Torque Routs Liverpool 3-1 With Reserves, Stands Alone Atop Clausura

With one eye on the continental rematch against Cienciano, Montevideo City Torque opted to rest several of its usual starters. It didn't matter. Marcelo Mendez's team beat Liverpool 3-1 at Estadio Charrua in matchday six of the Torneo Clausura, climbing to the top of the table with a perfect record and, on top of that, a game in hand.

The blow came early. In the 6th minute, Torque opened the scoring with a header from Brian Gutierrez off a well-worked corner kick. Liverpool, coached by Jorge Fossati, looked caught off guard and struggled to respond against an opponent playing with the calm of a team that already had its Sudamericana series on the horizon.

The second goal was a gem. In the 31st minute, Nahuel Da Silva drove down the right, left Cayetano behind him and reached the byline. His shot, from a tight angle, ended up in the net off an unfortunate deflection from Bernatene, who couldn't keep the ball out and turned it into his own goal. It was a double blow for the Black and Blues: down by two, and in the worst possible way.

The third came fast and sealed the game

If Liverpool had planned to come out with more energy in the second half, that plan didn't last long. Right at the start of the second half, Torque extended the lead: a shot from Santiago Zampieri came off Trasorier and the rebound fell to Da Silva, who finished on the cross for the 3-0 and his personal brace. The game was essentially decided right there.

What followed was a bit of everything. In the 50th minute, Torque was reduced to ten men after Jose Taran was sent off, and the extra man seemed to give Liverpool new life. In the 58th minute they pulled one back: Haller threaded a pass through the middle for Thiago Brizuela, who shook off his marker with a sharp first touch and finished low for the 3-1.

With that goal, the Blacks from La Cuchilla got their hopes up and pushed for another one, throwing everything they had at it. But Torque, even with a man down, managed the clock well and gave up nothing else. The result held, and Mendez's side walked away with a big win that leaves them alone atop the Clausura, with a perfect record and a game in hand that could stretch their lead even further.