If there’s one thing Santos Laguna can be counted on for these days, it’s delivering more drama than a telenovela and less cohesion than a middle school soccer team. Ignacio Ambriz’s squad has taken their disastrous form from Liga MX and, like a bad cold, spread it to the international stage of the Leagues Cup. Their latest misadventure? A venue change to Subaru Park in Philadelphia because Audi Field’s turf looked like it had been through a monster truck rally.
A win for DC | Santos 0-3 DC United | Goals and Highlights | Leagues Cup
The first half was a showcase of Santos’ latest hobby: impersonating a team lost in translation. Despite occupying the 16th spot in Liga MX, they seemed intent on proving that rock bottom was still a long way down. Their attacks were as clear as mud, and their defense resembled Swiss cheese. Somehow, they managed to keep DC United at bay until the 28th minute, when Aaron Herrera waltzed down the right, sending in a cross so inviting that Christian Benteke could have tied his shoelaces before tapping it in. Acevedo, the goalie, was left looking like he’d missed the memo.
Benteke’s goal was the only thing to disturb the scoreboard in the first half, though DC United was generous enough to hit the post once, just to keep Santos on their toes. Or maybe it was to keep the fans awake. Either way, the first half ended with Santos in a familiar place: behind the eight ball and wondering how they got there.
Halftime came and went without any changes to either team, which might have been Santos’ first mistake. The second half began with a sense of dj vu, but this time, the script flipped faster than a pancake. Just minutes in, Theodore Ku-Dipietro received a through ball, blasted it with his left foot, and despite Acevedo’s best efforts, the ball nestled into the net. Santos was down two, and the night was still young.
Desperation moves and defensive blunders: Santos Laguna’s continuing struggles
Ambriz, desperate to stop the bleeding, threw Emmanuel Echeverra into the mix. Unfortunately, Echeverra’s contribution was akin to a bull in a china shop. Ten minutes later, he lost the ball in his own half, setting the stage for Jared Stroud to deliver a perfect cross. Cristian Dajome was there to seal the deal, making it three-nil and prompting Santos fans to consider taking up a less stressful hobby, like alligator wrestling.
DC United, having secured their spot in the next stage after a penalty shootout win against Atlanta United, could afford to kick back and enjoy the spectacle. Santos, on the other hand, now faces a do-or-die match against the same Atlanta United next Sunday. For Santos, it’s a chance at redemption, or perhaps more realistically, another episode in their tragicomedy.
As the final whistle blew, Santos players trudged off the field, carrying the weight of yet another defeat. The question on everyone’s mind: can Ambriz rally his troops for a miracle turnaround, or will this be another chapter in the saga of missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential?
For now, Santos Laguna fans will have to hang on to the faint hope that their team can somehow find the missing spark. Sometimes all it takes is one good day to turn everything around. Until then, they will have to dig deep, look within, and figure out just where it all went so spectacularly wrong.