Pumas UNAM defeated Pachuca 1-0 on Sunday to become the second team to qualify for the final of the Clausura 2026 Mexican soccer tournament, in which they will play Cruz Azul for the title.
Jordan Carrillo scored for the universitarios, who took advantage of the Tuzos’ shyness and tied the semifinal series 1-1, a result that earned them a place in the championship match for having finished better than Pachuca in the regular phase.
Pumas insisted until the end
After losing the first leg 1-0 in Pachuca, coach Efrain Juarez’s Pumas were the better team.
This in a first half in which the Tuzos remained tidy at the back, refusing to attack.
Paraguay’s Robert Morales, the Pumas’ top scorer in the championship, missed two opportunities to give his team the lead.
In the 11th minute he headed against the crossbar and in the 18th minute he shot wide when he was in front of goal with goalkeeper Carlos Moreno moving.
Pachuca created little danger in the first half, in which their clearest scoring chance came from a shot by Brazilian Kenedy.
In the second half, against a team that gave up attacking despite having a powerful striker, the Pumas went all out for the goal they needed to reach the final.
They created danger, but lacked punch.
Jordan Carrillo unleashed the madness at CU
In the 56th minute, the home side reaped the rewards with Carrillo’s goal.
Who from a free kick put the ball in the net with a right-footed shot, with the collaboration of goalkeeper Moreno.
Pachuca’s Argentinean coach, Esteban Solari, stopped being shy and moved forward, with the slogan “kill or be killed” in this duel against Pumas.
In the 74th minute, Solari sent on Venezuelan Salomón Rondón in search of the winning goal.
Pumas fell back in a bid to stop the rival and in the 83rd minute came close to conceding a goal.
However, Enner Valencia shot wide with everything in his favor.
Rondón missed the qualifying goal
Jordan Carrillo scored for the university side
QuéOnnda.com
Rondón, who had been waiting for minutes for a ball in the box, accepted in the 90+2 minute an accurate service from Kenedy.
It was the goal that would have sent his team through to the final, but the Venezuelan shot wide to seal his team’s elimination.
In the final, Pumas will face Cruz Azul, who defeated Chivas Guadalajara 1-2 on Saturday.
With a decisive goal by Argentine Agustín Palavecino, the light-blue team won the series 4-3.
With information from EFE
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