Chivas Stays On Top In Mexico

Mexico City, Sept 12: Chilean Hector Mancilla scored three times as unbeaten Tigres UANL defeated Pachuca 5-0, but Chivas Guadalajara still held on to first place in the Mexican first division with a 1-1 draw against Santos Laguna.

Chivas improved to 17 points, one point ahead of Tigres after eight rounds.

Defending champion Pumas UNAM lost 4-0 at relegation-threatened Queretaro with Carlos Bueno scoring three, and Cruz Azul lost 1-0 at home to Morelia and is third with 14 points.

Luis Perez scored a penalty with the last kick of the game to give 10-man Monterrey a 3-3 draw against Puebla. Puebla had come behind from 2-0 down to lead the game.

In other weekend games, pressure increased on America coach Carlos Reinoso after a 1-0 loss at home to Atlante, Toluca drew 1-1 against Tijuana, Jaguares won 2-0 away at Estudiantes Tecos, and Atlas drew 1-1 against San Luis.

Tigres were three goals up at halftime against Pachuca in Monterrey on Saturday, with Argentine Damian Alvarez setting up the first two from the left wing. Mancilla completed his hat-trick—and the goalscoring for the game—in the 78th with a volley from close range. Mancilla has six goals and shares the league lead with Rafael Figueroa of Santos.

In Torreon, Alberto Medina scored from a direct freekick for Chivas to equalize against Santos after Rafael Figueroa had put the northern team in front early in the second half.

Off the field, a security operation involving 1,200 police officers was mounted for the Saturday game following three gunfights in the past three weeks in the vicinity of the stadium, including one that caused the suspension of the Santos-Morelia game on Aug. 20.

Pumas are in eighth place after winning their first three games of the season, but are now five without a win—their worst run since early 2010. Two goals either side of halftime gave Queretaro breathing space in the relegation battle.

Morelia defeated Cruz Azul with a stoppage-time winner from Ecuadorian Joao Rojas, who latched onto a defense-splitting pass from Aldo Ramirez to win the game for the away team.

Puebla fell behind 2-0 in the 58th minute against Monterrey, which had Jesus Zavala sent off in the 21st, but managed to go in front with two goals from Isaac Romo and one from Roberto Carlos Juarez in the space of 12 minutes. In stoppage time, Puebla goalkeeper Alexandro Alvarez was judged to have brought down Sergio Santana. Perez stepped up to score the penalty and the final whistle sounded immediately after.

America went down to 10 men when Javier Zavala was sent off on the stroke of halftime. Atlante took advantage with Osvaldo Martinez finding the top corner of the net from just inside the penalty area in the 49th.

America has eight points from seven games and is in 16th place in the league.

A stoppage-time header from Argentine Jose Sand rescued a draw for 10-man Tijuana after Ivan Alonso had put Toluca ahead in 65th.

Estudiantes Tecos were beaten at home with two goals from Jaguares' Luis Gabriel Rey. Atlas let a first-half 1-0 lead slip against against San Luis with Michael Arroyo equalizing in the 58th. AP