2-1: First blow for Lewandowski
The Rayados de Monterrey Yesterday Tuesday they sealed the ticket for the semifinals of the Leagues Cup with a worthy 2-1 victory at the SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview (Chicago) against the Chicago Firewith a decisive goal from Orbelín Pineda in the 83rd minute.
A volley from Pineda qualified a Monterrey team that had taken the lead on the brink of half-time thanks to Víctor Guzmán on the brink of half-time, after a penalty missed by Lucas Ocampos, and that had received the 1-1 from the Danish Philip Zinckernagel. Monterrey will play the Leagues Cup semifinals next week against the winner of the match between América and Columbus Crew.
It was played in a SeatGeek Stadium full of fans and with a large group of Monterrey fans who saw how their team competed with character and aggressiveness against the Fire’s good start. The physical pressure against Lewandowski stopped the Pole and Monterrey, after a timid start, broke the tie on the brink of half-time. He tasted it in the 42nd minute, when Hugo Cuypers collided with goalkeeper Chris Brady in the penalty area and earned a maximum penalty. Lucas Ocampos launched it with power, but hit the post.
It was only a matter of minutes. In the fifth minute of added time, Víctor Guzmán broke the tie with a perfect header after a cross from Gerardo Arteaga. The Fire reacted after the restart, boosted by the great personal performance of left back Andrew Gutman. He assisted Zinckernagel to make it 1-1 at the hour mark.
TECHNICAL SHEET
2 – Monterrey: Esteban Andrada; Gerardo Arteaga, Carlos Salcedo, Víctor Guzmán, Ricardo Chávez; Orbelín Pineda, Óliver Torres (Ambriz, m.91); Jesús Corona (Jorge Rodrífuez, m.84), Lucas Ocampos, Diego Rossi (Luis Reyes, m.91); Hugo Cuypers (Orellano, d.94).
1 – Chicago Fire: Chris Brady; Jonathan Dean (Bamba, m.84), Joel Waterman, Jack Elliott, Andrew Gutman; Djé D’Avilla (Pineda, m.57), Sergio Oregel Jr. (Lod, m.57), Anton Salétros; Put Dithejane (Haile Selassie, d.72), Robert Lewandowski, Philip Zinckernagel.
Goals: 1-0, m.45+5: Guzmán. 1-1, m.59: Zinckernagel. 2-1, m.83: Pineda.
Referee: Rubiel Vázquez (USA). He showed yellow card to Salcedo (m.29) and Rossi (m.87), from Monterrey, and Brady (m.42), Zinckernagel (m.45), Saletros (m.63), Gutman (m.80), from Fire.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup played at the SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, on the outskirts of Chicago, before 18,131 spectators.
A phase of the match began in which both teams looked for the goal. Ocampos shook the Fire defense with his ditch, but it was a marvel from Pineda in bringing joy to Monterrey. In the 83rd minute, the former Celta Vigo player beat the goalkeeper with a powerful cross shot from his right leg that ended up in the back of the net for the 2-1 score.
