Nightmare on the return! Atlante falls to Necaxa with a controversial penalty
Atlante returned to the Liga MX after 4,380 days of absence, but the return was negative when they fell to Necaxa 2-1 due to refereeing sins
It took 12 years—exactly 4,380 days—for Atlante to set foot in Liga MX again. However, the return of the Iron Colts was bitter, largely due to suffering the rigor of refereeing by whistler Yonatan Peinado, whose judgment was far from the level of the elite of world football.
The arbitration controversy that changed the course
At minute 80, Mr. Peinado pointed out a too harsh maximum penalty on the Argentine Julián Carranza. In the play, the Necaxi striker pushed a Barça defender before being grabbed by the shirt. The referee ignored the previous foul and ordered the penalty that meant 1-1.
That action buried the Colts' hopes in their comeback game in the top circuit. Until that moment, those led by Miguel Herrera had dominated the match and even won with a score by Eugenio Pizzuto in the 47th minute.
The approach of “Piojo” Herrera
The Barça squad had managed to nullify the necaxista attack made up of Lorenzo Faravelli, Julián Carranza and Ricardo Monreal. However, Atlante did not do much to end the game either; Several players struggled with the rhythm of the first division and began to lose the divided balls.
True to his style, “Piojo” opted for Mexican pride. They started the game with nine national players and only two foreigners, looking to do damage with the attacks of the Ecuadorian Julio Palacios and adding minor minutes with the rookie Luis Puente.
Necaxa took advantage of the emotional blow
After Carranza's goal from the eleven steps in the 81st minute, Necaxa went forward with all its arsenal. The final blow came at minute 90 3, born from a hesitation by the Atlantic defense. The Rayos youth player, Misael Pedroza, took advantage of the error and chipped the ball before the goalkeeper came out to sign the 2-1 comeback.
The Colts tried to react in added time, but history was already written. Atlante's reunion with high-level football ended in a painful defeat.
Atlante will have to turn the page quickly and look for their first victory on Matchday 2, where they will revive a classic of yesteryear when they host América on the Azteca Stadium field.