Keylor Navas’ Heroics Not Enough as Pumas Lose Dramatic Liga MX Final
Keylor Navas came within minutes of another major title Sunday night, but Pumas UNAM saw the Liga MX Clausura final slip away in stoppage time as Cruz Azul won 2-1 at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City. The result gave Cruz Azul its 10th Mexican league title and left Pumas with a painful end to a tournament that had Costa Rican fans closely following every save from Navas. The first leg finished 0-0 on Thursday, making Sunday’s return match a winner-take-all final.
For much of the night, it looked as if Pumas might finally end its long title drought. Robert Morales put the home side ahead in the 31st minute, finishing after a scramble in the area and sending the Olímpico Universitario into a roar. Pumas took that 1-0 lead into halftime, with Navas again playing a central role as Cruz Azul pushed early and forced him into important saves.
The Costa Rican goalkeeper had already entered the match as one of the main stories of the final. In the first leg, Navas was the reason Pumas returned home scoreless, making several key stops as Cruz Azul controlled long stretches of the game. The 39-year-old was recognized as the player of that match and had called on Pumas fans to back the team at home for the decisive leg.
Sunday followed a similar pattern early. Cruz Azul created danger in the opening minutes, but Navas kept Pumas steady. Costa Rican media credited him with several stops in the match, including early saves that prevented Cruz Azul from taking control before Pumas found the opening goal.
The match changed in the second half. Cruz Azul equalized in the 54th minute when Pumas defender Rubén Duarte scored an own goal while trying to deal with pressure inside the area. From there, the visitors grew into the match while Pumas began to lose control, especially after Adalberto Carrasquilla left injured and the home side struggled to regain rhythm.
Navas continued to give Pumas a chance. Gonzalo Piovi tested him from distance in the 64th minute, and Cruz Azul kept forcing the issue as the match moved toward extra time. But the final turned chaotic in stoppage time. Uriel Antuna was sent off after a VAR review, leaving Pumas with 10 men just as the match was reaching its most tense stretch.
Moments later, Rodolfo Rotondi found the winner. The Cruz Azul attacker turned inside the area and drove a shot past Navas in the 95th minute, sealing the championship and silencing the home crowd. Ángel Rico was also sent off for Pumas before the final whistle, ending a brutal closing sequence for the university side.
For Navas, the defeat will sting because of how close Pumas came. The former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper had been one of the defining players of the Liguilla, with standout performances against América, Pachuca and Cruz Azul. His presence turned Pumas into a tougher, more composed team in the biggest matches, but the final minutes on Sunday left him just short of another trophy.
Pumas remain without a league title since 2011, and this was their best chance in years to change that. They had the home field, the lead, and one of the most decorated goalkeepers in Concacaf history in goal. Cruz Azul, however, finished stronger, took advantage of Pumas’ late collapse, and walked out of Ciudad Universitaria as champion.
For those of us in Costa Rica, the night was another reminder of Navas’ staying power. Even in defeat, he was again one of the players who shaped the final. Pumas lost the title, but Keylor Navas’ performance confirmed why he remains one of the most followed Costa Rican athletes abroad.
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المصدر: Tico Times