The Ecuadorian put the pass for the first score of the Fiera and with his goals he traced the result in favor of his team.
The Ecuadorian Ángel Mena converted a couple of goals this Thursday to give León a 3-2 victory over Atlas, in the first leg of the final of the Apertura 2021 Mexican soccer tournament.
Mena, twice, and the Chilean Víctor Dávila, scored for the Lion of the Argentine coach Ariel Holán, while the Atlas, led by the Argentine coach Diego Cocca, discounted with targets from Luis Reyes and the Argentine Julio Furch.
Atlas came out to put pressure on their rival’s stadium and, in an oversight by the defense, surprised him in the 11th minute with a goal from Reyes’ right leg in a hands-off.
León went out in search of the equalizer and began to push back the rival, but in the 30th the Colombian Andrés Mosquera suffered a muscle strain and six minutes later he left the field, replaced by the Argentine Ramiro González.
In 37 the León tied with a good combination. Mena came in on the right wing and put a cross; Chilean Jean Meneses intercepted him and gave the ball to Dávila, who converted from left to corner.
Meneses and Colombian William Tesillo shot from the outside in a pair of arrivals from León, who finished the first half better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrjQ3rWBKQA
The Lion increased the pace in the second half in which Mena and Meneses stepped on the area with danger, the second with a shot to the crossbar in the 54th minute.
Atlas held on without giving up the counterattack and in 65 regained the advantage with an elegant goal from Furch. Colombian Julián Quiñones hampered the defense and Furch shot left-handed with everything in his favor.
When Cocca’s team was about to close the game, it failed at its strongest point: defense.
In 78 León regained the advantage by taking advantage of the error of the Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, the second in two games; Meneses shot, the ball bounced off the goalkeeper and Mena put it into the net for 2-2.
Atlas’s defense, the best in the championship, made water; Aldo Rocha shot down Dávila in the area and It caused a penalty that converted Mena, who reached six goals in the last four games.
The return leg will be played on Sunday at the Jalisco stadium, in Guadalajara, the western part of the country, home of the Atlas.
In this final, Atlas seeks their second league title after having won the first 70 years ago in the 1950-51 season. For his part, the Lion is going for his ninth championship. (D)
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