Pumas UNAM roared back from a three-goal deficit in the first leg to level the quarterfinal series before advancing to the Concacaf Champions League semifinals 4-3 on penalty kicks over the New England Revolution Wednesday night at Estadio Olimpico Universitario.
Pumas, which won the second leg 3-0 after a defeat by the same scoreline in Foxborough last week, will meet Cruz Azul in an all-Liga MX semifinal after La Máquina ousted CF Montréal earlier Wednesday 2-1 on aggregate.
Juan Dinenno opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, directing the ball into the net with his thigh off a Rogério ball played toward the far post. Dinenno had his brace four minutes into the second half with a sliding effort at the edge of the six-yard box.
Former Real Salt Lake homegrown Sebastian Saucedo leveled the series just before the hour mark, latching onto a failed headed clearance in the box by Brandon Bye before firing over Earl Edwards Jr.
Both teams had chances to win it at the death, with Omar Gonzalez denied on a close-range header and Edwards coming up with a save on the other end moments later. The aggregate series went to PKs in Mexico City, where Dinenno buried the decisive kick in the fifth round after Sebastian Lletget skied his attempt in the fourth round.
GoalsÂ
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: All the Revs needed was one goal to really put pressure on Pumas, who would have needed to score five on the night. And New England will rue the missed chances, including an open look early in the first half by Adam Buksa and one in second-half stoppage time by Gonzalez.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: There’s a certain ironic twist to an RSL homegrown who competed for the United States on the youth levels being the one who ultimately buried the Revs and caused more MLS heartbreak in CCL.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: While Dinenno was no doubt the hero for Pumas, with a regulation brace and the winning PK, Carles Gil put in a tremendous shift for the Revs and nearly had what would have been his team's decisive goal if not for a diving save by Alfredo Talavera.
Next UpÂ
- PUM: Saturday, March 19 vs. Necaxa | 7 pm ET | Liga MX Clausura
- NE: Saturday, March 19 at Charlotte FC | 7 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; on DAZN in Canada) | MLS regular season
