With everything and last-minute losses, the Rayados showed defensive solidity and forcefulness up front to beat América 2-0 in the first leg of the Quarterfinals.
In the most important moment of the tournament, the albiazul team He left behind the streak of six games conceding a goal, He kept the goal at zero and thrilled the “Steel Giant” on a special night, after the tribute to Humberto Suazo.
The royal club had an unexpected hero, because Luis Cárdenas, who surprisingly replaced Santiago Melesaved Rayados in important actions.
Rayados took advantage of the home team to take center stage and from the beginning, just in the second minute, Luis Ángel Malagón took a header from Germán Berterame with a good shot, but the referee still called a foul on Israel Reyes.
Although Monterrey remained proactive, América took the duel to the physical field and in the 16th minute a controversial action occurred where Jesús Corona ironed Álvaro Fidalgo, but the center back only gave him a yellow card.
Gerardo Arteaga saved Rayados at 29′ after a long ball from Brian Cáceres to take Sergio Ramos, Stefan Medina and Jorge Rodríguez, but the Mexican cut to clear the danger.
The locals tried with centers that did not find a destination and the game at grass level ran into the azulcrema defense, until at 45+8′ Sergio Canales took a left footed shot which was deflected by Israel Reyes and went into the Malagón goal, making it 1-0 before the break.
At the beginning of the second period things did not change much and “Berte” had a clear shot after a counterattack and cross from “Tecatito”, but the naturalized Mexican tried to receive the ball and Malagón came out to keep him.
Domenec Torrent sent two changes, Anthony Martial and Érick Aguirre to take care of Ricardo Chávez’s yellow and give freshness to the “Tecatito” band.
América sinned in defense, they took extra care and at 70′, after a cross from Canales in a corner kick, Fidel Ambriz shot on goal, Lichnovski tried to clear with a header, but the Chilean He sent the ball into his own goal to make it 2-0 for Rayados.
With control of the ball, “Dome” sought to close ranks back and brought on Víctor Guzmán, as well as Íker Fimbres in the midfield.
The royal team punished with counterattacks and at 83′ Arteaga escaped from the left, raised the ball for Martial, who fired a volley with the inside of his right foot, but the ball barely passed one side touching the net.
América reacted at the end with a center from the right that Érick Sánchez finished off in an uncomfortable way, so that the ball passed just one side of Luis Cárdenas’ goal, due to the tension of the Albiazul fans.
In stoppage time, Alejandro Zendejas found a ball in the area with ease to shoot, but “Mochis” saved its goal with his left foot before the powerful shot of the American midfielder.
This is how Monterrey will travel to the Capital of the Country to face America on Saturday, in the second leg of the Quarterfinals, where the royal team will have to win, draw or lose only by one goal to advance.