The match held on Wednesday at Estadio El Kraken witnessed an exciting showdown where Mazatlán faced off against the Warriors of Santos Laguna, culminating in a 2-2 tie.
Action-packed from the start, Mazatlán opened the scoring in just the 9th minute with a well-executed goal from Roberto Meraz. Santos Laguna responded strongly, with Aldo López leveling the match at 1-1 shortly after halftime (57’). Kevin Palacios then gave Santos a temporary 2-1 lead with a stunning strike in the 75th minute, but Mazatlán equalized in stoppage time through Facundo Almada’s header (90+2’).
Palacios’ goal was applauded by fans as he connected beautifully from a Jesus Ocejo assist, placing the ball precisely into the net.
Despite aiming 23 shots at goal, Mazatlán struggled to secure a win, managing only 11 shots on target, while 10 efforts went wide.
Jesus Ocejo had a remarkable performance for Santos Laguna, contributing with 2 shots and made 2 successful passes from the midfield.
Defender Facundo Almada stood out for Mazatlán, not only for his defensive prowess but also for stepping up to score a crucial goal.
Under the guidance of coach Robert Dante Siboldi, Mazatlán deployed a 5-3-2 formation, with Ricardo Gutiérrez in goal; Bryan Colula, Roberto Meraz, Facundo Almada, Ángel Leyva, and Jair Díaz forming the defensive line; Anderson Duarte, José Esquivel, and Mauro Laínez in midfield; and Jesus Hernández alongside Fábio Gomes in attack.
On the other hand, Francis Farinós set his side up in a 4-5-1 formation featuring Carlos Acevedo as the goalkeeper; José Abella, Haret Ortega, Kevin Balanta, and Bruno Amione in defense; Aldo López, Javier Güémez, Cristian Dájome, Salvador Mariscal, and Ramiro Sordo controlling the midfield; with Antony Lozano leading the forward line.
Match official Karen Hernández Andrade ensured that the game flowed smoothly throughout.
Looking ahead, Mazatlán will host Club América in their next match, while the Warriors will take on Querétaro at home. Currently, Mazatlán finds itself in 14th place in the league standings with 12 points, while Santos Laguna sits in 11th place with 14 points.
Substitutions for Mazatlán
67’ – Anderson Duarte replaced by Dudu Teodora and Jesus Hernández substituted for Édgar Bárcenas.
70’ – Roberto Meraz off for Alan Torres.
82’ – Jair Díaz taken off for Nicolás Benedetti.
Yellow Cards for Mazatlán:
37’ – Jair Díaz (Unsporting behavior) and 67’ – José Esquivel (Unsporting behavior).
Substitutions for Santos Laguna
45’ – Antony Lozano off for Jesus Ocejo and José Abella substituted by Fran Villalba.
61’ – Salvador Mariscal replaced by Kevin Palacios.
83’ – Ramiro Sordo taken off for Diego Medina.
94’ – Aldo López substituted for Edson Gutiérrez.
Yellow Cards for Santos Laguna:
46’ – Salvador Mariscal (Unsporting behavior) and 96’ – Cristian Dájome (Unsporting behavior).