Pachuca and Pumas battle to a scoreless tie

Pumas got an incredible 0-0 tie away to Pachuca in a match where they were dominated for the majority of the match. Pachuca will be kicking themselves after not being able to score against a Pumas side they dominated, and in which they had a player advantage for ten minutes. Both teams kept their undefeated record in the season, but neither will be happy with the result for Pachuca and with the level shown for Pumas. Pumas will return home to face Mazatlan on Wednesday, while Pachuca travels to Aguascalientes to face Necaxa that same day.

The game started with both teams coming out with their best starting eleven, although Pumas still didn’t have Dani Alves available. Early on Nicolas Ibañez got past his defender and got off a right footed shot that went just wide. Later a mistake allowed Luis Chavez to get off a shot from outside the area that went wide. Pachuca kept attacking and completely dominating the match, with Pumas holding on for dear life as they couldn’t get past the half line. A cross into the area was headed by Ibañez past Pumas’ goalkeeper Julio Gonzalez for what looked like the 1-0 lead. Replays showed Ibañez to have been offside, and after going to VAR, the referee correctly called back the goal. Eduardo Salvio got a shot from outside the area that went so wide that it literally hit a woman in the stands and knocked her beer out of her hand. A shot from Chavez was deflected into the path of Victor Guzman, who just missed connecting with the ball in what would have been a great chance. A cross was then headed by Miguel Tapias but it too went just wide. Later Chavez got a shot from outside the area that Gonzalez saved. Pachuca had a great chance off of a counter when Aviles Hurtado got past a defender, getting off a great left footed shot from outside the area that Gonzalez had to make an incredible save to keep out of the net. The halftime whistle blew and it was all Pachuca who completely dominated and were unlucky in not going to the dressing room with the lead.

The second half started with Pachuca hoping to finally able to break through while Pumas hoped to start playing better after a horrible half. A cross into the area found a wide open Daniel Hernandez, but his shot went well wide. Pumas subbed out Leonel Lopez and Diogo de Olivera for Jorge Ruvalcaba and Marco Garcia. Pumas then got a chance when a longball into the area provided a great chance from Ruvalcaba, but he made a mistake and his pass went right to a Pachuca defender. A cross from Pachuca almost turned into an own goal when Nicolas Freire deflected it off the post and went wide, in what would have been a goal had it been just inches to the left. A cross into the area was then headed by Dinenno but it too went just wide. A great long range shot from Erick Sanchez came very close but it went just over the bar. Pachuca kept having chances, and Pumas was barely managing to clear ball after ball from the area. Pachuca subbed out Victor Guzman and Daniel Hernandez for Roberto de la Rosa and Romario Ibarra. A minute in, De La Rosa missed an open net chance but it was correctly ruled to be offside. Pumas then subbed out Eduardo Salvio for Jeronimo Rodriguez. Adrian Aldrete did an incredibly stupid slide on Kevin Alvarez that looked like it could have been red card. After going to VAR, the referee correctly gave him a straight red card and Pumas was down to ten players. Pumas subbed out an injured Gustavo del Prete (who was also coming out in a defensive sub to replace Aldrete) for Efrain Velarde. A shot from outside the area from De la Rosa was deflected into the hands of Gonzalez. Pumas then wasted a counter and it lead to a chance for Pachuca, but Ibarra’s shot was saved by Gonzalez. A counter from Pumas lead to a good chance when Dinenno got off a shot from outside the area, but Pachuca goalkeeper Oscar Ustari made a great save. Pachuca subbed out Mauricio Isais for Marino Hinestroza. Pumas had another great counter when Ruvalcaba went on a one-on-one, but Chavez was brought down with a harsh foul that surprisingly only got him a yellow card. The referee went to VAR and correctly give Luis Chavez a red card. Off of the free kick, Garcia got off a free kick that forced Ustari to make save in what would be the final play of the match as Pumas got a miraculous point.

Pumas will count itself lucky from getting a point in Pachuca after being the inferior team from the first minute on. Pachuca had chance after chance, and while Pumas had some good opportunities especially late, they came against the run of play. Pumas might have been thinking about the signing of Dani Alves, which took all the attention from the press and fans as to why they weren’t ready, but the fact is that although the team has been one of best, if not the best in signing players, they have yet to play an all-around good game on the season. Pachuca will be kicking themselves because although they are still undefeated, they had their second consecutive tie at home, both in matches where they should have won. They will now have to travel to face Necaxa. Pumas will return home to face Mazatlan, in a match where the big news will be if Dani Alves makes his Liga MX debut.