Veracruz, Monterrey Reach Final Four

Mexican teams Veracruz and Monterrey qualified for Sunday’s Interliga finals by defeating Morelia and tying Pachuca, respectively, in a Wednesday night doubleheader at the Home Depot Center.

They will be joined in the final four by Chivas de Guadalajara and the UANL Tigres, who advanced Tuesday night.

In Wednesday’s second match, Monterrey, needing only a tie, appeared headed for a victory after midfielder Ricardo Martinez slipped the ball beneath diving Pachuca goalkeeper Miguel Calero and inside the near post in the 67th minute. But Pachuca’s Nelson Cuevas tied it up with five minutes to go and the game ended, 1-1.

In the night’s first game -- interrupted for 19 minutes in the second half because of an area-wide power outage that knocked out the stadium floodlights -- Veracruz defeated Morelia, 1-0, on a well-taken goal by forward Gustavo Biscayzacu one minute before halftime.

Taking a pass to the left of the Morelia net, Biscayzacu wrong-footed defender Humberto Gonzalez, who slipped and fell, and then curled the ball just inside the right post out of the reach of goalkeeper Moises Munoz.

Monterrey will play the UANL Tigres and Veracruz will play Guadalajara on Sunday, with the two winners qualifying for the Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier club competition.

A third Mexican team, the UNAM Pumas, qualified directly for the Copa Libertadores by winning both halves of 2004 Mexican championship.

-- Grahame L. Jones