Dinenno guides Pumas to comeback and semifinals in Concacaf

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Juan Dinenno scored a double that served to erase a huge deficit and send the game to penalties, where the Argentine striker hit the winning shot for Pumas, who rose from the canvas and eliminated the Revolution from New England.

The epic comeback allowed the Mexican team to advance to the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League by winning 4-3 in the shootout.

Dinenno scored the first goal of the game in the 33rd minute and added another in the 48th, both from Brazilian Rogerio de Oliveira. American Sebastian Saucedo added a goal in the 59th to send the game to penalties.

The defeat in the first leg by 3-0 seemed to condemn the university students, but the team led by the Argentine Andrés Lillini went out to look for the comeback from the beginning and from 11 steps they got their passage to the semifinals, where they will face Cruz Azul.

The university students controlled possession of the ball from the start and went ahead when Omar Islas sent a cross from the right into the area where De Oliveira prologued for Dinenno, who used his left thigh to send the ball into the net.

Pumas got closer on aggregate at the start of the second half when De Oliveira sent a cross from the right into the six-yard box, where Dinenno anticipated a marker and converted with a low shot to the right post by goalkeeper Earl Edwards.

The university students extended their lead and leveled the series in the 59th when Saucedo received a ball inside the area and made a powerful shot that entered the center of the goal and passed through Edwards’s hands.

The Revolution was able to resolve the game in the 90th minute with a shot by Omar González that was hurriedly rejected by Alfredo Talavera.

On penalties, Arturo Ortiz, Alan Mozo, Nicolás Freire and Dinenno converted for the Pumas.

Alfredo Talavera saved Thomas McNamara’s attempt and Sebastian Lletget sent his attempt over the goal.

THE MACHINE ALSO ADVANCES

Defender Rudy Camacho scored in the final minutes and Montreal 1-1 with Cruz Azul, which did not prevent the Mexican club from qualifying for the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League with an aggregate score of 2-1.

Right-wing midfielder Uriel Antuna put the visitors ahead in the 44th minute and Frenchman Camacho equalized in the 79th.

The Machine won the first leg 1-0 at the Azteca Stadium with a goal from Antuna.

With the result, Cruz Azul is back in the semifinals of this tournament for the second consecutive year. In 2021 he lost to Monterrey in the instance of the four best.

The light blue team has six Concacaf titles, where it is the second most successful team behind America (7).

Montreal was seeking its first semifinals since the 2014-15 season.