Soccer-Wanderers run ended by Cruz Azul, Auckland advance

RABAT, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Western Sydney Wanderers came within two minutes of a dream Club World Cup semi-final meeting with Real Madrid before losing 3-1 after extra time to Mexican side Cruz Azul on Saturday. A memorable year for Wanderers, who defied the odds to overcome much wealthier Asian teams and win the continent's Champions League in November, ended on a waterlogged pitch with a rash of red cards as they let a late lead slip. CONCACAF champions Cruz Azul will face European champions Real in Rabat on Tuesday. In Saturday's other quarter-final, Auckland City's John Irving struck in the second-half to secure a shock 1-0 win over Algerians ES Setif and a last four place for the first time. The Oceania champions will meet Argentina's San Lorenzo, the Copa Libertadores title holders, in Marrakesh on Wednesday. Wanderers, who finished with nine men, took the lead in the second half against overwhelming favourites Cruz Azul with a long-range strike from Iacopo La Rocca. Gerardo Torrado equalised with a penalty for the Mexicans and converted another spot-kick in extra time either side of a goal from forward Hugo Pavone. Wanderers lost Matthew Spiranovic to a second yellow card 16 minutes from the end of normal time before captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley followed him off the pitch in extra time. Wanderers were unhappy with Ivory Coast referee Noumandiez Doue and the condition of the pitch that made passing difficult and ball control a lottery following continuous torrential rain. "ABSOLUTELY FARCICAL" "The whole 120 minutes was disgusting," Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic said in a TV interview. "It was absolutely farcical what happened out there and it's unacceptable to me. The conditions are hard enough as it is and we've copped some decisions that have ultimately given them the game. There is no other way to talk about it. "It was never going to be a pretty game with the conditions but to me... it's embarrassing. You can't play football on that (pitch), full stop." After chances at either end, including a harshly disallowed goal for Wanderers, Italian La Rocca latched onto a poor clearance to crash a first-time shot from 35 metres into the bottom corner. Centre back Spiranovic got a second booking 10 minutes later but it still looked as though the Sydney side, bottom of the A-League and without a domestic win since April, would hold out. That was until substitute Shannon Cole mistimed a tackle on Marco Fabian and Torrado netted confidently for Cruz Azul to send the game into extra time. When Topor-Stanley was shown a second yellow card, Wanderers' task became one of grim survival. They could not manage it, however, as Pavone bundled the ball home from close-range and Torrado netted again from the penalty spot following handball by Mateo Poljak. Earlier, Irving scored for Auckland after 52 minutes when Tim Payne's corner fell to him on the edge of the area and he cut inside a defender and fired a low drive through a crowd of players past goalkeeper Sofiane Khedairia. New Zealand's part-timers, making a record sixth appearance at the tournament, had defeated Moroccan club Moghreb Tetouan on penalties in their preliminary round clash on Wednesday. They followed that by dumping out the fancied African champions who enjoyed 60 percent of possession but struggled to make it count with the better chances falling to Auckland. (Writing by Nick Said in Cape Town; editing by Toby Davis)