Mexico City, Mexico – America claimed the Mexican Clausura title on Sunday in dramatic fashion by beating Cruz Azul, 2-1, in the second leg, and then winning 4-2 on penalty kicks.
Cruz Azul traveled to America after a 1-0 win in the first leg, and things started terribly for the home side as Jesus Molina was sent off in the 14th minute.
America fell behind 2-0 on aggregate in the 20th to a goal from Teofilo Gutierrez, and faced an uphill climb down a man and down two goals.
But then America came life in the 89th minute when Aquivaldo Mosquera headed home a corner kick, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
The hosts still needed another goal to stay alive, and it came under the most dramatic circumstances as America goalkeeper Moises Rodriguez got forward on a corner kick and sent a diving header toward the goal that Cruz Azul's Alejandro Castro deflected into his own net in the third minute of added time.
Neither side was able to score in the extra 30 minutes, and America converted all four of its penalty kick attempts, while Cruz Azul missed its first two, including one from Castro which sailed over the net.
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