Club America's path to an InterLiga final had been cleared before they took the field for their clash Saturday night, but the doubleheader nightcap at Home Depot Center meant everything to Estudiantes Tecos.
The Guadalajara club's bid to reach one of Wednesday's twin finals, with the winners going on to Copa Libertadores, required that it win, or draw, or lose by no more than a goal -- two goals, if Tecos could score.
Rubens Oscar Sambueza played hero for Tecos, setting up two second-half goals as Tecos rallied for a 3-3 draw in the Group A finale, claiming their final-game berth.
Tecos pressed from the start, took a lead in the second minute, then held on as America netted three goals in 10 minutes. A 3-1 scoreline was enough to get the Owls through, but Sambueza created goals for Rodrigo Ruiz in the 53rd minute and Fredy Bareiro in the 65th to make certain they would play on.
It was a thriller of a game, played before a vocal capacity crowd of 27,000 -- the majority in America's yellow jersey -- that featured twist after twist and turn after turn.
There were four goals in the first 17 minutes: Oswaldo Alanis headed Tecos' first goal from Ruiz's corner kick just 110 seconds into the game, but America assumed command as Angel Eduardo Reyna scored a tremendous goal after a run of nearly 50 yards in the eighth minute, then set up Salvador Cabanas' tournament-leading fourth goal four minutes later. Rosinei made it 3-1 from a give-and-go with Cabanas.
America (2-0-1) clinched the Group A title and their berth in one of Wednesday's twin finals with Santos' 3-0 romp over Atlante in Saturday's opener. Atlante's hopes required America to win by at least two goals.
But Tecos (1-1-1) started strongly, winning a free kick just outside the box after 30 seconds, then going ahead as Alanis slipped behind Aquivaldo Mosquera and past Miguel Layin to nod Ruiz's cross home from about eight yards, and then nearly doubling its advantage two minutes later.
Daniel Alcantar and Fredy Bareiro teamed up to challenge America goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the fourth minute, leading to two corner kicks, both thwarted by Mosquera.
Reyna's tremendous goal in the eighth minute pulled the Aguilas even, but Tecos caused America's backline more trouble in the next two minutes: Diego Jimenez headed just past the right post from another Ruiz corner kick, and Rubens Oscar Sambueza's cross into the box, after beating Layun to the byline, led to less than deserved.
That was that, more or less, for Tecos, at least until the second half. America took command, scoring twice more in the next seven minutes and nearly getting another three behind a patient, quick-strike attack fueled by the interplay among Pavel Pardo, Jean Beausejour and Daniel Montenegro in midfield, Cabanas in front and Reyna on the right flank.
All three goals were beauties. Reyna tallied after winning a ball at midfield, then taking off into the space between Tecos' midfield and backline. He dribbled past Juan Carlos Leano and into the box, firing through Marcelo Guadalupe Alatorre's legs and inside the right post.
Cabanas, who scored 25 goals last year for America, gave the Aguilas the lead with a powerful header from 12 yards, finishing Reyna's chip after Pavel Pardo squeezed the ball through a tight space to him on the right flank.
The goal extended Cabanas' all-time InteLiga record to nine -- seven of them in the past three tournaments for the Aguilas -- and was his 71st goals in all competitions since joining the Mexico City giant before the 2006 Apertura campaign kicked off.
Rosinei fed Cabanas and raced to the box to finish the return pass, bypassing a half-dozen defenders, in the 17th minute.
America dominated the rest of the half, patiently moving the ball to open seams in Tecos' defense, then pouncing with a penetrating ball that put goalkeeper Mario Rodriguez under extreme pressure. Cabanas tested Rodriguez with a low shot in the 34th minute, and Beausejour ought to have done more when presented a 1-on-1 with Rodriguez in the 38th after Reyna played the ball into space on the left flank.
Alatorre saved Reyna's chip at the right post in the 43rd, and Rosinei fired past the left post just before the halftime whistle.
America seemed satisfied in the second half, and Tecos took advantage. Ruiz, the fulcrum of the Owls' attack, pulled one back just eight minutes after the break. Sambueza beat Layun at the byline, dribbled to the edge of the six-yard box and dropped the ball back for an easy Ruiz finish, his second goal of the competition.
Bareiro tested Ochoa two minutes later with a blast from distance. The America keeper got his hand to it, parrying it over the crossbar.
Sambueza set up the equalizer 12 minutes later, slipping a through ball to the box for Bareiro, whose first-time shot toward the right corner left Ochoa no chance. The goal was his second of the tournament.
Scott French is a contributor to InterLiga.com.
