Underdog ahead

Cruz Azul wins opening game in Mexican semifinals

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Home team Cruz Azul outlasted heavily favored Universitario de Nuevo Leon 1-0 on Wednesday, in the first of the teams' two meetings during the semifinals of the Mexican Winter League.

Wednesday's second semifinal match saw Toluca storm into Hidalgo stadium outside Mexico City and battle home team Pachuca to a 1-1 drawn in the first of their two semifinal meetings.

Youngster Marinho Ledezma was the hero for Cruz Azul, scoring the game's only goal in the 29th minute. Ledezma took a long setup pass from Ignacio Flores and fired a close-range shot from the left side past sprawling goalkeeper Oscar Dautt.

After Ledezma's goal, his team used a smothering defense to frustrate bigger, faster Universitario and delight 38,000 screaming fans at Mexico City's Azul Stadium.

Universitario's best chance to tie the game came in the 31st minute when striker Sindey Balderas fired a shot from the top of the box that diving goalkeeper Oscar Perez was just able to reach.

Ledezma and Flores played sparingly for Cruz Azul during the regular season. But Ledezma got the start Wednesday after a leg injury sidelined Argentinean standout Angel Morales. Flores, meanwhile, started in place of Miguel Zepeda, who was serving a one-game suspension for rough play during Cruz Azul's 4-0 win over Necaxa on Sunday.

The two teams will meet again Saturday in Universitario's home stadium in the northern city of Monterrey.

The late game's first goal came when Paraguayan Jose Saturnino Cardozo got free deep inside the Pachuca zone and put a shot past goalkeeper Jesus Alfaro.

The home team evened the score in the 73rd minute when Gabriel Caballero took a perfectly timed centering pass from Gabriel De Anda, out ran two defenders and easily deposited the ball in the center of the net.

Pachuca travels to Toluca for the teams' second semifinal contest Saturday.

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