Cancún beat Durango 2-0 in the Lliga de Expansión MX, Apertura round four, on Saturday night. The result moves the hosts off the bottom while Durango remain in mid-table. It was not a performance that suggested a comfortable win, but two goals inside twelve minutes settled things.
And here's the thing about the first goal — J. Rodriguez found the net at the 33-minute mark with a strike that caught the goalkeeper off his line. The hosts had been probing for a while, and this was the moment they pulled the strings. Durango's defence had not looked entirely solid, but this was clinical.
C. Trejo doubled the advantage from the penalty spot at 37 minutes. The visitors had conceded a spot-kick after a foul in the area, and Trejo made no mistake. By then Cancún were breathing easier, though Durango had not yet been properly tested after falling behind.
The second half belonged to the visitors in territory, but not in danger. Durango came on for more substitutions at the hour mark, bringing on C. Vega Hernandez, J. Angulo, F. Melendre and P. Uscanga in a single window. They pushed forward, but Cancún's back line held firm with 21 clearances and 12 successful tackles.
To be fair, the statistics tell a story of dominance that did not translate on the board. Durango held 71 per cent of possession, launched 116 attacks and completed 542 passes. Cancún managed 29 per cent possession, 83 attacks and 174 passes. Yet the hosts registered seven shots on target compared to Durango's two.
Shots accuracy tells you everything — 54 per cent for the winners, 15 per cent for the visitors. Durango had 10 key passes and 128 passes into the final third, but big chances created stood at just one against Cancún's two. The high line was picked apart when it mattered, and that is what separates this from a lucky result.
Cancún sit 14th with six points from five games, having not won since their victory over Toluka in July. This ends a run of three defeats. Durango remain 10th with eight points from seven matches, still without a fourth straight win this season.
