América decides in the penalties
Vibrant duel at the legendary Azteca Stadium in the Mexican capital. The game, with chances for both teams, finished with the initial tie and was decided on penalties.
Club América: González; Burón, Valenzuela, Pimentel, Mares; Molina (Guerrero, 45'), Martínez (Velasco, 45'), Arroyo (Díaz, 45'), Mendoza (Madueña, 72'); Jiménez and Rey (Zúñiga, 51').
Atlético de Madrid: Moyá; Juanfran, Miranda, Lucas, Siqueira; Mario, Gabi, Arda (Manquillo, 91'), Koke, Saúl (Leo Baptistao, 55'); Raúl García (Héctor, 82').
Referee: The referee booked Raúl García (Min. 73) and Miranda (Min. 74).
Goals:
0-1. Gabi scores the first penalty. He tricks the goalkeeper who dives to his right and the captain scores the first by shooting to the left.
1-1. Raúl Jiménez surprises with a “paradiña” and ties the series.
2-1. Zúñiga tricks Atlético’s goalkeeper to score through the centre. Previously, Hugo Gonzalez had guessed the trajectory and saved Siquiera’s shot.
2-2. Miranda shoots an unstoppable strike from the tightest of angles and scores Atlético’s fifth penalty. Before that, a succession of errors. América’s goalkeeper saves magnificently Koke’s shot. A great save from Moyá in the third Mexican penalty. Mario Suárez shoots the ball to the crossbar on Atlético’s fourth and Burón sends the fourth shot of America’s series to the goal post.
3-2. Hugo González shoots the penalty that gives América the victory.
Events: Match corresponding to the EuroAmerican Cup played at Mexico’s Azteca before 40.000 spectators.
Atlético de Madrid ends its participation in the EuroAmerican Cup with a goalless draw against Mexico’s América, which won in the penalty shootout. The fans who travelled to the Azteca in the Mexican capital vibrated with a vert intense fixture.
The match had the same script throughout the game. Local control at the beginning and it reverted to us as the minutes passed. América had in Mendoza one of its best men. From his boots came the best local chance, which was responded by Moyá’s great intervention.
Atleti's best chances were a shot from Koke, which crashed against a defender, and a great header from Raúl García, which went wide by very little. No one was able to score and they reached the half-time with the initial 0-0. After the restart, América took the field with confidence. Despite the insistence of the Mexicans, our team looked for the goal repeatedly and Leo Baptistão was on the verge of finding it, but the local goalkeeper rejected his shot.
At the end of regulation time, the score was the initial 0-0 and everything was decided on the penalty shootouts. In the series, the local goalkeeper stood out. Hugo González stopped two shots from the penalty spot and scored the goal that gave América the victory at the Azteca.