The Uruguayan Nicolás Lodeiro converted a penalty goal in the 99th minute and rescued this Wednesday for the Seattle Sounders of the MLS a 2-2 draw with the Pumas UNAMin the first leg of the Champions League final Concacaf.
Lodeiro made two good penalties and Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Dinenno scored twice for the Mexicans, who let go of a two-goal lead and now have everything against them in the series.
The game, under heavy rain in the first half, was a fight in the first 25 minutes, both teams with an offensive attitude, but with few dangerous arrivals in the rival area.
Pumas looked for goalkeeper Stefan Frei’s door; in a combination, Dinenno entered the area and was caught between the Colombian Yeimar Gómez and the Ecuadorian Xavier Arreaga, who knocked him down to cause a penalty.
Dinenno missed the shot, but Frei had moved earlier and in the replay the Argentine gave the Mexicans an advantage, in minute 38. The Sounders went for a draw, put goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera to the test with a corner kick, but couldn’t beat him.
At the end of the first half, Pumas defender Alan Mozo, one of the team’s leaders, left due to injury, after which Seattle had the equalizer at the boots of Brazilian Joao Paulo Mior, who finished off wide.
The second half started in the best way for Pumas, the young Jesús Rivas, Mozo’s substitute, put in a pass to Dinenno, who shook off Yeimar Gínez’s mark and headed it 2-0, at 48.
Sounders advanced lines in search of goals. In minute 51, the Peruvian Raúl Ruidíaz reached the area with an advantage, however, he ran into Talavera, with a timely clearance.
The Americans discounted with a well-taken penalty in minute 73 by Lodeiro, who in minute 99 beat Talavera again to declare the valuable draw.
The second leg of the final will be played next Wednesday the 4th in Seattle. The champion will represent Concacaf in the Club World Cup.
DATA SHEET
2 – Pumas UNAM: Alfredo Talavera; Alan Mozo (Jesús Rivas m.45+2), Ricardo Galindo, Nicolás Freire, Efraín Velarde; Favio Álvarez, Leonel López, Higor Meritao; Diego de Oliveira (Washington Corozo m.63), Rogerio (Sebastián Sucedo m.63), Juan Ignacio Dinenno
Coach: Andres Lillini
2 – Seattle Sounders: Stefan Frei; Alexander Roldán, Yeimar Gómez, Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou Tolo; Joao Paulo Mior, Albert Runak, Cristian Roldán; Nicolás Lodeiro, Jordan Morris (Kelyn Rowe m.87), Raúl Ruidíaz (Fredy Montero b.95).
Coach: Brian Schmetzer
Goals: 1-0, Juan Ignacio Dinenno (m. 38); 2-0, Juan Ignacio Dinenno (m. 48); 2-1, Nicolás Lodeiro (d. 77); 2-2, Nicolas Lodeiro (d. 99)
Referee: Ivan Barton, from El Salvador. He admonished Yeimar Gómez, Cristian Roldán; Alfredo Talavera and Washington Corozo.
Incidents: First leg of the Concacaf Champions League final, held in front of more than 50,000 fans at the Olympic University Stadium in Mexico City, 2,240 meters above sea level
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