Football
Reuters 17y

Soccer-Gimenez's 17-minute hat-trick puts Pachuca top in Mexico

MEXICO, March 26 - Argentine midfielder Christian Gimenez scored a 17-minute hat-trick as Pachuca beat
Atlas 4-2 in the Mexican championship.

The win took Pachuca top of Group Two with 24 points from 11
games in the Clausura championship and also gave them the best
overall record in the competition.

The game burst into life with five goals in less than 20
minutes in the first half.

Gimenez cut inside his marker and rifled the ball home to
put Pachuca ahead in the 20th minute before Daniel Osorno and
Nicolas Olivera scored within a minute of each other to put the
visitors in front.

But Gimenez levelled with a long-range shot in the 36th
minute and headed Pachuca back in front a minute later.

There was then a period of relative calm before Damian
Alvarez added a fourth for the Beavers in the 71st minute.

Cruz Azul, who did not play, lead Group One with 23 points
while America top Group Three after winning 2-1 at Necaxa.

The 18 teams play each other once in the qualifying stage
but are divided into three groups.

Toluca hit the woodwork three times as they were held 0-0 at
home by Chiapas, the eighth draw in 11 outings for Americo
Gallego's team.

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