Cruz Azul manage to win title again after 24 year drought

01.06.2021 01:55 of Desk TransferMarketWeb   see readings
Cruz Azul manage to win title again after 24 year drought
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© photo Daniele Buffa/Image Sport

Cruz Azul are Mexican champions once again, after tying 1-1 with Santos Laguna on Sunday in the Estadio Azteca. That result was good enough to give la Maquina a 2-1 win in the aggregate, after the Mexico City club had defeated Santos 1-0 on their own turf earlier last week. It is the first time Cruz Azul are crowned champions since 1997, ending a 24-year drought that was Mexico's second longest, beaten out only by Atlas' ongoing 70 year wait.

The match saw Santos come out as the more aggressive of the two sides in the early stages, looking for a goal that would give them a tie in the aggregate. That goal became reality for los laguneros thanks to Diego Valdes in the 36th minute with a well-placed strike from just outside the area. Cruz Azul's defensive mindset contributed to the scoreline, and the cementeros came out with more aggression at the start of the second half, with offensive subs Santiago Gimenez and Yoshimar Yotun that set the stage for a Cruz Azul score in the 50th minutes, courtesy of Uruguayan striker Johnathan Rodriguez. 

From then on, Santos did everything they could to tie the aggregate score but without success, giving Cruz Azul the title after more than two decades.