By Humberto Viera
06 May 2024, 2:14 PM EDT
Pachuca recovered from the bitter defeat against Pumas in the Apertura play-in and achieved an agonizing victory over Necaxa 2-1 at the Hidalgo Stadium, thus qualifying for the 2024 Clausura Liguilla of the Liga MX.
Venezuelan Salomón Rondón, captain and figure of the Tuzos, led the comeback with a penalty goal in added time. The forward scored his ninth goal in Liga MX and sixteenth in the calendar year, consolidating himself as the top scorer in Aztec football and in the Concacaf Champions Cup, where Pachuca also reached the final.
The match was intense from the start. Necaxa took the lead in the 42nd minute thanks to a goal from Juan Carlos Galvis, but Pachuca reacted in the second half. At minute 79, Bryan González assisted Alan Bautista to tie the score.
The match remained tied until the end of regular time, so it had to go into overtime. It was at this crucial moment when Rondón appeared from the spot to score the winning goal in the 117th minute.
The victory against Necaxa means a great relief for Pachuca, which had been left out of the Apertura Repechage and will now have the opportunity to seek the title in the Liguilla. Their rival in the quarterfinals will be América, a team they already eliminated in the Concachampions.
The team led by Guillermo Almada has proven to be a team with character and the ability to react. Getting into the top eight in Mexico is an important step on their path to redemption after a forgettable Apertura.
Keep reading:
–New chapter in the novel: Roy Keane called Erling Haaland a “spoiled brat”
–César Luis Menotti: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético, Javier Milei, among others, mourn the death of ‘Flaco’
–Focused on Champions: Real Madrid will celebrate its La Liga title on May 12