Wide right. Wide left. High above the cross bar.
That's what summarized much of Toluca's final attempts to send in the goal that could have made the difference.
Instead, the Diablos Rojos fell a goal shy of moving on to Sunday's InterLiga finals, even with a 2-0 win against UAG Tecos Thursday at The Home Depot Center.
The Diablos Rojos needed one more goal to pull even with Morelia and clinch second place in Group A and the second slot to one of two finals.
Morelia advanced to the next round with a stunning 3-0 win against Pachuca in the first match of a doubleheader. Monarcas and Diablos Rojos each finished with four points, but Morelia's plus-two goal difference was the tie-breaker. Toluca finished with a plus-one differential.
Had Morelia and Toluca tied in goal differential, the tie-breaker would have gone to the Diablos Rojos for winning the Apertura title last month.
Raul Nava scored five minutes into the match and Sergio Santana added another goal in the 88th minute to seal the win for Toluca.
Nava sent a blast from about 20 yards out past Tecos goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona for a 1-0 lead.
Nava's score capped a period of the match in which Toluca came out firing early on. The Diablos Rojos took three shots on goal within that time frame, including Nava's blast for a score.
Toluca also credited their win to steady play by the defense which kept a handful of Tecos shots from falling in; particularly those that came with Tecos' aerial attack.
Defender Daniel Alcantar sent a couple of volleys into the area from right to left but there was no one there for a shot on goal. Alcantar's first cross into the area came in the 23rd minute to the mouth of the goal, but it was inches from the reach of Tecos midfielder Jorge Zamogilny. The ball sailed out of bounds for a Toluca goal kick.
Alcantar sent a similar cross in the 32nd minute. This time Mario Ortiz got a piece of the ball with a header, sending it behind Toluca goalkeeper Cesar Lozano. Fortunately for the Diablos, defender Antonio Olvera was standing at the goal and cleared the ball out with a header.
Tecos had to settle for their close attempts as Toluca took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
It was more of the same in the second half. Tecos continued to pressure the Diablos' defense by sending a herd of men forward. Toluca escaped a couple more Tecos attacks.
Perhaps the most dangerous came when Joel Sanchez sent a header to the left post of Lozano's goal. The shot found a Toluca defender clearing the ball out.
Tecos kept pressuring but Toluca's defense would not bend.
Diablos defender Francisco Gamboa kept an Arnhold shot from bouncing in, sliding in front of the ball and poking out ending the attack.
Toluca took advantage of Tecos pressure on top and answered with Santana's goal on a counter attack.
The Diablos will take it and the win. Even if it means they're eliminated. They can thank that one goal that wouldn't come.
