Rabat (dpa) - Mexican side Cruz Azul came from behind to beat
Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers 3-1 on Saturday in an
interesting Club World Cup quarter-final which went into extra-time.
Cruz Azul's hero was veteran captain Gerardo Torrado, who
calmly converted two penalties.
A water-logged pitch and heavy rain made good football difficult in the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat.
Cruz Azul - who went into the clash as favourites - enjoyed more possession but their short-passing game was upset by the water-soaked pitch.
The Mexicans surprisingly went behind in the 65th minute on a goal from Wanderers' veteran Italian midfielder Iacopo La Rocca.
Cruz Azul dominated from then on and Torrado calmly made it 1-1 from the penalty spot just two minutes from the end of normal time, after Marco Fabian had been pulled down by Shannon Cole.
Things went from bad to worse for the Wanderers in extra-time when captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley was sent off for a second yellow card offence.
Argentine veteran Mariano Pavone made it 2-1 to Cruz Azul, then Torrado sealed the win by putting away a second penalty after handball by Mateo Poljak.
Cruz Azul will face European champions Real Madrid in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
Earlier Saturday in Rabat, Oceania champions Auckland City defeated ES Setif of Algeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final clash with San Lorenzo of Argentina, in Marrakech on Wednesday.
Auckland progressed thanks to a goal from defender John Irving, who gathered a corner at the edge of the box to shoot home just after the interval.
Setif battled hard for an equalizer late on but Auckland keeper Tamati Williams, a hero from the penalty shoot-out victory over Moghreb Tetouan in the previous round, denied them on various occasions.
Cruz Azul's hero was veteran captain Gerardo Torrado, who
calmly converted two penalties.
A water-logged pitch and heavy rain made good football difficult in the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat.
Cruz Azul - who went into the clash as favourites - enjoyed more possession but their short-passing game was upset by the water-soaked pitch.
The Mexicans surprisingly went behind in the 65th minute on a goal from Wanderers' veteran Italian midfielder Iacopo La Rocca.
Cruz Azul dominated from then on and Torrado calmly made it 1-1 from the penalty spot just two minutes from the end of normal time, after Marco Fabian had been pulled down by Shannon Cole.
Things went from bad to worse for the Wanderers in extra-time when captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley was sent off for a second yellow card offence.
Argentine veteran Mariano Pavone made it 2-1 to Cruz Azul, then Torrado sealed the win by putting away a second penalty after handball by Mateo Poljak.
Cruz Azul will face European champions Real Madrid in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
Earlier Saturday in Rabat, Oceania champions Auckland City defeated ES Setif of Algeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final clash with San Lorenzo of Argentina, in Marrakech on Wednesday.
Auckland progressed thanks to a goal from defender John Irving, who gathered a corner at the edge of the box to shoot home just after the interval.
Setif battled hard for an equalizer late on but Auckland keeper Tamati Williams, a hero from the penalty shoot-out victory over Moghreb Tetouan in the previous round, denied them on various occasions.
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