Monarcas Morelia Vs. Pumas UNAM, 2011 Liguilla Final: Joao Rojas Equalizes With Goal For Morelia

When Hugo Drougett left for Cruz Azul, Monarcas Morelia looked like they were going to struggle to replace him. Enter Joao Rojas from Emelec, an affordable replacement who was a fairly unknown quantity to people who follow Mexican football. He’s had an absolutely stellar season for Morelia and he’s raised his profile even further, scoring the equalizer for Morelia in the Liguilla final against Pumas UNAM, bringing them right back into the game.

Things looked dire for Morelia when Paco Palencia scored the opener, but Pumas’ lead lasted just five minutes. On a great individual effort, Joao Rojas surged past the Pumas defense and placed a fantastic shot past Alejandro Palacios, tying the match and the tie at 1-1. We’re now right back where we started, and though Morelia have to score another goal to feel truly comfortable headed into the second leg in Mexico city, Rojas’ equalizer was certainly a fantastic start.