Universidad de Chile Rout La Serena 3-0, Back in the Hunt for "Chile 2"

Ten minutes. That's all Universidad de Chile needed to put the game away at La Portada and jump right back into the fight for the "Chile 2" spot. An explosive start to the second half ended in a resounding 3-0 win over Deportes La Serena, a result that leaves the Blues right behind Universidad Catolica in the standings, with the Copa Libertadores dream more alive than ever.

The pressure had been building even before kickoff. Católica had won the day before, so Fernando Gago's side had no choice but to take all three points or risk watching the race pull away from them. Standing in their way was an opponent on a roll: five games unbeaten had lifted the Papayeros out of the relegation zone and even had them dreaming of a spot in the Copa Sudamericana.

The first half, to be honest, was one to forget. There was little clarity and few chances, with a header from Juan Martin Lucero that grazed the post standing out as the only real highlight (18'). Controversy flared up right before the break when referee Mathias Riquelme disallowed a goal from "Gato" Lucero for a supposed foul just before the play, right as the home defenders had blocked shots from Eduardo Vargas and Maximiliano Guerrero on the line (45'). Folks in La Serena are probably still arguing about that one.

But everything that didn't happen in the first 45 minutes came all at once as soon as play resumed. Agustin Arce opened the scoring with a curling left-footed strike in the 47th minute, and seven minutes later, Fabian Hormazabal tapped in a low cross from Guerrero at the near post to make it 2-0 (54'). In under ten minutes, a game that had looked stuck suddenly had a final verdict.

La Serena Fought Back, But It Wasn't Enough

Down on the scoreboard, Felipe Gutierrez shuffled his bench and sent his team forward in search of a way back into the game. There was pressure, there were chances, and the clearest one came in the 79th minute, when Igor Lichnovsky cleared the ball off the line for the home side. The Blues' back line, which had raised plenty of questions in other matches, delivered exactly when it mattered most.

And as if to put a bow on a perfect afternoon, "Gato" Lucero struck again, this time with no controversy attached, finishing inside the box in stoppage time (90+4') to make it a final score of 3-0.

The result leaves Universidad de Chile with 42 points, level with Universidad Catolica, though still trailing on goal difference in the race for second place. Deportes La Serena, meanwhile, stayed put in ninth place with 30 points, its positive run coming to an abrupt halt.

There's no rest on the calendar. Universidad de Chile is already looking ahead to its Copa Chile round of 16 clash with Everton, before returning to league play on Friday, October 9 against Nublense. Deportes La Serena will also face Everton, on Sunday, October 11.