Pachuca prevails on penalty kicks

Rafael Marquez Lugo beat goalkeeper Pat Onstead into the left side of the net to lead Pachuca to a 4-3 victory Tuesday on penalty kicks over the Houston Dynamo in the semifinals of the SuperLiga at Houston.

The teams had tied, 2-2, after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime before the clinching kick.

Through the first three rounds of penalty kicks the teams were perfect, with Wade Barrett, Chris Wondolowski and Richard Mulrooney scoring for Houston, and Fernando Salazar, Gabriel Caballero and Luis Gabriel Rey scoring for Pachuca of the Mexican league.

But on the fourth kick, Houston’s Brian Ching hesitated on his approach before knocking a low shot off the left post to give Pachuca an opening. But Pachuca gave it right back when Damian Alvarez’s try was stopped by Onstead to keep it even at 3-3.

Houston’s Joseph Ngwenya, a former Galaxy forward, then left his soft chip well short and it was easily stopped by Pachuca goalkeeper Miguel Calero, setting up Marquez Lugo’s clincher.

Pachuca moves on to the SuperLiga final on Aug. 29 and will play the winner of tonight’s Galaxy-D.C. United game.