Game 3: Jaguares away

Jaguares v PUMAS 19th August 2006
Estadio Victor Manuel Reyna

Video Highlights

Last season we lost here 5-1, but we have turned that around to give us our first victory outside the DF since the opening game of Apertura 2005 (31st July) v Santos, 2-1. That day Argentinean Cardetti came on to score a late winner. We now have a new Argentinean’s name on our lips: - Ignacio Scocco is fast becoming a darling of the faithful.

We were expecting to see Fernando Espinosa in for the suspended Sancho , but Tuca went with young Alex Diego, who just came back to us after a year away.

Despite all the warnings of the Chiapian heat, a huge downpour put pay to this. We started very shaky, unable to hold on the ball, passes going astray left right and centre, and a seeming lack of understanding up front.

Jaguares had the early running, twice getting the ball in the net, once after a foul on Bernal, the second adjudged offside. They had the midfield packed, and we could not get control, when suddenly, on 34 mins, our new hero linked up with an old hero. Scocco’s pass was described as “extraordinary” by Record, and who am I to disagree? Great run from Parejita (“feline talisman”) and this great pass gave the little fella acres of space and time out on the right, he strolled into the box, took his time, had a look up, good enough and cool enough to easily rocket it past Omar “el gato” Ortiz, who, inexplicably, seemed to take his eye off the ball. The now familiar celebration for his son is always a joy to see.

This “gato” is a twat. He puts a lucha libre mask on, and sticks a ball up his jumper when Jaguares score and the highlight of this match was this celebration being interrupted when their goal was disallowed.

The second half, I was surprised to see Gonzalez and Scocco come off for Chupa López and Íniguex. But we can now call it tactical genius (Maybe). We had a much better second half, although for long periods you felt that if they scored, they would score twice. Bernal, who actually had little to do, kept us in it with a remarkable reaction save. As a cross came in Corona, about 8 yards out on the left caught it on the volley, as sweet as you like. Sergio had got himself into a good position, and at point blank range stuck out a hand to deflect the shot onto the bar. If he hadn’t made this save, I could see them going onto to win.

As the clock ran down they pushed more forward, and we got more defensive, minute 67 Moreno coming on for Reinaldo. However we had a couple of great chances to kill it off, on the break, but Íniguez and López failed to capitalise. But when de Assis Barbosa got his second yellow late on, the game was over.

All in all a dull game, but I’m not complaining. Great result for us. And although we were not convincing, we looked well organised, and concentrated throughout. The three yellow cards we got were not bookable, nor were theirs. More on this in a bit. Pikolin had …wait for it……. a good, solid game.

Marks out of 10 (these could be horribly wrong, so please correct me)

Bernal 7
Castro 6
Pikolin 6
Veron 6
Velarde 6
Diego 7
Leandro 6
Parejita 7
Reinaldo 7
Scocco 8
Gonzalez 7

SUBS
Lopez 7 (on for Gonzalez 46 min)
Íniguez 6 (on for Scocco 46 mins)
Moreno 6 (on for Reinaldo 67 min)

CARDS
22 min Velarde
37 min Leandro
50 min Parejita

GOAL:-
34 min… Pass from Scocco to Parejita in space, controlled it, entered the area and stuck past the keeper

Elsewhere in Mexican football:- The big polemic is over the referees, because for this jornada the big names returned, after a couple of weeks blooding new refs. In a round of fairly run of the mill games, without any real problems they contrived to give, during the 7 games of Saturday, FIFTY-NINE cards, NINE of which were red! Monterrey lost three players, the first of which, Arellano, no one seems to have any idea why he got a straight red. Arias, the DT of manager of San Luis, who lost again, said that he didn’t want to talk about the refs, because there are “always reprisals”, but that refs always come with a biased view of Ailton da Silva, (Marco Rodiguez gave him two yellows in less than 60 seconds) and the tragedy for Mexican football is, he is correct. Petty, inconsistent, officious, vindictive, card happy, ignorant, need I go on about refs here?

We gain ground on Santos (5 pts adrift now), and San Luis lose 1-0 again, and haven’t scored now for 490 minutes, we move up the percentage table, here are the bottom five:-
1.2394 Veracruz 88 from 71
1.2113 Santos 86 from 71
1.1408 PUMAS 81 from 71
1.1081 San Luis 41 from 37
0.000 Queretaro 0 from 3

Next week Toluca are coming to CU, and bringing one Sr Marioni He scored a brace V Queretaro, to give him 6 goals in 5 games for his new employers, and currently top scorer in the league with 4. John and I, at least, will give him a hot reception upon his return:- cover the ears of your kids…... Queretaro looked poor to be honest, and I felt that whilst a strong team, Toluca look like they may have organisation problems at the back we could exploit.