Apertura Week 17: Tigres 1, Puebla 0

Tigres lifted themselves into the third seed in the Liguilla playoffs with a 1-0 win over Puebla Sunday at Estadio Cuauhtemoc. Jesus Duenas scored the only goal of the match, heading home Lucas Lobos’s right-side cross in the 26th minute.

Tigres close out the Apertura at 7-7-3, with 28 points. Puebla missed the playoff cut at 6-4-7, 22 pts.

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Ivan Alonso Gets Hat Trick to Secure a Thrilling 4-3 Win For Toluca

Uruguayan forward Ivan Alonso put in the performance of the round as he struck for a hat-trick in a thrilling 4-3 home win for Toluca over Puebla. It wasn't all smooth sailing for Toluca, though as it fell behind when Gonzalo Pineda outpaced the home defense and finished well, though Alonso would strike back immediately, rounding the goalkeeper and finishing into an empty net to make it 1-1 on 20 minutes. Not long after, Puebla was once again ahead as Felix Araujo scored a comical own goal, putting a cross into his own net under minimal pressure, but Alonso bailed him out just before halftime with a well-struck free kick.

It was all Toluca in the second half, and Alonso got his hat-trick with a towering header in the 51st minute before Carlos Esquivel scored a fourth from an impossible angle after some poor positioning from Puebla goalkeeper Alexandro Alvarez. Spanish playmaker Luis Garcia scored a sumptuous consolation goal in injury time with a powerful strike from distance.

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Beasley gets his first score of the season for Puebla in 2-1 win

DaMarcus Beasley scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal as Puebla ended Puma’s unbeaten run in the Apertura 2011, taking a 2-1 home victory on Sunday in Mexican Primera División action.

In the 24th minute of the game, the first goal of Beasley’s career in Mexico came as he met a right wing cross with a firm header that gave the keeper no chance.

Beasley has now started every game for Puebla this season and is adapting to playing in a deeper left midfield role with more defensive responsibility than he is used to, he said last week.

Credit: Tom Marshall at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com or via Twitter: @mexicoworldcup

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DaMarcus Beasley makes competitive debut for Puebla

DaMarcus Beasley made his competitive debut for Puebla Saturday night. The American left-sider played 88 minutes in a 1-0 win over Atlas to kick off Puebla's Apertura season.

The 29-year-old joined the Mexican club from Hannover in Germany. His playing time has diminished since a string of unfortunate injuries, following a successful stint at PSV Eindhoven.

Beasley's best chance at a tally against Atlas came in the 23rd minute. He collected a pass from former Liverpool player Luis Garcia and shot just wide.

Beasley, a veteran of three World Cups, has 93 international caps.

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