The Águilas celebrated their 110th anniversary with a thrilling match, but were unable to give their fans a victory. América tied 1-1 against Monterrey at Banorte Stadium in a Matchday 11 fixture of the 2026 Apertura that featured goals, disputes over refereeing calls, and a red card in the final minutes.
The Monterrey side surprised everyone with a goal by Diego Rossi, while Santiago Bueno scored the equalizer for the Azulcremas before halftime. Although both teams sought the winning goal during the second half, the score remained unchanged.
Diego Rossi Stuns América with a Stunner
Monterrey started the match with greater clarity and was rewarded in the 17th minute, when Diego Rossi connected on a spectacular volley to put the Rayados ahead.
The goal came after a play that caught the América defense off guard and momentarily silenced the home crowd. The visitors capitalized on the Águilas’ struggles to build possession and created danger for much of the first half.
América tried to respond through Raphael Veiga and Alejandro Zendejas, but they were met by an alert Esteban Andrada in goal.
Just when it seemed Monterrey would head into halftime with the lead, the home team found the equalizer. In the 48th minute, Santiago Bueno capitalized on a series of rebounds inside the box to send the ball into the net and make it 1-1. The defender thus scored his first goal with the Azulcrema.
Controversial refereeing marked the match
Beyond the goals, one of the most talked-about moments was a first-half play in which Monterrey appealed for a penalty after Miguel Borja’s challenge on Jesús Manuel Corona, known as “El Tecatito.”
The foul was not called, and VAR did not request a review on the monitor, which sparked protests from the Monterrey team. The play took on even greater significance because Borja had already been booked, and a second yellow card would have resulted in his ejection.
The match remained intense throughout the second half, with chances for both teams and key saves by the goalkeepers and defenders.
América Finishes with 10 Players
In the final stretch, the Águilas came close to securing the win. In the 80th minute, Miguel Borja fired a powerful shot off the crossbar in one of the clearest scoring chances of the second half.
However, the Colombian forward ended up making headlines for another reason: in the 87th minute, he received a red card after a hard tackle on Carlos Salcedo, forcing América to play the final minutes with one fewer player.
Monterrey tried to capitalize on its numerical advantage and pushed forward on the attack, while the Azulcremas looked to catch their opponents off guard on the counterattack. In stoppage time, Isaías Perea had a chance to secure the win for the home team, but he was unable to convert it.
The final whistle confirmed the draw and left both teams with mixed feelings. América salvaged a point on its anniversary, while Rayados were left with the impression that they could have come away with more after a night marked by refereeing decisions.
Where does América stand in the 2026 Apertura standings?
The draw allowed América to earn a point, though the result did not guarantee they would pull away from their pursuers at the top of the standings. Before the match, the Águilas had accumulated 20 points and had a game in hand compared to several rivals.
Monterrey, for its part, was looking to improve its position after an inconsistent tournament. With the points split, both teams will need to focus on their upcoming matches to stay in the fight for playoff spots.
Matchday 11 still has games remaining, so the 2026 Apertura standings could see further changes before the round concludes.