Primera División de México Apertura 2008 Liguilla Final

Primera División de México Apertura 2008 Liguilla Final
EventPrimera División de México Apertura 2008 Liguilla
On aggregate
First leg
Date11 December 2008
VenueEstadio Azul, Mexico City
RefereePaúl Enrique Delgadillo (Mexico)
Attendance33,000
Second leg
(a.e.t.)
Date14 December 2008
VenueEstadio Nemesio Díez, Toluca
RefereeRoberto García (Mexico)
Attendance27,000

The Apertura 2008 Liguilla Final was a two-legged football match-up to determine the Apertura 2008 champions. The series was contested between Deportivo Toluca F.C. from Toluca, Mexico State, and C.D.S.C. Cruz Azul from Mexico City, both of whom were playing in their first final against each other.

Final rules

Like other match-ups in the knockout round, the teams will play two games, one at each team's home stadium. As the highest seeded team determined at the beginning of the Liguilla, Toluca was to have home-field advantage for the second leg. If the teams remained tied after 90 minutes of play during the 2nd leg, extra time will be used, followed by a penalty shootout if necessary.

Final summary

First leg

The First Leg was played in front of a capacity crowd at Estadio Azul in Mexico City. Paulo da Silva opened up the scoreboard with a goal in the 14th minute followed by a superb free kick by Sergio Amaury Ponce at the 22nd minute. Cruz Azul could not find an answer in the 2nd half though they were playing better, Hernán Cristante of Toluca had a sensational game under the three posts. The final score left Toluca with a 2-goal advantage going into the next leg.

Cruz Azul0 – 2Toluca
(Report) da Silva 14'
Ponce 21'
Referee: Paúl Enrique Delgadillo (Mexico)
Cruz Azul
Toluca
CRUZ AZUL:
GK 25 Mexico Yosgart Gutiérrez
DF 8 Paraguay Carlos Bonet
DF 14 Mexico Joaquín Beltrán
DF 13 Mexico Alejandro Castro downward-facing red arrow 72'
DF 21 Mexico Jaime Lozano
MF 6 Mexico Gerardo Torrado (c)
MF 7 Paraguay Cristian Riveros Yellow card 12'
MF 23 Mexico Edgar Lugo downward-facing red arrow 46'
MF 18 Mexico César Villaluz
FW 11 Mexico Miguel Sabah
FW 9 Paraguay Pablo Zeballos downward-facing red arrow 71'
Substitutes:
GK 1 Mexico Alfonso Blanco
DF 32 Mexico Emilio Hassan Viades upward-facing green arrow 72'
DF 16 Mexico Rogelio Chávez
MF 5 Mexico Gabino Velasco
FW 29 Mexico Martín Galván
FW 19 Mexico Alejandro Vela upward-facing green arrow 71'
FW 15 Uruguay Nicolás Vigneri upward-facing green arrow 46'
Manager:
Mexico Benjamín Galindo
TOLUCA:
GK 1 Argentina Hernán Cristante
DF 16 Mexico Sergio Amaury Ponce
DF 14 Mexico Edgar Dueñas
DF 3 Paraguay Paulo Da Silva (c)
DF 6 Mexico Manuel De La Torre
MF 55 Mexico Israel López
MF 5 Argentina Martín Romagnoli
MF 75 Mexico Néstor Calderón downward-facing red arrow 67'
MF 10 Mexico Zinha
FW 11 Mexico Carlos Esquivel
FW 9 Chile Héctor Mancilla Yellow card 60' downward-facing red arrow 80'
Substitutes:
GK 12 Mexico César Lozano
DF 24 Mexico José Manuel Cruzalta
DF 4 Mexico Miguel Almazán
DF 29 Mexico Mario Méndez
MF 18 Mexico Carlos Adrián Morales
MF 21 Mexico Diego De La Torre upward-facing green arrow 67'
FW 59 Mexico Raúl Nava upward-facing green arrow 80'
Manager:
Mexico José Manuel De la Torre

Assistant referees:
Mexico Alberto Morín Méndez
Mexico Carlos Ayala Cuéllar
Fourth official:
Mexico José Alfredo Peñaloza Soto

Second leg

Toluca
Cruz Azul
TOLUCA:
GK 1 Argentina Hernán Cristante
DF 16 Mexico Sergio Amaury Ponce Yellow card 102' downward-facing red arrow 103'
DF 14 Mexico Edgar Dueñas
DF 3 Paraguay Paulo Da Silva (c)
DF 6 Mexico Manuel De La Torre downward-facing red arrow 70'
MF 55 Mexico Israel López
MF 5 Argentina Martín Romagnoli Yellow card 47'
MF 75 Mexico Néstor Calderón downward-facing red arrow 54'
MF 10 Mexico Zinha
FW 11 Mexico Carlos Esquivel
FW 9 Chile Héctor Mancilla
Substitutes:
GK 12 Mexico César Lozano
DF 24 Mexico José Manuel Cruzalta upward-facing green arrow 54'
DF 4 Mexico Miguel Almazán upward-facing green arrow 70'
DF 29 Mexico Mario Méndez
MF 18 Mexico Carlos Adrián Morales
MF 21 Mexico Diego De La Torre upward-facing green arrow 103'
FW 59 Mexico Raúl Nava
Manager:
Mexico José Manuel De la Torre
CRUZ AZUL:
GK 25 Mexico Yosgart Gutiérrez
DF 8 Paraguay Carlos Bonet downward-facing red arrow 65'
DF 14 Mexico Joaquín Beltrán Yellow card 63'
DF 4 Mexico Julio César Domínguez
DF 16 Mexico Rogelio Chávez Yellow card 32' downward-facing red arrow 56'
MF 6 Mexico Gerardo Torrado (c) Yellow card 18'
MF 7 Paraguay Cristian Riveros
MF 19 Mexico Alejandro Vela
MF 18 Mexico César Villaluz
FW 11 Mexico Miguel Sabah Yellow card 100'
FW 15 Uruguay Nicolás Vigneri downward-facing red arrow 46'
Substitutes:
GK 1 Mexico Alfonso Blanco
DF 3 Mexico Joel Huiqui
DF 32 Mexico Emilio Hassan Viades Red card 115'
DF 21 Mexico Jaime Lozano Yellow card 59' upward-facing green arrow 56'
MF 5 Mexico Gabino Velasco
MF 23 Mexico Edgar Lugo Yellow card 72' upward-facing green arrow 65'
FW 9 Paraguay Pablo Zeballos upward-facing green arrow 46'
Manager:
Mexico Benjamín Galindo

Assistant referees:
Mexico Arturo Velázquez Ramírez
Mexico Antonio López Chávez
Fourth official:
Mexico Francisco Chacón Gutiérrez

References