In need of a big performance to move further in the 2013 Mexican Clausura tournament, Club America performed the way a 10-time champion should during a crucial moment in the season.
Quarterfinal Recap
Tied 1-1 in the final minute of play during their quarterfinal match with Pumas UNAM, Christian Benitez blasted a shot through the pipes to send his America team to the 2013 Mexican Clausura semi-finals.
The goal by Benitez was his second of the game and one of the biggest of the 27-year-olds career.
His first tally came in the 56th-minute of the match with his team trailing 1-0 even though they had ample opportunities to score. Pumas star Robin Ramirez score the game's first goal in the 22nd minute, pacing Pumas to an early advantage while seemingly giving them all the momentum.
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Proud of his team for advancing, Club America manager Miguel Herrera knew the quarterfinal series with the always-dangerous Pumas would be entertaining entering the first leg.
"The first thing I'm sure of is that it will be spectacular," Herrera told Goal.com before the quarters began. "It's a clasico and we're going into it with the idea of going through to the next round and winning both the games."
It certainly was a classic battle as America and Pumas are main rivals since they're only separated by 5 miles in Mexico City. The challenge of continuing success built in the early parts of this season's tournament now takes a step up in difficulty as America will need to defeat an extremely talented Monterrey team if they're to win their first title since 2005.
America vs. Monterrey Semi-Final Preview
Monterrey has won 4 titles in their history and finished 2nd to Santos Laguna in the 2012 Clausura finals. While Laguna battles Cruz Azul in the other semi-final, Monterrey will certainly have their hands full with Club America.
Disposing of Tigres UANL in the quarterfinal round, Monterrey will need to continue their level of balance on offense, something that has aided them in claiming 13 victories during the 2012-2013 season.
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While they hold the ability to start quickly in most of their matches, Monterrey is most dangerous during the final 15 minutes of matches, as 21% of their scoring comes toward the end of games, giving them somewhat of an upper hand in close contests.
29-year-old attacker Aldo de Nigris paces the Monterrey offense as the team leader in goals with 10 this season. Appearing in 34 matches during the year, de Nigris is paired with Humber Andres along an explosive attack line. During the last 3 seasons, the 32-year-old has notched a total of 44 goals.
With a player like Christian Benitez on the Club America side, the attack unit for Monterrey must be on point when they start the first leg of their semi-final series on Wednesday, May 15th.
Benitez is sure to be involved in the America offense as he led the entire league in goals this year with 27 total tallies. The star attacker has cracked the 20-goal mark in each of the past 3 seasons while guiding Club America to 21 wins, 12 draws and only 7 losses in 2013.
With Benitez and the rest of the America attack line including Raul Jimenez on point, Club America is more than capable of winning an 11th title, something only Guadalajara has achieved.
Santos Laguna vs. Cruz Azul Semi-Final Preview
The 2012 Clausura champions will have a chance to repeat as Santos Laguna took down Atlas in the 2013 quarterfinals. Darwin Quintero - the team leader in goals - notched two crucial tallies in the 3-1 victory.
Trailing early in the match following an Omar Bravo goal, Santos attacker Andres Renteria evened the match at the 15-minute mark of the first half. Able to sustain various rushes from the Atlas offense, Santos was shut down their opponents for the remainder of the game and cruised to victory on the strength of Quintero's goals.
While Santos was disposing of Atlas, 8-time champion Cruz Azul was handling their business in their quarterfinal match with Morelia.
Consistent play from phenomenal attacker Mariano Pavone paved the way for Azul to advance further into the tournament. Falling in the 2008 final to Santos Laguna, Cruz Azul is more than capable of making a run at the title in 2013.
With top players including Pavone and star midfielder Christian Gimenez, Azul boasts a balanced attack line and depth along their midfield units.
Santos and Cruz begin their semi-final series on Thursday, May 16th.
The 2013 Mexican Clausura semi-finals should not disappoint as each of the 4 teams brings a uniqueness as well as a certain level of toughness into the Final Four.
With the great history teams like America and Cruz have created over the years, the 2013 event should be one of the best in recent memory.
WATCH Some Of The Best Goals From Club America's Christian Benitez:
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