Pumas grab point after scoreless tie away to Tigres

Pumas had a great start, but problems finishing allowed Tigres to take control in a match that finished as a scoreless tie. Pumas had numerous chances after a great first half, but failed to score. In the second half it was Tigres who was the better team, finishing the match getting numerous opportunities but were also not able to get a goal. Pumas seems to be on the upswing, while Tigres is starting to struggle a week after losing the Clasico Regio. Tigres will now go and face Atletico San Luis in a midweek match, while Pumas get to skip theirs but will have a tough matchup in their next match away to their biggest rival Club America.

The first half started with Pumas moving Jose Rogerio to the starting lineup after scoring last week against Mazatlan along with Juan Ignacio DInenno. Tigres meanwhile had ex-Pumas star Carlos Gonzalez start in a surprising move after a his lackluster match against Monterrey last Sunday. Pumas surprised early with a great pass that found Dinenno, on a possible one-on-one but he got off a shot that forced Tigres’ goalkeeper, Nahuel Guzman to make a save. He left the rebound in the path of a rushing Rogerio, who sent it well wide. Tigres would answer with Andre-Pierre Gignac getting off a header that Pumas’ goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera got a hand on, and the ball bounced off of the post before getting cleared. Pumas wasted a good chance when a ball bouncing in the area was found by Washington Corozo, who got off a shot that went wide. Later Dinenno got a shot off that Guzman saved. Minutes later, Florain Thauvin made a run and looked to have injured himself. He had to be subbed out, and Filberto Fulgencio came in. Pumas had another good opportunity when Higor Meritao got a left footed shot from outside the area that forced Guzman to make a good save. Pumas then wasted another great chance when Dinenno got a ball in close range but his shot went well wide. Pumas wasted yet another chance when Meritao got into the area but he tripped over himself as he tried to get the shot off in an incredible blooper. Another wasted chance from Pumas came when a great cross in the area found Favio Alvarez, but his left footed shot went wide. Pumas had gotten off to a great start, but it was all for nothing because of their awful finishing. As time passed Tigres was able to regain control of possession and while they weren’t creating chances, they had slowed down Pumas dangerous attacks. Luis Quiñones got the ball in the area and looked to have scored, but it was clearly offside and correctly called back. Quiñones looked to have another chance but his shot was stopped by Talavera. Quiñones sent the shot off of the rebound wide, but he was also offside in that play so it wouldn’t have counted had it gone in. The halftime whistle blew and even with all the chances, the game remained scoreless.

The second half started with Pumas having a chance 20 seconds in when a long ball to the area found Corozo, who tried to lob the ball over Guzman, but wound up missing the goal going wide. Tigres had their best chance when after a ball through to the area, Rafael Carioca got off a shot that hit the post. Minutes later Guido Pizarro got into the area, but Talavera was able to get the ball off his feet. Tigres then subbed out Pizarro for Juan Pablo Vigon while Pumas subbed out Jose Rogerio for Christian Battochio. Pumas had a great chance when after a good combination play, Corozo got into the area alone but his left footed shot went wide. Pumas subbed out Leonel Lopez and Washington Corozo for Sebastian Saucedo and Alek Alvarez. Tigres got real close when after a run by Fulgencio into the area, a pass in the area went past Talavera but missed Gonzalez, who would have had an open net opportunity. Later Vigon got a header from close range but it went right into the hands of Talavera. Gignac got a shot off that Talavera stopped and although Gonzalez scored off the rebound, it had been ruled to be offside. Pumas then had their best chance in the second half when Dinenno got off a left footed shot in the area that Guzman brilliantly saved. Pumas wasted another great chance when they got into the area, but Meritao finished with a terrible left footed shot. Tigres then subbed out Luis Quiñones for Jesus Dueñas. Off of a corner kick, Gonzalez was able to rise alone but his header went wide. Gonzalez then started to cramp but Tigres were out of substitutions. The last minutes had Tigres controlling possession as Pumas sat back and looked for a counter. Tigres had a great chance when a great pass by Gignac left Dueñas wide open but his shot went wide. Tigres came close again when Gignac got off a great shot in the area and hit the post.

Pumas had a great start and probably had the best half of play in a disappointing season. Yet for all their domination, they missed chance after chance and in the end Tigres was all over them. As a result, Pumas went from team that should be winning to a team that was lucky to get the tie. Still it was a good result for a struggling team, especially since Pumas has suffered a lot recently in Estadio Universitario. Tigres had a bad start, although the game was conditioned by Thauvin’s injury. Still after losing the Clasico Regio against their biggest rival in Monterrey, a scoreless tie at home against a team that’s struggling and who doesn’t have a good history in Monterrey, is a bad result and the pressure will be on Miguel Herrera. Tigres will have a midweek away match against Atletico San Luis before returning home to face Necaxa next Saturday. Pumas meanwhile has their midweek match against Santos postponed, and will be primed for their biggest regular season matchup against Club America in the weekend.