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News, Blog and GuidesHe was the hero in the Clausura 2022 repechage, sand saved the day once again for Cruz Azul in their dramatic Leagues Cup victory over Atlanta.
Edgardo AvelarVeneno15Andy HallUpdate: Jul 30th, 2023 11:58 EDT
Juan Carlos Ocampo
Sebastián Jurado’s battle for first-choice ownership of the goalkeeper’s jersey at Cruz Azul has cost him a great deal of blood, sweat and tears. There have been errors of judgement – such as his childish sending off in the Week 2 clash with Toluca in the Apertura 2023 which left his team a man down with no chance of avoiding the second of three defeats that equalled the club’s worst start to any campaign since the short tournament format was introduced in Aztec soccer.
Fortunately, he has been able to balance out his mishaps with heroics. For example in the Clausura 2022 playoffs when he was the architect of the team’s victory over Necaxa by saving two of the three penalties that their opponents missed. The Veracruz-born goalkeeper came to the rescue again on Saturday, by playing a decisive part in the Leagues Cup victory over Atlanta United. He blocked Miguel Berry’s penalty in a tense shootout that Cruz Azul had to win to progress to the next phase of the tournament.
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A post shared by Sebastian Jurado Roca (@seba_jurado)
Just one year ago, Jurado’s position was questioned due to his erratic form in the Clausura 2022. Costly mistakes in the games against Puebla in Week 9 and Mazatlán in Week 13 drew endless criticism from fans and a debate as to who should defend the Cementeros’ goal – Jurado or Jesús Corona.
Sebastián endured the criticism, took it on board and made the most of every opportunity to prove the doubters wrong. He was the hero in the Clausura 2022 playoff tie against Necaxa, crucially detaining two spot-kicks in the shootout. He saved efforts from Fabricio Formiliano and Arturo Palma, while Agustín Olivares sent his penalty wide – that win set Cruz Azul up for a quarter final clash with Tigres.
🔥 @seba_jurado 🔥 pic.twitter.com/e9LOEztUzO
— CRUZ AZUL (@CruzAzul) July 30, 2023
