine Damian Alvarez and Gimenez scored in overtime to send Pachuca into the semifinals.

Pachuca's win was revenge for its loss to another African team, Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel, at the 2007 Club World Cup.

"We didn't deserve to be two goals behind," Pachuca coach Enrique Meza said. "We were better than Al Ahly in the first half and controlled the entire game."

Torres played 70 minutes before coming off.

(American Jovan Kirovski played for German club Borussia Dortmund in its 2-0 win over Cruzeiro in the 1997 edition of the Toyota Cup, the predecessor to the Club World Cup.)

In the other quarterfinal, Japan's Gamba Osaka beat Adelaide United of Australia, 1-0, to set up a semifinal meeting with Manchester United on Thursday in Yokohama (TV, Fox Soccer Channel, live, 5:30 am ET).