America demolished a terrible Pumas in the Clasico Capitalino

America crushed Pumas by a 4-1 score to win another edition of the Clasico Capitalino. America dominated the match and were the better side against a Pumas side that had luckily taken the lead but were inferior in every way. Club America now bounces back after their loss against Chivas in the Superclasico while Pumas jumps into full crisis mode after a very bad week. Club America will stay home where they will hosts struggling Santos Laguna while Pumas will return home where they will face an improving Chivas.

In a very rainy night, the first half had the surprise of Jose Juan Macias getting the start while Guillermo Martinez was benched with a possible injury. Pumas was also starting with Adalberto Carrasquilla and Aaron Ramsey from the start. Kevin Alvarez would get off a run and get into the area where he got off a right footed shot that went wide. A cross into the area from Allan Saint-Maximin found a wide open Alejandro Zendejas, whose header went right to Pumas’ goalkeeper, Keylor Navas. From outside the area, Saint-Maximin got off a right footed shot that went right to Navas. Another dangerous shot from Saint-Maximin would go wide. A longball would reach Zendejas, who was wide open in the area but he slipped as he was going to get off his shot and Navas deflected it wide. A longball was headed by Macias into the path of Jorge Ruvalcaba, who took advantage of Sebastian Caceres slipping to get to the area and get off a right footed shot past America’s goalkeeper, Luis Malagon and into the net to score and give Pumas the surprising 1-0 lead. It was a bad mistake from Caceres, who slipped in the rainy conditions. After a shot was deflected into the path of Israel Reyes, he got off a left footed shot that forced a great save from Navas. A cross into the area fell into the path of Alexis Gutierrez, whose right footed shot went past Navas but was cleared by Pablo Bennevendo, in a great save. After cursing out the referee, Coach Efrain Juarez got red carded in a very dumb move. The halftime whistle blew and although America had been the better team, it was Pumas who took the lead to their dressing room.

The 2nd half started with both teams coming out with the same 11 that they started the match with. A cross into the area was headed by a wide open Ramon Juarez but Navas made a great save. A great move by Zendejas would end with him giving a pass to Reyes, whose low shot was blocked by a sliding Navas. A left footed shot from Saint-Maximin but the ball would deflect and then bounce off Alvaro Angulo into the empty net for an own goal that tied the match at 1-1. Although Pumas was unlucky in that play, America had deserved to get the tie and the result was fair or even still unfair to America. A cross into the area was headed by Zendejas but right to Navas. A cross into the area was deflected by Ramsey into his own net which forced Navas to make another save. Less than a minute later, a cross into the area was headed to Raul Zuñiga, who headed the ball from close range past Navas and into the net to score and give America the 2-1 lead. Pumas subbed out Jose Juan Macias and Aaron Ramsey for Guillermo Martinez and Ruben Duarte. Off a corner kick, the ball reached Reyes but his header was too weak and it was easily saved by Navas. After getting the ball in the area, Ruvalcaba got off a low cross that was just out of reach of Martinez. Off a 2 vs 2 play, Alejandro Zendejas got the ball just outside the area and got off a great lobbed shot over Navas to score and give America the 3-1 lead. It was a great goal from Zendejas, who had been the best player of the match. America subbed out Allan Saint-Maximin, Alvaro Fidalgo and Alexis Gutierrez for Brian Rodriguez, Erick Sanchez and Isaias Violante. A cross into the area was not cleared well by Navas and it fell to Zendejas, who got tripped by Duarte and a Penalty Kick was given although replays were dubious. Alejandro Zendeajs took the PK and his left footed shot went past Navas and into the net to score and give America the 4-1 lead. Ruvalcaba got off a right footed shot in the area that was well saved by Malagon. America subbed out Alejandro Zendejas and Raul Zuñiga for Victor Davila and Rodrigo Aguirre. Pumas subbed out Jorge Ruvalcaba for Ulises Rivas. America passed the ball around as the crowd cheered and made fun of a pathetic Pumas. The final whistle blew and America had made a statement win in the Clasico and looked back on track for a title contender.

After their loss at home against Chivas in the Superclasico, their biggest game in the regular season, Club America had suffered an extreme setback. America had battled back to get an injury time goal for a 2-2 tie away to Monterrey, in a game they were losing by a 2-0 score and then got a 1-0 away win against struggling Atletico San Luis but neither victory had made up for that loss. Yet on Saturday night they got a statement result that looks to have brought back the team into the path of a title contender by crushing their city rivals Pumas by a 4-1 score. The win had America playing a great match in a rainy night where they overwhelmed a terrible Pumas and now look to be back on top. They should also be favored next week when they host another struggling side in Santos. On the other hand for Pumas it was a disaster for Coach Efrain Juarez and the team. After a streak with no losses and with the team having good performances, Pumas lost against FC Juarez in a match where a single player, Jose Caicedo (who got red carded) was mostly to blame but on Saturday night, Pumas gave the worst performance since Efrain Juarez became coach in Pumas against the rival they could least afford to do so. The team only got a point out of 9 in the last three matches and now look to be spiraling, with many feeling that the tournament was lost on Saturday. Fans are very displeased and the team and Juarez will have to earn the trust back and it will be very tough to do so. While the team isn’t doing well, the squad isn’t as bad in the starting 11 but more so the problem lies in other places which don’t have an easy fit. Pumas, a team that always counted on their young players from their Youth teams, it has been years since the Youth teams haven’t produced good enough players. What was once the youth teams that were feeding the Mexican National team, now they can’t even feed the Pumas’ bench. If the starting 11 aren’t having a great match, Pumas has no answers and this was very evident on Saturday. Pumas now face a must win match at home against a Chivas side that defeated a better Club America side in Mexico City and will be favored to do so against a Pumas team that now is in the middle of a crisis.