CA La Paz saw off Mineros de Zacatecas 3-0 in the Liga de Expansión MX, Apertura round seven on Friday evening. The hosts took control from the opening exchanges and never looked back, extending their winning run to four matches. By then they had already established the kind of dominance that separates contenders from the rest.
U. Jaimes broke the deadlock in the eighteenth minute, and here's the thing — it wasn't just the goal that mattered. The manner of it suggested this would be a one-sided affair. Mineros tried to respond but found their passing game disrupted by persistent pressure. The home side had carved them open with a combination of width and directness.
Things came to a head in the seventieth minute when J. Esquivel was shown a red card. The dismissal changed the complexion of the contest entirely, though CA La Paz had already put it beyond doubt. Mineros went chasing shadows for the remainder, their shape collapsing without their defensive anchor. The visitors' coach had already turned to the kids to find solutions.
M. Barragán restored the two-goal cushion in the eighty-third minute, and J. Ferrer added a third four minutes later. Substitutions had been made on both sides — K. Magana and A. Villalobos came off for CA La Paz in the sixty-fifth minute, while Mineros made several changes in the seventy-fourth. The away end never stopped, but there was nothing left to play for.
CA La Paz shot with greater accuracy, landing eight on target compared to Mineros' two, and created three big chances against none. The visitors managed more dribbles and won equal aerial duels, but those statistics meant little when the scoreline told a different story. Possession was evenly matched at 53 per cent, yet the home side's passes into the final third told the real tale.
The result keeps CA La Paz in third place on 13 points from seven games, while Mineros remain fifth with 11. Both sides have played the same number of matches, so the gap is now two points with six rounds remaining. The clean-sheet run came to an end for Mineros, but the real story is how quickly this game was decided.
