Jaguares Chiapas still have a chance of advancing to the Liguilla semifinals, but they’ve only rescued their chances by the slimmest of margins. With less than ten minutes remaining, Santos led by two goals in Chiapas, but Jaguares scored twice late to secure a 2-2 draw, giving them a chance to get through to the next round with a win away in Torreon.
Jaguares Chiapas Vs. Santos Laguna, 2011 Apertura Liguilla: Full Time, Jaguares Snatch Late Draw
Santos went up 2-0 early, and they could have been up by even more. Jaguares' defense has been questionable all season and they looked terrible in the first half as Edgar Hernandez's goal was constantly under threat. Defender Felipe Baloy stunned the home side in the 4th minute when he finished following a Daniel Ludueña ball into the box and an Oribe Peralta header, putting his team up 1-0. Santos' star striker Peralta added a goal of his own in the 32nd minute, putting in a rebound after Darwin Quintero had a long-range shot saved by Hernandez.
It appeared at the start of the second half like Jaguares had no hope of getting back into the match, but they were given new life in the 71st minute when Jose Cardenas was shown a straight red card for a shocking tackle on Franco Arizala. At that point, the home side began to press forward and eventually found the goals they needed.
Jackson Martinez scored the first goal for his side in the 84th minute, heading in a fantastic cross by right back Daniel Hernandez. Arizala found the dramatic equalizer in the 92nd minute after an incredible scramble, during which the ball bounced around the Santos penalty area and Edgar Andrade struck the post with a shot.
Jaguares now have to deal with the seriously tough task of getting a win at Estadio Corona in Torreon, but Cardenas’ bad challenge and their strikers’ late-game heroics have given them a chance of advancing to the next round.
We’ll have live coverage of every Liguilla match this weekend in our Mexican Primera, 2011 Apertura Liguilla Quarterfinals StoryStream. For more on the two teams and Mexican football in general, check out SB Nation’s Mexican futbol blog FMF State Of Mind.
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