Estudiantes Tecos earned their first-ever berth in the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday night, beating Puebla FC 3-2 in a thrilling come-from-behind victory at The Home Depot Center.
Two goals from journeyman striker Rodrigo Ruiz and an 89th-minute strike from Oscar Sambueza were the difference for the Owls.
Puebla FC looked destined for a victory in the game's first hour, but were ultimately unable to cope with a Tecos attack that kicked into overdrive in the final ten minutes. Tecos will return to international competition for the first time since winning the 1995 CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup.
"I'm very happy," said Tecos head coach Miguel Herrera. "We had a team tonight that was determined. We made mistakes, but we didn't put our heads down. We did what we had to do and never stopped working.
"We came here to earn this spot and now we've done it. It's a great accomplishment for us."
Puebla got right out of the gate, scoring in just the fifth minute of play. After a short spell of possession in the offensive third, the Camoteros won a corner kick on the left side. Midfielder Gilberto Mora lined up for the kick and sent a good ball across the area that found the head of Alejandro Acosta. Acosta made no mistake, hitting a strong header into the bottom left corner of the net to take his side ahead 1-0.
Tecos settled into control of the game for much of the ensuing fifteen minutes. Buoyed by energetic play up top from Ruiz, the Owls attacked with pace on a number of occasions. The team's best look came in the 20th minute when a Fredy Bareiro header from a Ruiz cross bounced off the underside of the crossbar and into the penalty area just inches in front of the goal line.
Puebla finally began to regain its footing as the game passed into the 25th minute. Outside midfielders Luis Miguel Noriega and Nicolas Olivera sparked most of the offense, providing good distribution from the wings. It was Olivera who came closest to scoring when, in the 32nd minute, he got onto the end of a missed clearance from Tecos to blast a Howitzer just wide right of the net.
The Camoteros continued pounding the Tecos defense and were rewarded with a penalty kick in the 35th minute when Carlos Ruiz was taken down by Daniel Alcantar on the right side of the area. Luis Miguel Noriega lined up for the kick, but his low shot to the right was saved easily by Tecos goalkeeper Mario Rodriguez.
Ruiz would strike again just three minutes later. Racing forward on the right wing, the Guatemalan striker beat Rodriquez to a loose ball in the penalty area and headed toward the net. His effort skittered along the ground and bounced off the right goalpost to keep the score at 1-0 going into halftime.
"We're professionals, but we still want badly to win," said Carlos Ruiz. "We worked very hard in this tournament and it's disappointing to lose. But we have to face Tigres in two days so we'll have to be mentally strong and recover quickly from this disappointment."
Puebla got right back to work on the other side of the break, doubling their lead in the 47th minute. The play began as a counterattack after a Tecos corner kick. Alvaro Gonzalez carried the ball up the field and found Carlos Ruiz on the left side of the 18-yard-line. Ruiz quickly fed Nicolas Olivera on the penalty spot, who one-touched into the bottom right corner of the net for a 2-0 scoreline.
"This game revealed the true character of this team," said Tecos captain Juan Carlos Leaño. "We fell behind early, but we didn't let it affect our focus. Now we're in the Copa and we're excited to go there and represent the Mexican League."
Tecos finally pushed back five minutes later. Pacey striker Fredy Bareiro found some space on the left side and crossed a ball into Rafael Medina on the six-yard-line. Medina chested the ball down for team captain Ruiz, who sidestepped the goalie and buried the ball in the back of the net to cut Puebla's lead in half.
Puebla quickly regained control of the proceedings after the goal and began locking down their defense. The effort was bolstered in the 66th minute with the introduction of defender Herculez Gomez in place of Alvaro Gonzalez. Gomez, making just his second appearance for the club, dropped back slightly into the midfield, leaving Carlos Ruiz as the lone striker for the Camoteros.
The change slowed the pace of the game drastically. Puebla's offense sputtered in the absence of Gonzalez, while Tecos struggled to get through the newly bolstered defense of the Camoteros. Much of the action happened in the midfield, where hard tackling from both sides broke up any offensive chances.
Tecos finally broke through in the 81st minute, again relying on Ruiz for a bit of inspiration. The 38-year-old striker was set up on the penalty spot when Oscar Sambueza sent a cross into the area from the left flank. Ruiz beat his defender to the ball and headed past the goalkeeper on his right to even the score at deuces.
"It's incredible how professional Pony is," said Leaño. "Watching him play, you don't even think about his age. He's dangerous in every part of the field and he scores goals. He's truly a complete player."
Puebla almost pulled one back just two minutes later. Counterattacking with numbers, Carlos Ruiz found himself alone on the left flank. He slipped a neat pass into Luis Miguel Noriega that the team captain volleyed directly into the chest of Tecos goalkeeper Mario Rodriguez.
"We made a bunch of mistakes tonight," said Puebla captain Luis Miguel Noriega. "We missed a penalty kick and we didn't take advantage of our chances. It just didn't go our way. What can I tell you? Now we just have to change our focus to the season before us."
Tecos took their first lead of the match just one minute from full time. It was Elgabru Rangel who sparked the goal this time around, threading a perfect pass between three Puebla defenders to find Sambueza at the top of the box. Sambueza took three steps to draw the goalkeeper off his line before slipping the ball past him on the left for a 3-2 final result.
The win is Tecos' second come-from-behind result and gives the club its first-ever birth in the Copa Libertadores.
"We're going to try and advance as far as we can in the cup," said Leaño. "I think we'll do well because we're a team who plays good soccer and we have a lot of character. There are no easy teams in the Copa. Now it's our turn to make our debut and I think we're going to do just fine."
Jeffrey King is a contributor to InterLiga.com.
