Club America opens Mexican playoffs with draw

MEXICO CITY (AP) Colombia's Aquivaldo Mosquera scored a late equalizer to give defending league champion Club America a 2-2 draw against Tigres in the first leg of the Mexican quarterfinals Sunday.

Santos Laguna defeated Queretaro 3-2, also Sunday, while on Saturday Toluca overcame Cruz Azul 3-0 and Morelia drew 3-3 with Leon in the other quarterfinals.

The return legs to define the semifinal places will take place next weekend, with a new champion to be crowned on December 15.

Mosquera had to stretch to loft a long ball played in from outside the penalty area over goalkeeper Enrique Palos in the 89th minute.

America had taken the lead when Juan Carlos Valenzuela headed in from a corner in the 14th, but Tigres responded with two goals before halftime.

Alan Pulido slotted in on the volley from a Jorge Torres Nilo cross to level the scores in the 31st and Argentine Guido Pizarro put Tigres in the lead when he steered the ball into the net from close range four minutes later.

Seven of America's player started for Mexico in the World Cup playoff in New Zealand on Wednesday.

Isaac Romo came off the bench in the 76th and scored two goals with his first two touches to keep Queretaro in the playoffs.

Darwin Quintero opened the scoring in the 15th and claimed his second goal in the 52nd. Alonso Escoboza chipped the ball over Hernandez for the third in the 70th off a Quintero pass.

Oscar Rojas put Toluca ahead with a low finish in the 31st minute, after he'd been given time and space inside the Cruz Azul penalty area.

Cruz Azul's Jair Pereira unwittingly deflected in a free kick in the 38th, and Francisco Gamboa headed in Toluca's third 12 minutes from the fulltime.

Morelia came from 3-1 down at halftime to draw with Leon, with Eder Guzman and Carlos Morales both scoring in the last 20 minutes.

Mexico international Luis Montes put Leon in front in the 16th and Mauro Boselli increased the lead eight minutes later.

Ecuador's Jefferson Montero scored for Morelia with a solo effort in the 29th before Elias Hernandez seemed to put the game beyond Leon in the 39th with Morelia's third.