Ronaldinho’s fine though ball was met at the edge of the box by fellow Brazilian striker Camilo Sanvezzo who, with a defender breathing down his neck, fell inside the area and the referee ruled he had been pushed when video replays showed there was no contact.
Sanvezzo converted the penalty in first half of added time during Friday’s match to put the White Roosters level. Paraguayan Pablo Velazquez had headed the visitors in front in the 14th minute of a contest in which twice world player of the year Ronaldinho was making his home debut for his new club.
Velazquez was lucky not to be sent off minutes after his goal for a dangerous aerial challenge for the ball in which he caught a defender’s head with his knee. He was booked, as was Ronaldinho for protesting he should have been shown the red card.
Leaders America gave their Argentine coach Antonio Mohamed the perfect riposte to his Portuguese opposite number Pedro Caixinha who in the week had said the leaders had been favoured by referees in a majority of their matches. Mohamed refused to shake hands before kickoff with Caixinha.
Layun, a member of the Mexico side that reached the last 16 at the World Cup finals in Brazil, gave America a one-goal first half lead before scoring three more in a brilliant second half.
The pick of his goals was the 54th-minute second, a superb volleyed lob from more than 40 metres after Santos goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez had come out of his box to clear the ball with a diving header.
Argentine Carlos Izquierdoz pulled one back for Santos with a header in the 70th minute when his team were three goals down but the central defender was sent off in added time for a second booking.
America have 23 points from 10 matches, five more points than second-placed Atlas who are at Monterrey on Saturday. Toluca are third with 18 points and Monterrey fourth with 16 from eight matches.
(Additional reporting by Carlos Calvo; Writing by Rex Gowar, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
