By EFE
May 18, 2024, 12:57 PM EDT
The Rayados de Monterrey of the Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales will enter the home of the Blue Cross with the purpose of giving their best game of the year to access the final of the Clausura of Mexican soccer.
After losing 0-1 at home in the first leg of the semifinal series, coach Fernando Ortiz’s Monterrey is obliged to do everything perfectly to defeat the celestials by two goals or more in their stadium, only way to stay alive in the championship.
In Monterrey, Argentine strategist Martín Anselmi’s light blues were superior; They showed an orderly defense, They dominated in the middle of the field and in the 34th minute they signed the victory with a goal from Argentine Carlos Rotondi from a pass from Alexis Gutiérrez.
The Rayados finished better and came close to tying three times in the final minutes, once with a shot from Canales and twice with shots on goal with assists from the Spaniard. However, they lacked aim.
This Sunday Canales, the American Brandon Vázquez and the Argentines Maxi Meza and Germán Berterame They will be the Rayados’ spark plugs that will try to confirm their defense as one of the four best in the tournament and from there hurt the rival.
It is a difficult challenge because Cruz Azul is going through its best moment with five victories, two of them over Rayados, and two draws in their last seven matches.
Anselmi keeps his team as one of the two most reliable defenders and has an attack that responds in crucial moments, with the Argentines Lorenzo Faravelli and Rotondi, the Mexican Uriel Antuna and the Uruguayan Ignacio Rivero as leaders.
Cruz Azul will be attentive to Monterrey getting disorderly in search of the goals it needs and will be attentive to hitting if spaces appear behind.
The winner of the series will compete for the title against the best among the Águilas del América of the Brazilian coach Andre Jardine and the Guadalajara of the Argentine coach Fernando Gago.
América drew goalless in the first leg of the Mexican soccer derby, devoid of emotions, and now they will seek to win or draw to reach the final.
Although it has the advantage that a tie will be enough to qualify, because in that case the team with the best performance in the regular phase will remain alive, América will have a great challenge against a Guadalajara team in its best moment, which has six wins and three draws in its last three games.
The derby, between the two most winning teams in the league, always arouses passion on both sides and now it will take place with an additional load of emotions because a pass to next week’s final is at stake.
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