February 4 – It took added time and a thunderous strike for LigaMx’s Monterrey to salvage a draw against Xelajú MC in Guatemala City.
Xelajú thought they had done enough to take a 1-0 lead to Monterrey next week with a goal in the 83’. Joffré Escobar headed in powerfully from a deep cross by Javier González.
But with the clock 2’ into added time Jesús Corona equalised for Rayados with a spectacular right-footed hit from outside the box.
It was relief for Monterrey who had dominated with 71% of possession and had outshot a resilient Xelajú 17-6, nine of those shots from inside the box.
Xelajú goalkeeper Darío Silva, the golden glove winner from the Central American Cup, was busy from the start. In the third minute he saved a Joaquín Moxica header from the centre of the box. On 7’ Moxica rattled the bar with another header that was to be the best chance of the half.
Lucas Ocampos also struggled to get past Silva with four shots saved, one brilliantly low down to Silva’s left. Luis Reyes, who peppered the Xelajú box with crosses, also missed with his own chances.
Going in 0-0 at half time the question was when rather than whether Monterrey would break the deadlock.
The longer the game went on the more Xelaju grew in confidence and started to create real chances of the own with Raul Calderon and Derrickson Queros both eyeing Monterrey’s goal but missing
On the hour mark Domenec Torrent replaced Lucas Ocampos with Jesús Corona, and Allen Rojas with Roberto de la Rosa.
With no real change to the pattern of play he went to his bench again in the 73’, bringing on Fidel Ambríz for Luca Orellano and former Manchester United striker Anthony Martial for Jorge Rodríguez.
Two minutes earlier Roberto Hernández had made three changes of his own for Xelaju that included bringing on Joffre Escobar, who repaid his manager’s faith in him with his 83’ minute goal.
Monterrey were suddenly scrambling to get back into the game and it was a piece of individual brilliance from substitute Corona that saved their blushes.
These two meet again next week, February 11, with everything to play for at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.
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