Mexican Apertura, Round 17: Pumas Defeat America, Knock Out Tigres

Pumas have taken the lead through Dario Veron on a set piece, but America have been the better side throughout the first half.

The first major opportunity of the match came only two minutes in when a ball was served up on a silver platter for Vicente Vuoso. Vicente Sanchez played a spectacular cross in that Vuoso only needed to poke, but he missed the ball completely and it rolled harmlessly away.

Last night, Pachuca and Necaxa kicked off Round 17 in the Mexican Primera’s 2010 Apertura tournament with the Tuzos sending a message to their rivals that they must win...or else. Their victory means that they can only be kept out of Liguilla if Jaguares draw or win, Tigres win, and Pumas win by two or more goals. Seeing as Pumas have a stiff test ahead of them in Club America, the Tuzos will be feeling pretty good about their chances. Still, they’ll be disappointed they didn’t do more last night against Necaxa.

Saturday’s fixtures start at 6 pm ET with three games going on at once. Cruz Azul hosts San Luis on Azteca America and Fox Sports en Español, Quaretaro hosts Jaguares on Telefutura, and Monterrey hosts Chivas on Telemundo. All three matches have Liguilla implications, but Cruz Azul and Monterrey are likely to rest their stars, having already locked themselves into the top two seeds in Liguilla.