Soccer-Toluca and Tigres earn spots in Mexican title rounds

By Carlos Calvo MEXICO CITY, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Toluca and UANL Tigres secured their places in the title rounds of the Mexican Apertura championship over the weekend, leaving three spots still up for grabs. Toluca won 2-1 on Saturday at injury-plagued Cruz Azul, whose own slim hopes of qualifying were ended, and Tigres beat Veracruz 3-1 away on Friday. They join Liga MX leaders UNAM Pumas, America and Leon as qualifiers for the eight-team knockout rounds. "If we improve up front we can compete with anyone in the (title) playoffs, we just have to be more lethal, killers in the area," Toluca's Paraguayan coach Jose Saturnino Cardozo told reporters. Argentine striker Enrique Triverio, with a brilliant long-range lob, and Antonio Rios scored for Toluca. "This is a hard blow for all of us, and I include myself, regardless of when I arrived. I must find solutions," said Cruz Azul coach Tomas Boy, who took charge in mid-October. Cruz Azul have lost half a dozen players to injury during the Apertura, the first of two championships in the season, including Paraguay's Roque Santa Cruz, Spanish winger Marc Crosas and Mexico goalkeeper Jesus Corona. Tigres took the lead at Veracruz through striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, whose form has earned him a France recall for their upcoming friendlies against Germany and England. Former Mexico coach Ricardo La Volpe's Chiapas side moved to the cusp of a berth in the title rounds after Saturday's 3-2 win at Atlas put them in sixth place on 26 points from 16 matches. Argentine striker Silvio Romero, a transfer target for River Plate in his homeland, scored twice for Chiapas. They are three points ahead of Monterrey in seventh and eighth-place Morelia, who each have one match left in the 17-round league phase. Chiapas are also three points ahead of Puebla in ninth and 10th-place Veracruz and five in front of Queretaro and Pachuca, who all have six points still to play for. Atlas are also still mathematically in the hunt, as well as Guadalajara, who lost 2-1 at Sinaloa Dorados on Saturday, four days after beating Leon 1-0 in the final of the knockout Copa MX competition for their first title since 2006. Queretaro visit Pumas in the capital and Puebla host bottom team Tijuana in Sunday's matches. (Writing by Rex Gowar; editing by Toby Davis)