Ascenso MX 2018 Apertura Recap: Jornada 2

Jornada 2 in Mexico’s second division of professional fútbol was full of exciting action. Here’s everything you need to know about how all 15 teams fared in the división de plata!

Mineros de Zacatcas 2 - 1 Celaya

Mineors kicked off Jornada 2 of Ascenso MX action as they played host to Celaya at Estadio Carlos Vega. It didn’t take long for the home side to demonstrate their quality. In fact, it only took 19 minutes for Mineros to find the back of the net and take the lead. Mexican right back David Ramirez’s right footed effort from outside the area that originally looked like a cross managed to surprise the Celaya goalkeeper and find its way into the back of the match. Following the surprise goal, Mineors dominated much of the matches proceedings. However, they were unable to add to their lead. This inability came back to bite the hosts as Celaya found an equalizing goal in the 66th minute of the game. Following Celaya’s goal, the hosts looked re-engerized and much more dangerous. A mere 9 minutes later Josue Mercado added a second to ensure that Mineros took all three points from the match.

Atlante FC 4 - 1 CF Correcaminos

Atlante came into their Jornada 2 matchup with Correcaminos desperately needing a victory following a disappointing showing in their fist match of the 2018 Apertura season. Los Potros de Hiero delivered the kind of performance that any team would be proud of as they dismantled a hapless Correcaminos side by a score of 4-1. Correcaminos left their shooting boots at home and found themselves down by three goals before finally getting on the score sheet. Then, to add insult to injury, the hosts piled on a fourth goal to cap off a dominating performance.

Tampico Madero FC 1 - 2 Atlético San Luis

La Jaiba Brava were another Ascenso MX side looking to improve on a disappointing first match in Jornada 2. However, unlike Atlante, Tampico Madero FC were unable to get back on track with a victory in a match that featured an extensive delay due to a power outage at the Estadio Tamaulipas. 30 minutes into the match Atlético San Luis took the lead through a well worked team goal scored by Nicolas Ibañez. The visitors managed to hold onto the lead throughout the vast majority of the cagey defensive match. However, in the 90+15 minute of the match la Jaiba Brava finally broke through and scored the equalizing goal. A long cross from a dead ball situation found the head of Diego Menghi who just managed to sneak the ball past the outstretched hands of the keeper and into the net. Unfortunately for la Jaiba Brava, Atlético San Luis raced down the field following the ensuing match restart and put a damper on the celebrations as Claudio Villagra capped off a beautifully worked team goal to give the visitors a 2-1 victory.

CA Zacatepec 3 - 2 Venados FC

Venados FC paid a visit to CA Zacatepec at Estadio Antonio Coruco Diaz in one of the most exciting matches of Jornada 2. The hosts, playing in just their second match without head coach Michael Leaño who left to coach Liga MX side Necaxa, didn’t waste anytime taking a 2-0 lead within the first ten minutes of the match. The two goals happened in the blink of an eye a mere minute apart from one another. Venados looked absolutely shellshocked to have given up two very early goals in the match. However, the visitors wouldn’t remain shellshocked for long as they pulled the match level with two goals of their own just before halftime. The second half was much more tame of an affair than the first. However, that doesn't mean that it lacked excitement. After both sides missed several chances to take the lead, it was the hosts who were finally able to grab the bull by its horns. Santos Laguna youth product and Chivas loanee Ronaldo Cisneros got onto the end of a long ball just outside the area, avoided a defender a laid the ball off for Jonatan Valvidia who fired a rocket from just inside the area to give CA Zacatepec a 3-2 victory over the visitors.

Alebrijes de Oaxaca 2 - 0 Potros UAEM

Alebrijes and Potros couldn't’t have gotten off to any different of starts to the 2018 Ascenso MX aperture season. Los Potros easily defeated reigning champions Cafetaleros de Tapachula at home by a score of 3-1 while Alebrijes lost on a last minute goal on the road against FC Juárez. However, neither side looked anything remotely similar to the way that they played in Jornada 1. A mere nine minutes into the game and Luciano Nequecaur headed Alebrijes into the lead off of a corner. 52 minutes into the game and Renato Román fired in the second for Alebrijes from a free kick about about 10-15 meters outside of the area. The golazo shocked the Potros keeper who was downright unlucky to have not kept it out. The keeper forced the ball into the post with his fingertips, but instead of flying out of play off the post the ball deflected into the back of his head and into the net.

Cafetaleros de Tapachula 2 - 2 Cimarrones

Saturday night’s Jornada 2 matchup between Cafetaleros and Cimarrones got off to a slow start down along Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala. Neither Cafetaleros nor Cimarrones were able to break down the opposition’s defense in the first half. Sloppy passes and missed chances summed up the first 45 minutes of action. However, just 11 minutes into the second half the visitors from Sonora were finally able to get onto the scoresheet as Oscar David Sánchez fired home a goal. Almost immediately after falling behind Cafetaleros leveled the score on onathan Gerardo Martínez’s goal from inside the area. It seemed like the match was destined to finish 1-1 until the 83rd minute when Oscar Emmanuel Segura fired 10-man Cimarrones into the lead from just inside the area off of a well worked team goal. In an almost identical sequence to the manner in which both teams scored their first goals, Cafetaleros scored almost immediately after falling behind. Mario Ortíz’s 85th minute goal ensured that the two teams would split the points in a thrilling encounter.

Leones Negros U de G 1 - 2 FC Juárez

Leones Negros hosted FC Juárez at the historic Estadio Jalisco in the final matchup of Joornada 2 in the 2018 Acenso MX Apertura season. 32 minutes into the game it was the visitors striking first off of a set piece goal by Brazilian defender Elson Dias Junior. The ball was whipped dangerously into the box and met by the head of Dias Junior who early knocked it into the back of the net. In the 50th minute, José Romario Hernández was sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the match reducing the hosts to 10-men. However, instead of shrinking back into a defensive posture, Leones Negros became even more offensive following José Romario Hernández’s sending off. This attacking style of play paid off in the 65th minute as Efrén Mendoza got onto the end of a dangerous cross into the area and clumsily put the ball into the back of the net. FC Juárez goalkeeper Enrique Palos should really have done more to prevent Mendoza from getting onto the end of the cross on the goal. Had Palos been better positioned he could have easily snagged the ball outta midair and prevented the goal from ever happening. The match remained level until stoppage time when FC Juárez won a corner on the left side of the field in the 90+3 minute. The corner was whipped into a dangerous area of the box and met by Jonathan Lacerda at the first post and sent into the back of the net to give FC Juârez their second stoppage time winner in as many matches. Inexplicably, Leones Negros didn't have a player on the first post during the corner. Ultimately, that decision came back to haunt the hosts who lost their first match of the season following a “bye week” in Jornada 1.

Following Jornada 2 of Ascenso MX, here are the current league standings: