Monterrey takes a commanding 5-2 lead over Santos in the first leg of 2019 playoffs.
The 2019 Liga MX playoffs are underway, and if the games on Thanksgiving Day were going to resemble the matches from the night before, we were in for a treat. Monterrey set the line-up without two of its top players. Rodolfo Pizarro and Rogelio Funes Mori. But the absence of the two became an afterthought by the conclusion of the game.
One minute into the game, Monterrey scored. Dorlan Pabón putting the ball behind the net was just the start that Monterrey was looking to get. Rayados did not stop attacking and kept mounting pressure to make sure Santos was feeling it.
The fast-paced game played in favor of the team from Nuevo Leon. Just a few minutes later, Monterrey struck again. In the seventh minute of the game, as Nico Sánchez put them up 2-0. It was still early in the game, but Santo Laguna was being dominated in their first leg of the 2019 Liga MX playoffs.
Despite this much action, only a few minutes into the game, the number one seed in this tournament Santos knew they have a strong team and enough talent to mount a comeback. In the 23rd minute, Santos scored their first goal. Santos striker Julio Furch outs his teak on the board, and here came the Laguneros.
In stoppage time toward the end of the first half, Erick Castillo scored for Santos and tied the game at 2. Little did we know that the best was yet to come for Monterrey.
Just as the second half was underway, Monterrey was relentless. In the 54th minute, Gerardo Arteaga was credited with an own goal and Rayados took a 3-2 lead. The onslaught was just getting started.
Santos was still in this game, and they made attempts on target, but no avail as Monterrey struck again. This time it came in a manner of a penalty in the 70th minute. Vincent Janssen decisively put the ball to the top left corner of the net as the Monterey fans erupted with enthusiasm.
With visitors down 4-2, they needed to score to stop the bleeding and prevent Monterrey from scoring. Santos went on the attack, but Monterrey was sitting back and playing the counter-attack. In the 82nd minute, the tactic played to perfection. As Dorlan Pabón received a pass close to the center of the field, dribbled it five times and got close enough to the net. Santos goalie Jonathan Orozco was far from his goal, and Pabón lobbed a world-class goal over his head to put the game away with a 5-2 to send the home fans into a frenzy.
The victory allows Monterrey to take a comfortable advantage as the teams head to Torreon for the second leg scheduled this Sunday at 8 pm E.T.
