Match recap: Monterrey 1, Santos Laguna 0

A controversial match between two regional rivals as Monterrey gets a late goal to down Santos Laguna 1-0. Santos hasn’t won in Estadio BBVA since the building opened, losing seven and drawing four all time, with their last win in Monterrey coming in 2014 at the old Estadio Tecnológico.

Santos had a good chance in the fourth minute on a Brian Lozano corner kick that Esteban Andrada parried. A minute later Monterrey had a good chance when Joel Campbell hit a nice cross through the box toward Vincent Janssen, but he just missed connecting with the ball on a sliding attempt. The game was very physical, with players getting knocked around a bit and Janssen having a large hole ripped into the back of his jersey early on. In the 11th minute, Janssen hit a nice cross to Campbell, but his shot went just over the bar. Both teams had opportunities, but the final pass always seemed to be off or wasn’t taken at all. In the 14th Janssen made a nice run and shot, but Acevedo read it the entire way and made the easy save. He however had Maxi Meza open to his right, who may have had a better shot because it would have forced Acevedo to move to his left. Monterrey had a fantastic chance in the 19th minute when Campbell took a shot that hit off of Dória, catching Acevedo off guard and on the ground. He was still able to slap the ball up into the air where it was cleared out by Félix Torres.

Santos has a great chance in the 28th when a nice ball over the top from Leo Suárez found Harold Preciado all alone in the box. Preciado chested it up in the air and hit it on the volley, but his shot wasn’t accurate and it went well into the stands. At the 30 minute mark, Monterrey had a great opportunity when Santos was chasing the ball a bit and Campbell got off a shot, but it too missed high and wide.

In the 40th minute Santos was awarded a free kick just outside of the box. Brian Lozano stepped up and hit it, and the ball went into the back of the net, but referee Marco Antonio Ortíz waved off the goal and gave Alan Cervantes a yellow card. Replays showed that Cervantes moved in front of the Monterrey wall and bent over. Then just before the 45th minute, Janssen made a run into the box at the other end. Acevedo made a lunge for the ball, Janssen stepped on his knee and fell, and Ortíz whistled for a penalty. In the long elad up to the penalty being taken, some pushing and shoving broke out, but order was restored. When the penalty was finally taken, Acevedo guessed wrong but Campbell pushed it wide of the net.

The start of the second half was delayed due to water flooding onto the field. After a few minutes from the grounds crew, the issue was resolved and the second half began. Neither team was able to create many cahnces at first, with the first good one coming in the 60th minute when Andrada made another tight-angle stop on a shot , this time from Brian Lozano. Then in the 62nd minute Vincent Janssen hit a shot from distance that Acevedo easily smothered. Four minutes later it was Érick Aguirre hitting a curling shot from distance that just missed the top corner of the net.

In the 68th Santos had a shout when off of a corner kick, Fernando Gorriarán unleashed a shot from distance that hit a player in the box. The Santos players were adamant that it had been handled, but Ortíz was equally as adamant that it wasn’t, and since he was the one carrying the whistle play continued. Replays showed that it hit César Montes in the stomach, and although it may have hit an arm it wasn’t conclusive. Then in the 74th minute Ortíz went to VAR to review a foul by Joel Campbell on Roni Prieto that originally had earned Campbell a yellow. Campbell came in high and hit Prieto in the calf with his studs, and Ortíz showed him a red card.

Monterrey however didn’t roll over. In the 82nd minute, Janssen made a nice run and drew the defense over to the right. Luis Romo however lost his mark and came in fast from the left, heading in a floated cross to give Rayados the lead.

Monterrey had a good chance two minutes into stoppage when another runner down the left came in untouched, but this time the resulting shot by Jesús Gallardo was well stopped by Acevedo. Félix Torres had a header in the sixth minute of stoppage that just missed the far corner, but it would not go. That as as close as Santos would get, and Monterrey picked up the win.

Monterrey heads to Guadalajara to face Chivas on Wednesday, April 12 before going to CU to face Pumas on Sunday, April 17. Santos meanwhile returns home to host Querétaro on Saturday, April 16.

Monterrey: Esteban Andrada; Érick Aguirre, Sebastián Vegas, César Montes, Stefan Medina; Jesús Gallardo (Hector Moreno, 90+4’), Celso Ortíz, Luis Romo, Maximiliano Meza (José Alvarado, 90+4’); Joel Campbell, Vincent Janssen (Arturo González, 86’)

Santos Laguna: Carlos Acevedo; Omar Campos (Roni Prieto, 31’), Matheus Dória, Félix Torres, Carlos Orrantia (Jordan Carrillo, 84’); Brian Lozano, Ulíses Rívas (Beto Ocejo, 84’), Alan Cervantes (Fernando Gorriarán, 58’), Leo Suárez; Harold Preciado, Eduardo Aguirre (Diego Medina, 58’)

Scoring: Monterrey - Luis Romo (82’); Santos Laguna - None

Disciplinary: Monterrey - César Montes (Yellow - 39’), Joel Campbell (Red, 74’); Santos Laguna - Alan Cervantes (Yellow - 40’)