Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI
Santos win a shoot out in mexico
March 5, 2009 StartingEleven.ca
TORREON MEXICO - Santos Laguna put together an incredible come back in the second half of play to snatch a semi-final berth from the Montreal Impact .
Santos came out early with a goal inside 20 minutes. Christian Benitez started off what turned out to be an offensive explosion by placing a header across Montreal netminder Matt Jordan and into the bottom corner off an early cross from the left flank.
The Impact, however quickly answered the call midway through the first half on a disastrous defensive error by Santos which put Roberto Brown clear in on goal to tie the game at one a piece.
Then late in the first half more lax defending on the part of the Laguna back four gave Eddie Sebrango the go ahead goal and Montreal went into the break with a seemingly impossible mountain for Santos to climb in the second half.
The second half started much like the first had ended in that Santos came out flying and quickly scored in the 54th minute tying the game at two a piece.
This by no means spelled the end for Montreal as they led the two leg series by a score of 4 - 2. Santos at this point would have to score three more goals to go through and it seemed as though Montreal were well on their way to the semi finals of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Santos drew another marker on 74 minutes to bring the aggregate score to 4 - 3 on a second goal by Matias Vuoso assisted by Jimenez and Quintero.
The injection of midfielder Carlos Darwin Quintero into the lineup at the half by Santos manager Daniel Castañeda, made a big difference with Quintero first ringing it off the post on 54 minutes and then scoring a goal that was called back offside in the 71st minute.
Quintero did however score two legitimate goals that ended the Impacts' Championship run first in the 3rd, then the 4th minutes of extra time.
The game was a phenomena in itself as the entire second half was played with Montreal on the defensive and the Santos goalkeeper touching the ball only twice in the second frame.
A devastating loss to the Impact ends their dream run in the Inaugural CONCACAF Champions league with their worst defeat in the whole tournament.
Montreal had not let 5 goals past Matt Jordan in the entire tournament up to this game.
Santos Laguna now move on to meet Atlante, also of the Mexican League in a two leg semi final, with the first leg to be played between March 17-19 and the second leg to be played April 7 - 9, 2009.
Montreal does not begin the USL first Division season until mid April.
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