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TORREON, Mexico - Herculez Gomez scored twice in the second half, giving Santos Laguna a 6-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders Wednesday night and sending "Los Guerreros" to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Prevailing 7-3 on aggregate to face either the LA Galaxy or Toronto, Santos joined fellow Mexican side Monterrey in the semifinals and earned its second trip to the final four of the confederation championship in the competition's four-year history.
Gomez's goals in the 49th and 68th followed first-half strikes by Christian Suarez, who had another in the second half, and Oribe Peralta within two minutes of each other that put Santos ahead 2-0 by the 10th minute.
Alvaro Fernandez's header in the 37th pulled Seattle equal on aggregate, but Gomez's second-half heroics were the decider.
Seattle started brightly, getting the first shot in the third minute and forcing Santos keeper Oswaldo Sanchez into a pair of consecutive reaction saves in the eighth minute to deny Fernandez on a header and Brad Evans' follow-up on the rebound.
On their next possession, Suarez was given time and space at the top of area, where he touched the ball right and curled a right-footer past Seattle keeper Michael Gspurning.
Peralta doubled, settling a long ball from Daniel Ludena, spinning to get inside Seattle defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and open a lane inside the area and hitting a right-footed effort as he fell past Gspurning.
Pushing its midfield further forward, Seattle rallied when Fredy Montero sent a cross from the left to an unmarked Fernandez, who easily headed past Sanchez from eight meters.
Santos restored control shortly after the start of the second half. Santos countered quickly with Suarez squaring a simple ball across the penalty area into the path of a trailing Gomez, who volleyed for an easy goal.
Gomez, who told reporters that Seattle coach Sigi Schmid suggested he give up the sport when both were at the LA Galaxy, added the insurance when he finished another counter, putting the final touch at the six after Ivan Estrade and Peralta combined to set up the American international.
After Schmid inserted Eddie Johnson and Seattle pushing forward, Suarez added his second in the 76th and Carlos Ochoa tacked on the finale in the 81st.
The victory extended to six Santos' unbeaten streak at home, where it has lost only once in 11 games since November.
Seattle has yet to open its Major League Soccer season, which will begin for the Sounders on Saturday at home against Toronto.
