Atlas falls 4-2 to Tigres, but is the 1st finalist

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Midfielder Aldo Rocha converted a stoppage penalty to help Atlas become the first finalist in the Mexican Clausura tournament, despite losing 4-2 to Tigres on Saturday.

A dramatic second leg of the semifinals ended with the agonizing goal that gave the passage to the athletes, by a combined score of 5-4.

French striker André-Pierre Gignac scored at 53, 59 and 73 minutes, and Chilean Igor Lichnovsky scored another goal at 81 to put the score 4-1 in the second leg, which gave Tigres a pass to the final.

However, Jesús Angulo knocked Rocha down inside the area for a penalty that the midfielder converted low to the right side.

Julián Quiñones took advantage of a great pass from Luis Reyes to score the other goal in the 44th minute for the Foxes, who will now seek to become just the third team to win consecutive titles since short tournaments were established in the country in 1996.

Atlas’ rival will come out of the series between America and Pachuca, which is tied 1-1 and will be played this Sunday night.

Atlas, who in the last tournament broke a 70-year drought without being champion, is looking for the third title in its history.

If he succeeds, he would join Pumas (2004) and León (Apertura 2013-Clausura 2014), who were two-time champions in short tournaments.

The team led by the Argentine Diego Cocca retained the base that was champion and managed to get into the league as third in the table. In the quarter-finals they knocked out Chivas and now in the semifinals some Tigres who were second.

The setback leaves the university students without a title in the second tournament of former national coach Miguel Herrera at the head of the team.

Tigres closed the tournament poorly and got through the preliminary round by drawing 1-1 with Cruz Azul thanks to their better position in the regular tournament.

The felines achieved the first dangerous arrival in the game at 12 minutes with a shot from Argentine Guido Pizarro that went to the side.

The Argentine Julio Furch had an arrival at 15, but his attempt went slightly wide of the goal defended by his compatriot Nahuel Guzmán.

The local team knocked on the door again with a free kick by Gignac that was hurriedly rejected by Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.

Shortly after, Reyes received a pass from Furch on the left and sent a cross to the heart of the area where Quiñones converted with a right-footed shot through the center of the goal.

In the complement, Tigres was close to discounting at 49 with a shot inside the Gignac area that Vargas rejected with problems.

Shortly after, Gignac was fouled inside the area for a penalty that he himself took with a low shot to the right post of Vargas for 1-1.

Atlas did not recover when the Colombian Julián Quiñones sent a cross from the right and Gignac received at the height of the small area and defined with a powerful shot with his right leg.

Tigres added drama to the match when Colombian Anderson Santamarina knocked down Uruguayan Nicolás López inside the area and Gignac powerfully converted Vargas’ right side, which was defeated by the opposite side.

The university students achieved the goal that gave them the pass when Lichnovsky finished off a cross from the right in the small area to overcome Vargas’s throw, before the madness of the spectators at the University Stadium in the northern city of Monterrey.

But the group from the western city of Guadalajara had the last word and will seek to revalidate the crown.

---

Source