MEXICO CITY - Pumas avenged its home loss of a year ago, beating cross-town rival Cruz Azul 1-0 Wednesday night on a goal by Pablo Barrera and taking the advantage in the first leg of semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.
The match was watched by 32,177, the largest crowd of the season in the Champions League and the second most in the two-year history of the competition. Only last year's first leg quarterfinal between the Montreal Impact and Santos Laguna, which drew a crowd of 55,571 to Olympic Stadium in Canada, was witnessed by more people.
Barrera's goal in the 24th minute sends the Mexico City foes to Estadio Azul on Tuesday to decide the first finalist, which will face either Toluca or Pachuca.
Cruz Azul beat Pumas 1-0 at home and again at Estadio Olimpico Universitario to win last year's quarterfinal meeting 2-0 on aggregate.
The goal by Barrera highlighted a first half in which three apparent goals were voided for offside.
Dante Lopez sent a low ball out of midfield that Cruz Azul midfielder Gerardo Torrado failed to get to with a swipe of his right leg. Barrera had to wait momentarily, but was able to collect the ball, drive toward goal to the top of the area and unleash a left-footed shot that eluded diving goalkeeper Yosgart Guttierez and rolled in just inside the far post.
For Barrera, who has six goals in the Mexican Clausura this season, it was his third in the Champions League. Barrera was one of 17 domestic-based players chosen by Mexican national team coach Javier Aguirre earlier in the day to be part of his pool to be considered for selection for the World Cup.
Cruz Azul's best chance came just over two minutes after the opening kickoff when Emmanuel Villa pounced on a ball inside the penalty area that Pumas goalkeeper Alejandro Palacios was unable to hold. But the goal was waived off due to Alejandro Vela's foul on Palacios.
Both sides had a goal disallowed for offside. Barrera appeared to have a second in the 30th, and Javier Orozco was denied in the 31st.
Barrera nearly doubled the lead in the 86th, again exploiting a mistake by Torrado and lofting a chip from just outside the area that Guttierez, who was off his line, had to push over the bar.
