Match recap: Puebla F.C. 1, Santos Laguna 0

Last week, both Santos Laguna and Puebla scored four goals against their opponents. This week, it was a sole goal that would decide the match, as Gustavo Ferrareis was the hero for the home side as Los Larcaboys picked up the 1-0 win. Puebla’s high-pressure defense was a huge factor, but Carlos Acevedo’s stellar goalkeeping kept Santos in the match all evening.

Puebla came out and dominated possession from the start, not allowing Santos much of anything. In the third minute Federico Mancuello ripped a shot from distance, but Carlos Acevedo saw it the entire way and punched the ball out of danger. In the eighth minute Puebla won a free kick deep, and Acevedo made a great diving save to again punch the ball out of danger. Puebla finally broke through when unrelenting pressure forced a Santos turnover in the ninth minute. Jordi Cortizo played a give and go with Fernando Aristeguieta, and raced down the left side. Cortizo then hit a perfect cutback pass right into the path of Gustavo Ferrareis on the right side, and he blasted it into the far corner to give the hosts the deserved lead.

Puebla kept coming at Santos. In the 13th minute it was Maxi Araújo who tried his luck from distance, however his shot went just wide of the net. Santos finally started to threaten in the 19th minute when a turnover deep allowed Harold Preciado to get loose in the box, but after a series of passes and dribbles lost and recovered, the ball was finally cleared out of the box without much danger ever coming to fruition. At the other end, Carlos Aceedo kep making fantastic saves to keep Santos in it. In the 24th it was another diving save, this time on a header from Ferrareis that was again headed far post. It proved significant because on the counterattack, Omar Camps made a run into the box and was run into by Ferrereis. Referee César Arturo Ramos immediately pointed to the spot, however after a VAR review he reversed the decision, which was the just decision.

Santos had a fantastic chance in the 33rd when Fernando Gorriarán played a great ball in to Harold Preciado. With only goalkeeper Antony Silva to beat, Preciado drew him out and chipped the ball over him, however it hit the outside of the post and went out of bounds. Five minutes later at the other end it was Acevedo making magic, this time tipping a swerving shot from distance up and over the crossbar. Acevedo did it again in the second minute of stoppage, making a punching stop on a shot from distance from Jordi Cortizo. Thanks to a clinic from Acevedo, Santos went into the locker room down only one goal.

Santos came out in the second half and immediately had a good opportunity when Carlos Orrantia blazed down the left wing and hit a cut-back pass to Leo Suárez. It looked like Suárez lost it in his feet and was able to steady it, but his resulting shot thundered off of the crossbar. Santos came back down the pitch and immediately tested Silva again, forcing him to make another save. At the other end, a nice through ball from Ferrareis sprung Aristeguieta in the box, but it was just out of his reach and Acevedo was able to smother the ball.

The game finally settled into something resembling a normal rhythm, with both sides able to gain possession and work. Santos made several changes and the fresh legs and ideas balanced out Puebla’s high energy attack and even perhaps wore them down a bit. Javier Correa, who came on in the 63rd minute, had a good chance in the 79th but his shot went high. Correa made another nice run down the left in the 89th minute, hitting a cross toward a couple of Santos players but Antony Silva made a good diving stop to nullify the chance. Try as they might however, Santos simply couldn’t solve Puebla’s defense and Los Larcaboys pick up their second straight win of the 2022 Apertura.

Puebla will remain at home, hosting León on Friday, July 15 while Santos returns to Torreón to host Chivas on Saturday, July 16.

Puebla: Antony Silva; Gustavo Ferrareis (Luis García, 82’), Emanuel Gularte, Diego de Buen, Gastón Silva, Maximiliano Araújo (Ivo Vázquez, 83’); Israel Reyes, Federico Mancuello (Lucas Jaques, 67’); Jordi Cortizo (Iván Moreno, 67’), Fernando Aristeguieta, Omar Fernández (Martín Barragán, 73’)

Santos Laguna: Carlos Acevedo; Carlos Orrantia (Jair González, 46’), Félix Torres, Matheus Dória, Omar Campos; Leo Suárez (Javier Correa, 63’), Fernando Gorriarán, Roni Prieto (Hugo Rodríguez, 46’), Brian Lozano (Alan Cervantes, 63’); Harold Preciado, Eduardo Aguirre (Juan Brunetta, 63’)

Scoring: Puebla F.C. - Gustavo Ferrareis (9’); Santos Laguna - None

Disciplinary: Puebla F.C. - Federico Mancuello (Yellow - 36’), Fernando Aristeguieta (Yellow - 68’), Emanuel Gularte (Yellow - 80’), Nicolás Larcamón (Yellow - 90+1’); Santos Laguna - Harold Preciado (Yellow - 48’), Fernando Gorriarán (Yellow - 71’)