Deportivo Venados, forced to win

Deportivo Venados will have to pull out all the stops today to continue their push for the reserve team title in the Professional Third Division League. In three words: a must-win.

The Antlers, leaders of Group One and of the reserve teams in the Third Division in the regular season, will host Deportivo Zitácuaro, who held them to a goalless draw in the first leg last Wednesday.

The return leg will be played this afternoon at 3 a.m. at the “Alonso Diego Molina” Stadium in Tamanché, where Deportiva Venados has not lost during the long regular season.

However, the recent past shows that the Venados were unable to win their previous game, in which they tied 2-2 with the Alebrijes Oaxaca, after missing more than 10 clear scoring opportunities.

"I would be concerned if we didn't create opportunities. We're creating them, and we hope to make them happen," said Diego Morales Uscanga, coach of the Yucatecan team.

In the regular season, Deportiva dominated at home. The Venados didn't lose a single point, scoring 39 points and conceding only four.

But they conceded goals at home in both of their playoff games. They won 2-1 against Alebrijes Teotihuacán, and they drew 2-2 against Alebrijes Oaxaca, the latter being their first winless game of the 2024-2025 season.

Today, according to the regulations of the Third Division, Deportiva must win to remain in the competition. If the aggregate tie persists, the match will go to penalties to determine the first semifinalist.— Gaspar Silveira