The Pumas de la UNAM and the Aguilas del America had a favorable Saturday matchday on the fifth day of the Leagues Cup when the felines beat Atlanta United 3-2 and the Americanistas won in a perfect penalty shootout 8-7 over Minnesota United within this rivalry between Liga MX and MLS.

While it is true that not everything was rosy for the university squad, as the international goalkeeper scored an own goal and was then sent off, which is why he will miss the duel against Inter Miami next Wednesday on the third date of this competition, a hard blow for this important game.

Pumas, however, did not have a quiet day, as Atlanta United struggled too much and were on the verge of snatching victory in the final play when in a one-on-one between Costa Rican goalkeeper Navas and Senegalese forward Jamal Thiare, the Mexican team's keeper brought him down outside the area and was sent off and missed the game against the Florida Herons.

Meanwhile, in the development of the actions, the Pumas were the first team to take the lead in the match with a penalty scored by Colombian José Angulo after a foul on Ecuadorian Pedro Vite, which the Colombian player converted with a shot to the right in the 23rd minute.

Later, Atlanta United responded and tied the match in the 34th minute when Keylor Navas tried to stop a ball at the near post in a shot by Georgian striker Saba Lobzhanidze that was credited as an own goal by the Central American goalkeeper.

The blow of Atlanta United's first goal hit the Mexicans too hard, who were disconcerted and allowed the university squad to turn the score around with the 1-2 scored by Ivorian striker Emmanuel Latte Lath in a two-touch play where he closed the pincer to beat Keylor Navas.

For the second half a great goal by Adalberto Carrasquilla in the 61st minute recovered the feline smile in the 62nd minute when they pressed with everything in search of the tie until they got the 2-2, which encouraged the feline rebellion so that in the 88th minute in a penalty against Jorge Ruvalcaba allowed Carrasquilla to put the final 3-2 in a shot that hit the post and in the rebound he ended up putting the ball in the goal of the desperate goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Thus came the last play where Navas in his eagerness to avoid damage to his goal was expelled and with that the feline squad will have to use in the game against Inter Miami any of its two young and inexperienced goalkeepers, including Rodrigo Parra who could have another chance to put their poor performances behind them.

America lethal in the penalties

For its part, America came out ahead in an intense duel against Minnesota United where on three occasions they recovered from the disadvantage placed on them by an accurate American team taking advantage of a great performance by Argentine Joaquin Pereyra, who took over the reins of the squad from the state of Minneapolis.

But if Minnesota was accurate, America always had the personality to recover even with ten men from minute 62 due to the expulsion of Chilean defender Igor Lichnovsky that put the Americanists against the wall, but they managed to recover to achieve the a 3-3 draw that sent the match to penalties where the Mexicans were lethal with all eight shots accurately scored.

But in normal time, Minnesota took the lead with a goal by Nigerian Tani Oluwaseyi on a two-touch play when the African was sent a ball into the gap and went all out to beat the defender and beat Malagon in the 16th minute to make it 1-0.

But eleven minutes later, in a cross into the area where the Americans goalkeeper, Canadian Dayne St. Clair, trying to take a ball, was deflected by New Zealand defender Michael Boxall to nestle it into his own net to make it 1-1.

Four minutes later, in a great play by the Argentine Pereyra on the left flank, leaving his teammate, South African Bongokuhle Hlongwane, alone on the right flank to put United 2-1 up and go into the break with the advantage on the scoreboard.

For the second half, America put pressure on their opponents and in the 53rd minute, Jose “La Pantera” Zuniga headed in a cross from the left by Alejandro Zendejas, who almost put the ball in with his hand for Zuniga to finish at ease and make it 2-2.

Then came the second warning to Chilean Igor Lichnovsky to leave América with ten men and immediately Minnesota took the lead with a cross shot from Panamanian Carlos Harvey that beat the attempt of goalkeeper Luis Malagon in the 65th minute.

It seemed that the North American team would take the victory, but in the 90th minute a corner kick taken by Brian Rodríguez from the left wing with so much effect that it allowed Uruguayan Sebastian Caceres to come from behind to head it in and tie the score at 3-3 sending the game to penalties.

The intense penalties

In the penalty kicks, America, unlike its first match where it did not was able to prevail in the penalty shootout against Real Salt Lake, now the Americanists made no mistakes in their shots by converting all eight of their shots.

Here they scored Brian Rodriguez, Alejandro Zendejas, Sebastian Caceres, Israel Reyes, Rodrigo Aguirre, Cristian Borja, Erick Sanchez and the final one by Isaiah Violante who took advantage of the only mistake by Argentine Nicolas Romero in the eighth shot of the Americans to leave the score 8-7.

Prior to that Minnesota scored seven penalties through Joaquin Pereyra, Kelvin Yeboah, Will Trapp, Carlos Harvey, Julian Gressel, Joseph Rosales, Michael Boxall, in a spectacular duel between the players of the Liga MX and Major League Soccer (MLS).