Game 16: Pumas 8 - 0 Veracruz

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At the end of a troubled week for Pumas, a fine team performance and an excellent individual contribution from Pablo Barrera crushed a poor Veracruz side whose defensive frailties ensured the biggest Pumas win in the league since 1976. Earlier in the week Tuca had been cautioned by the University following comments about the Interliga, in which Pumas confirmed their participation (starting 1st January). He had suggested, not without reason, that there was more financial than sporting interest in the tournament Similarly he had had to bite his tongue following Verón's three match ban being upheld, while an América player Lucas Castromán recieved a one match ban for a similar offence. Sunday's game in CU therefore came as the perfect tonic. Pumas confirmed their spot in repechaje and are one point off a spot in the quarter-finals.

The team was the same as that which started against Toluca, with the exception of the return of Sambueza instead of Iñiguez. And the team started strongly with Scocco putting a lovely cross in which flew inches from Solari's head, and then Scocco himself shooting straight at the keeper from a well paced Barrera through ball. Nevertheless in the first few minutes the team was also a little twitchy at the back as Veracruz got in a couple of decent crosses from the right.

It mattered little though as a burst of three goals in four minutes virtually killed the game off and settled any nerves. Barrera was running rings round the Veracruz defense and when a Sambueza cross was swung in from the left it missed Solari and skimmed off a defender's head for Barrera top easily lose his marker and knock it first time into the near bottom corner. Two minutes later a long ball out of defense found Barrera on the right who swung in an excellent cross along the six-yard line which Solari only had to tap in. And it was three on 17 minutes when Sambueza held the ball up on the by-line to the left of goal and slid it back for Leandro to side-foot home left-footed from fifteen yards. All the goals were well taken, but the Veracruz marking on every occasion was sloppy, and despite a valiant midfield effort and some fight from Hugo García up front, they fully deserved to be three down.

The next twenty minutes saw Veracruz's best spell of the game, with García twice going close, once from a swivel in the area, and once from a long-range shot that Bernal had to parry. Bravo meanwhile looped a weak header over the bar. Pumas were a little sloppy at the back except the excellent Espinoza who pulled off two wonderful tackles in the area, one of which led to a fabulous break spoiled only by Solari's poor touch on the edge of the Veracruz area.

Then Scocco started to get into the game. First Rosales was booked for a clumsy challenge on him, and then Nacho won a free kick from a deft flick on. The ball was quickly played to Barrera who filtered an exquisite ball through to Nacho and he slammed it into the roof of the net from a narrow angle to make it four. There was just time for Lopez Mondragon to be booked for taking a hand to Scocco's stomach and García to have Bernal push a nice near-post header round the post, and that was half-time.

Within fifteen minutes of the restart it was 8-0! Three minutes into the second half, a defensive error from a throw-in let in Scocco who drove powerfully past Villaseñor. Then a half shot from Barrera was picked up by Solari who rounded a wrong-footed keeper to make it six. On 53 miutes Barrera easily rounded his marker and put in a skidding cross which Solari put in with his knee. And finally Solari filtered the ball through to Scocco who waited at the by-line before spotting Barrera on the far side who slotted home from five yards for his second and Pumas' eighth.

Not surprisingly Tuca decided to bring on Iñiguez and Palencia to give them game time, and rest two key players, Scocco and Barrera. Similarly Chiapas came on on the left for the ever-dangerous Sambueza. Understandably Pumas lost a little of their edge with their three best attacking threats gone and apart from a Castro free-kick that went close the game petered out from there. The referee also seemed to feel a bit sorry for Veracruz as he persisted in giving them soft free kicks round the area in the hope they might do something. One was taken so badly it went for a throw-in!

And that was that - just time for a loud rendition of "Como no te voy a querer" and a few goyas for the team and the outgoing rector of the university bearded Juan Ramón de la Fuente. Pumas now have the second best goals scored and goal difference in the league after leaders Santos, and Solari moved to fourteen goals for the season, only two behind leading scorer Moreno of San Luis.

Goals
Barrera (13 minutes) 1-0
Solari (15) 2-0
Leandro (17) 3-0
Scocco (38) 4-0
Scocco (48) 5-0
Solari (52) 6-0
Solari (53) 7-0
Barrera (59) 8-0

Cards
Pumas: none
Veracruz: yellow: Rosales, López Mondragón, De Nigris

Player Ratings
Bernal 6 - did what was asked of him
Velarde 7 - cool in defence and linked well going forwards. Veracruz got a few crosses in from the right
González 7 solid in place of Verón
Moreno 7 - looked better passing out of defence under little pressure
Espinoza 8 - one or two excellent tackles and got forward too
Leandro 8 - he and Castro in complete control, nicely taken goal
Castro 8 - won lots of ball all night
Sambueza 8 - got in some dangerous crosses and ran well
Solari 8 - took his goals well
Scocco 8 - always looked dangerous
Barrera 10 - flawless display scored two and created three
Palencia 5 - anonymous
Iñiguez 6 - showed good pace but poor control (as always)
Chiapas 7 - not on for long but did well down the left

Tuca 8 - hard to criticize a manager whose team has just won 8-0. Handled the issues well in midweek, showing dissent but without risking censure from the authorities. Had to bring on Paco and Iñiguez to give them game time.

Elsewhere in Mexico
All the places in the Liguilla are decided apart from Pumas or Pachuca for the last automatic place. Santos (0-0 v Tigres), Atlante (1-1 v Monterrey), Chivas (3-0 winners at Puebla), Toluca (3-2 winners at Tecos) and San Luis (1-1 in Guadalajara v Atlas) have all qualified direct. The loser between Pachuca and Pumas will join América (1-0 winners over Necaxa), Cruz Azul and Monarcas (who beat Cruz Azul 2-1) to play in repechaje.

Next Up
A showdown in Pachuca for the final qualifying spot.