Double joy for Guadalajara, Ronaldinho in Mexico
ByReuters
Published 19/04/2015 at 14:59 GMT
Guadalajara celebrated a double, staying top of the Mexican championship and avoiding relegation, and so did Ronaldinho with a two-goal cameo in Queretaro's 4-0 rout of America at the weekend.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
Queretaro were two goals up when Ronaldinho came on in the 84th minute at America's Azteca stronghold and proceeded to score two minutes later steering the ball between goalkeeper Hugo Gonzalez's legs.
The former world player of the year completed title holders America's humiliation two minutes into stoppage time after a one-two.
The home crowd's standing ovation for the Brazilian reminded him of a similar response from Real Madrid fans when he scored a brilliant goal for Barcelona in a Spanish Liga "clasico".
"It's a big thrill in my life, it had happened to me at the Bernabeu and how here. I'll never forget it," Ronaldinho told Televisa.
The victory lifted Queretaro into the top eight who qualify for the knockout phase of the championship after the 17-match league phase.
Their joy may be short lived though with Pachuca two points behind them looking for a win at relegation candidates UG Leones Negros on Sunday (2200 GMT).
The Chivas, who drew 1-1 at Tijuana on Friday, were helped in their fight to avoid the drop by city rivals Atlas's 1-0 victory at relegation-threatened Puebla on Saturday.
Guadalajara will not finish bottom of the relegation standings based on teams' average points over three seasons even if they lose their last three matches of the Clausura's league phase.
They have 25 points, one more than Tijuana and Veracruz, who drew 1-1 at Chiapas on Friday.
Fourth-placed UANL Tigres, their confidence sky high after reaching the last-16 of the South American Libertadores Cup unbeaten in six group matches, crushed city rivals Monterrey 3-0 in their derby.
Monterrey's Argentine coach Antonio Mohamed had to watch from the stands serving a two-match ban for protesting during the previous weekend's 1-1 draw at home to America, the side he steered to the Apertura title in December.
Cruz Azul lost the chance to join Guadalajara on 25 points with a 2-0 defeat at bottom side Morelia.
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