Pumas overcame a lot of setbacks to grab and important 1-0 victory over Atlas. Pumas were the better side and dominated the game but couldn’t convert their chances while they struggled against referee decisions and then an incredible rainstorm. Pumas will return to action after the FIFA break by traveling north to face off against Mazatlan while Atlas will host “brothers” Santos Laguna.
The 1st half started with Pumas coming out with newcomer Alan Medina from the start, in only his 2nd game. Mateus
Doria got off a good left footed shot from a free kick that went just wide. Off a counter, Alvaro Angulo got off a great cross that incredibly Guillermo Martinez once again whiffed on his left footed shot, wasting a great chance like he had done against Necaxa a couple of weeks ago. A cross into the area was missed by Martinez with his header. Off a corner kick, the cross into the area found a wide open Nathan but his terrible header went wide. Off a corner kick, a header was deflected into the path of Pedro Vite, who from close range missed and sent his volley wide. It would have been offside had it gone in but it was another terrible miss from Pumas. Another cross into the area was headed by Martinez but it hit the post and then was cleared by Atlas’ defense. A shot from inside the area from Adalberto Carrasquilla was saved by Atlas’ goalkeeper, Camilo Vargas. A pass into the area had Medina beat Vargas to it and then shoot into the empty net to score but the goal would be called off for offside. After Atlas lost the ball, it allowed a Pumas counter in which Carrasquilla passed it to a wide open Jorge Ruvalcaba, who got into the area and got off a left footed shot past Vargas. Incredibly after the ball was deflected by an Atlas defender, it bounced off Ruvalcaba’s arm but the ref went to VAR and disallowed the goal in an questionable decision from referee Martin Molina. The halftime whistle blew and once again, although Pumas deserved the lead, their finishing problems had failed to get them the goals to take the lead.
The 2nd half started as Pumas hoped to finally convert the chances they create. After the ball bounced in the area, Carrasquilla would get off a volley that went straight to Vargas. A cross into the area was lowered by Diego Gonzalez but Angulo made a great sliding tackle to clear the ball off his feet. After lowering the ball in the area, Vite seemed to be dropped when he was kicked in the play by Rivaldo Lozano that should have been called a Penalty Kick. The ref called for the PK but disallowed the play for an offside prior to it after the ref took like 5 minutes to make the decision in a horrendous job. Atlas subbed out Gustavo del Prete for Alfonso Gonzalez. Pumas subbed out Alan Medina for Jose Juan Macias, making his Pumas debut. Jose Caicedo got off a right footed shot from outside the area that Vargas saved. Macias got the ball in the area and from close range got off a shot that Vargas blocked. Pumas subbed out Alberto Carrasquillla for Aaron Ramsey. A cross from Pablo Bennevendo turned into a shot that went wide. A shot from outside the area from Ramsay would go wide. Pumas subbed out Pablo Bennevendo for Rodrigo Lopez. Atlas subbed out Diego Gonzalez for Carlos Orrantia. Off a corner kick, Martinez got off a header that went wide. Off a corner kick, the cross into the area found a wide open Aaron Ramsey, who volleyed the ball from close range past Vargas to score and give Pumas the 1-0 lead. After finding the ball in the area, Martinez got off a left footed shot that was brilliantly saved by Vargas. Atlas subbed out Paulo Ramirez for Matias Coccaro. Off a free kick, Uros Durdevic got off a free kick that went just wide in the first chance for the visiting team in the match. It was the final play of the game and the match would end with Pumas getting the win.
Pumas got a very important victory that placed them into the Play In Zone just before the FIFA break. Pumas overcame poor refereeing and a rainstorm in the final minutes to get the three key points. While Pumas keeps playing better than opponents at home, they are missing incredible chances or not having aim. They also have been unlucky that when they scored, they get their goals disallowed. Yet Pumas was able to get that goal in injury time that had them jump up some places in the standings. Pumas will need to improve but they get a huge boost before the FIFA break while the team is still trying to make some moves to get a forward. When Liga MX returns, they will have to play an improving Mazatlan in an away match, in another game where they have to get points. On the other hand Atlas will face off against Santos in a match they will be favored.
