Youth club Juventud de Las Piedras defeated Nacional 3-1 in a memorable match played this afternoon at the Municipal Parque Artigas stadium for the fifth round of the Uruguayan Apertura tournament. According to the Argentine News Agency, the home team won with goals from forward Alejo Cruz and midfielders Gonzalo Gómez and Mateo Izaguirre, while Nacional scored through a free-kick goal from forward Maximiliano Gómez. With the victory, the albiazul team moved up to twelfth place with four points, while “Bolso” is tenth with three more points. Thus, the team coached by Argentine DT Sebastián Méndez secured its first win of the tournament and is now refocusing on the Copa Libertadores: they drew 1-1 with Colombian Deportivo Independiente Medellín in the first leg of the third qualifying round and are one win away from playing the group stage for the first time in their history. Juventud opened the scoring in the 18th minute of the first half, following a combination on the right that ended in a cross to the far post by full-back Ignacio Mujica, which set up forward Alejo Cruz, who appeared unmarked and pushed the ball into the goal. The second goal of the afternoon came in the 31st minute, with a counter-attack from left to center that left Gonzalo Gómez one-on-one with defender Paolo Callione, before he unleashed a low, cross-shot that made it 2-0. Nacional managed to pull back in the third minute of the second half, with a frontal free-kick from forward Maximiliano Gómez, whose shot entered at mid-height to the right post of goalkeeper Nicolás Rossi, who was screened and could not see the ball in time. The home team increased their lead again in the seventh minute, with a good counter-attack against a too-advanced defense that ended in a low cross from Gómez for the first-time, cross-shot of midfielder Mateo Izaguirre, which was unstoppable for goalkeeper Luis Mejía.
