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 Yosgart Gutiérrez
DF 8 Carlos Bonet
DF 14 Joaquín Beltrán
DF 13 Alejandro Castro  72'
DF 21 Jaime Lozano
MF 6 Gerardo Torrado (c)
MF 7 Cristian Riveros  12'
MF 23 Edgar Lugo  46'
MF 18 César Villaluz
FW 11 Miguel Sabah
FW 9 Pablo Zeballos  71'
Substitutes:
GK 1 Alfonso Blanco
DF 32 Emilio Hassan Viades  72'
DF 16 Rogelio Chávez
MF 5 Gabino Velasco
FW 29 Martín Galván
FW 19 Alejandro Vela  71'
FW 15 Nicolás Vigneri  46'
Manager:
Benjamín Galindo
TOLUCA:
GK 1 Hernán Cristante
DF 16 Sergio Amaury Ponce
DF 14 Edgar Dueñas
DF 3 Paulo Da Silva (c)
DF 6 Manuel De La Torre
MF 55 Israel López
MF 5 Martín Romagnoli
MF 75 Néstor Calderón  67'
MF 10 Zinha
FW 11 Carlos Esquivel
FW 9 Héctor Mancilla  60'  80'
Substitutes:
GK 12 César Lozano
DF 24 José Manuel Cruzalta
DF 4 Miguel Almazán
DF 29 Mario Méndez
MF 18 Carlos Adrián Morales
MF 21 Diego De La Torre  67'
FW 59 Raúl Nava  80'
Manager:
José Manuel De la Torre

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

Second leg

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

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

References