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Monterrey vs Santos Laguna Match Preview

Ninety minutes separate Ruben Omar Romano from his first championship as a manager.

Twelve years of near-misses, cruel bounces of the ball and poor squads are almost over for the Argentine, who nonetheless will face an incredibly difficult task in front of him as a battle-hardened Monterrey team headed by a five-time champion manager lie before him.

Santos Laguna repeated their bid to be Mexican league champions after they were denied in the Bicentenario 2010, and with a favorable 3-2 result in the first leg, stand before their fourth league title in franchise history.

Goals by Jorge Iván Estrada, Carlos Darwin Quintero and possibly the costliest own goal in Duilio Davino's career put the lagoon up 3-2 after the first leg.

Neri Cardozo and the ever-dangerous Humberto Suazo kept Monterrey within arm's reach for the second leg, a game they must win by two goals in order to keep their manager Victor Manuel Vucetich's impressive streak alive of having never lost a final series in his career as manager.

On the other side of the pitch, as mentioned, Ruben Omar Romano, Santos' manager, has never won a final series in his twelve-year career.

With star strikers such as Christian Benitez and Quintero, spearheaded by a fantastic midfield that combines speed and skill with Daniel Ludueña, Fernando Arce and Jose María Cárdenas, Santos will attempt to monopolize the ball and push forward in Monterrey territory for the entirety of the 90 minutes.

Monterrey will attempt to win its first championship at home since 1986, coincidentally their first title in franchise history, when they defeated Tampico Madero.

Santos Laguna will try for their first title since 2008, when Daniel Guzman lead them to the promised land just a few months after being saved from relegation.

The Rayados are hoping that the aforementioned tandem of Suazo and Cardozo can generate a strong push offensively, while Aldo de Nigris and Osvaldo Martínez are also strong individuals that Vucetich can call on.

A single goal victory by Monterrey would push the game into extra time, one that has haunted Romano in the past, especially in the last tournament, when Toluca burned them from the penalty kick spot and crowned themselves for the tenth time in franchise history.

Finally, the game could mark the end of Christian Benitez and Humberto Suazo's careers in Mexico, as both South American strikers are sought after in Europe. Suazo previously played for Real Zaragoza in Spain, while Benitez tasted European football in England with Birmingham City.

Monterrey vs Santos Laguna Match Report

A tinge of fear was felt all throughout the city of Monterrey on Sunday night.

The dread wasn't stemming from the home team's locker room, as the Rayados looked loose and confident despite being a goal down. Santos Laguna weren't guilty of the feeling either. They were just 90 minutes away from potentially winning the title.

No, the fear that could be felt throughout the Estadio Tecnologico and beyond came strictly from the side of town that supports UANL Tigres... a team that has gone nearly 30 years without a title, were now dreading the fact that their hated rival could pick up their third in just seven years.

As the two teams took the field, parallels were drawn everywhere: Christian Benitez, the tournament's leading scorer, was the point man for Santos Laguna. On the other side, Humberto Suazo was the man in charge of leading the vaunted Monterrey attack to victory.

The touchline was full of intrigue as well – Victor Manuel Vucetich was going for a fifth league title, with the impressive statistic that explained the fact that Vucetich had never lost a final series. Santos Laguna boss Rubén Omar Romano had reached his share of finals, four counting this one... and had never won a single one.

Pressing with a one-goal lead as a visitor might not have seemed like the most likely strategy, but Romano's Santos did so, and surprised Monterrey for the first 15 minutes of the match. A stingy Rayado defense proved to be too much for Santos, and after a few strong counterattacks, Romano's tactic waned.

As Monterrey gained more confidence going forward, the tide of the match still seemed to favor Santos, as their lethal counterattack could sentence the series at any time. However, the grandeur and talent of the league's best player shined for the home team, and Suazo made it 1-0 for Monterrey, at that moment, sending the match and the fight for the championship to extra time.

Half time produced a tense few minutes coming out of the locker room for both teams, as both felt they had the title within their grasp. Romano backed his team off and decided to wait on Monterrey. Again, the tide of the match shifted and Monterrey gained ground on the visitors.

When Jose Maria Basanta headed the ball past Oswaldo Sanchez to make it 2-0 for Monterrey, there was no turning back. The apparent plays of luck and the history that defined both teams' managers was felt throughout the Tecnologico.

Monterrey, instead of waiting on Santos – pushed harder. The substitutions came from Romano, to no avail. Humberto Suazo was responsible to drive the last nail into the coffin by slamming home a fantastic shot that culminated a wonderful season for both player and club.

The celebration was on. Monterrey almost made it 4-0, but the rout was not to be. When Armando Archundia's whistle blew for the last time in his storied career, the sound meant another end – the end of the Apertura 2010 season and the end of Romano's hopes to end his foul streak.

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