Keylor Navas saves Pumas as Cruz Azul frustration grows in Liga MX final

On a soccer-filled night in Mexico City, Cruz Azul and Pumas faced off in the opening match of the Clausura 2026 final, playing to a 0-0 draw in a game dominated by La Máquina. But they could not beat one man: Keylor Navas. The veteran goalkeeper was instrumental in keeping Pumas level and ensuring they would not head home trailing in the series.

Cruz Azul understood the importance of winning the first game of the final and came out pressing from the opening whistle. Christian Ebere had the first warning sign with a powerful effort that flashed just wide of Navas’ goal.

The hosts kept attacking. Just seven minutes into the match, Carlos Rotondi unleashed another dangerous shot, but Navas reacted brilliantly to make the save. Pumas spent much of the early stages pinned back, unable to advance into midfield as a wall of blue shirts cut off any attempt to build attacks.

Navas the hero for Pumas

The absence of Adalberto Carrasquilla was evident for Pumas, who lacked attacking sharpness. Their first meaningful chance came in the 15th minute on a counterattack led by Robert Morales, but his shot drifted wide and Kevin Mier remained untested.

As the game progressed, Navas increasingly became the star of the night. His saves kept Pumas in the match and prevented Cruz Azul from taking advantage during the opening quarter of the game.

The match also began to grow more physical. In the 18th minute, Rubén Duarte lunged studs-up into José Paradela, but the referee saw no major issue with the challenge. VAR did not intervene and Duarte escaped without a booking, though the Cruz Azul midfielder was left with the mark on his left leg.

The hard tackles continued. In the 25th minute Duarte again flew recklessly into Paradela, but after a VAR review an offside call against Cruz Azul wiped out the play and spared Pumas from conceding in the first half.

Although the tempo dropped slightly, the pattern of the game remained the same. Pumas defended deep and looked to counterattack while Cruz Azul controlled possession and territory. The visitors gradually found ways to move into the attacking third, but they could not break through Cruz Azul’s organized defense.

Navas remained the standout performer after halftime, producing more excellent saves while Cruz Azul’s attackers repeatedly failed to capitalize in front of goal. Time and again, the Costa Rican keeper calmly denied shots with one or both hands.

Pumas tried to play out from the back, but they struggled to unlock Cruz Azul’s compact defensive setup. The visitors continued to rely on quick counterattacks with Robert Morales leading the line.

Substitutes for Pumas

Knowing his team needed more attacking presence, Efraín Juárez turned to the bench and brought on Adalberto Carrasquilla in hopes of making Pumas more aggressive at La Máquina’s home stadium. Meanwhile, the crowd attempted to unsettle Navas whenever he took goal kicks by using homophobic chants.

Pumas’ clearest opportunity came in the 61st minute. Uriel Antuna received a pass from Robert Morales and tried to chip Kevin Mier, but the Cruz Azul goalkeeper rushed out at exactly the right moment to block the attempt. Antuna could only regret missing the chance.

Pumas then looked to attack from the wings, sending crosses and low passes into the box in search of a finisher, but Cruz Azul’s defense cut out every delivery and maintained control in its own half. The visitors were unable to create another clear chance after Antuna’s opportunity.

All to play for in the second leg

Although Cruz Azul continued to dominate possession late in the game, Pumas tightened up defensively and essentially parked the bus, leaving Robert Morales alone up front for counterattacks, the same approach they had used throughout the first half.

Near the end of the match, Morales nearly stole the win. He collected the ball inside the area and blasted a shot off the crossbar, letting Cruz Azul off the hook with just two minutes remaining.

In the end, Cruz Azul and Pumas settled for a scoreless draw at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, leaving the Clausura 2026 title to be decided in the weekend’s second leg at Estadio Olímpico Universitario.

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