Salomón Rondón turned back the clock at Estadio Olímpico Universitario, netting twice as CF Pachuca dismantled Pumas UNAM 3-0 in Liga MX Apertura action. The 36-year-old striker was unplayable across ninety minutes, recording an 8.9 match rating in a performance that defied every calendar assumption.
Rondón has built a career on physicality and intelligent positioning, but his movement against Pumas suggested a player operating on instinct honed over two decades. Both goals came from inside the area, the kind of finishes that require no fanfare but demand perfect timing. Pachuca controlled proceedings from the opening whistle, and the Venezuelan international provided the cutting edge their dominance required.
No signs of slowing
At an age when most strikers have long since transitioned to coaching badges or television studios, Rondón continues to lead the line with authority. His brace takes him into double figures across all competitions, a return that would satisfy players ten years his junior. Pachuca's away form has been patchy at times, but performances like this, clinical, composed, comprehensive, suggest they have the firepower to challenge when it matters.
Pumas, meanwhile, were second best throughout. They failed to register a single clear chance of note, their backline repeatedly undone by Pachuca's vertical passing and Rondón's predatory instincts. The margin could have been wider.