They spark the illusion. The Tigres of Mexico and San Diego FC of the United States advanced to the round of 16 of the Champions Cup after overcoming their respective 1st round series. round in this contest organized by Concacaf.
The university students eliminated Forge FC from Canada while the “Emeleseros” left out the Mexican Pumas in one of the initial surprises of the highest soccer tournament in our region.
The round of 16 will be played in March 2026, followed by the Quarterfinals in April, the Semifinals between April and May, and the Final on Saturday, May 30.
They roar with pure goal
Uruguayan Rodrigo Aguirre scored two goals to lead the Tigres UANL attack that beat Canadian Forge FC 4-1 to qualify for the round of 16 of the Concachampions.
In his debut with the royals, Aguirre scored twice, while the Argentine world champion Ángel Correa and the Brazilian Joaquim did it once. For his part, Brian Wright scored for the Canadians.
After a goalless draw in the first leg, Forge came out to score as a visitor, a decisive criterion in the event of a tie in the series. He pressed, although without creating danger in the rival area.
Tigres was patient and in the 22nd minute they took advantage with a goal from Aguirre after a pass from his compatriot Fernando Gorriarán in a play started by Ozziel Herrera.
Forge came out in the second half in search of a goal that at that moment would have qualified him; In the 51st minute Hoce Massunda arrived in the area and created danger.
Tigres accelerated; In the 63rd minute, the Brazilian Joaquim finished wide on a corner kick. He missed by a narrow margin, but in the 71st minute, Aguirre made it 2-0, accepting a ball from Diego Laínez and finishing with his left foot into the corner.
When Tigres was at its best, Marcelo Flores committed a handball in the area and caused a penalty, converted in the 80th by Brian Wright, who made it 2-1 and once again placed the Canadians one goal away from qualifying.
A minute later, Flores erased his mistake. He got a ball and gave it to Correa, scorer of the 3-1. Tigres went for more and on a corner kick, Joaquím scored from the right.
In the round of 16, the Tigers will face the best of the series between Cincinnati and the Dominican University O&M.
– Tigres UANL (4): Nahuel Guzmán; Jesús Angulo, Joaquim, Vladimir Loroña (Osvaldo Rodríguez, d.72), Jesús Garza; Ángel Correa, Juan Brunetta (César Araújo, m.62), Fernando Gorriarán, Ozziel Herrera (Marcelo Flores, m.62), Diego Lainez (Diego Sánchez, m.87); Rodrigo Aguirre (André Pierre Gignac, d.71).
– Coach: Guido Pizarro.
– Forge FC (1): Dimitry Bertaud Daniel Nimick, Marko Jeremovic, Antoine Batisse, Kyle Bekker (Kevaughn Tavernier, m.86); Anthony Aromatario, Tristán Borges (Noah Jansen, m.66), Ben Patón (Maxime Filion, m.81), Rezart Rama; Hoce Massunda (Mo Babouli, m.64), Ismael Oketokoun (Brian Wright, m.64).
– Coach: Bobby Smyrniotis.
– Goals: 1-0, m.22: Rodrigo Aguirre. 2-0, m.71: Rodrigo Aguirre. 2-1, m.80: Brian Wright. 3-1, m.81: Ángel Correa. 4-1, m.86: Joaquim.
– Referee: Juan Calderón, from Costa Rica. He admonished Oketokoun; Correa and Gorriarán.
– Incidents: Second leg match of the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup, held at the Estadio Universitario de Monterrey, in front of almost 23,000 fans.
Holy classification
San Diego of the MLS lost 1-0 against Pumas UNAM, but qualified for the round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup, winning the series 4-2. Ecuadorian Pedro Vite converted for the Pumas, who repeatedly lacked aim in the area.
After losing the first leg 4-1 at their rival’s home, the Pumas went out to kill, but lacked forcefulness. Tanzanian Amahl Pellegrino came close to giving the Americans the lead, when in the 14th minute he left defender Jesús Rivas behind and hit the post.
Pumas had its clearest play in the 27th minute with a shot by Juninho, saved by Mexican goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega, on a great night. Again in the 36th minute, Pellegrino shook off the mark and, for the second time, hit the ball into the post.
Forced to score three goals and not concede, the Mexicans came out with advanced lines and in the 47th minute they took advantage. On a free kick, Vite finished with a left foot and made it 1-0.
In ’57, Pumas coach Efraín Juárez sent Panamanian Adalberto Carrasquilla to the field; The team insisted on offense, but found an organized San Diego behind.
Pumas was close to the second goal in the 80th with a header from Guillermo Martínez, cleared by Sisniega, who stopped the university students in another couple of dangerous plays to become a key figure in his team’s classification.
In the 96th minute, Spaniard Rubén Duarte received a second warning, but the expulsion occurred in the last play of the game.
In the round of 16 of the Concachampions, San Diego will face Toluca, Mexican soccer champion.
– UNAM Pumas (1): Keylor Navas Rubén Duarte, Nathan Silva, Álvaro Angulo, Jesús Rivas (Rodrigo López, m.72); Alan Medina (Guillermo Martínez, m.75), Pedro Vite, Jordan Carrillo, Uriel Antuna (Adalberto Carrasquilla, m.57); Robert Morales, Juninho.
– Coach: Efrain Juarez.
– San Diego FC (0): Pablo Sisniega; Manu Duah, Christopher McVey, Luca Bombino (Ian Pilches, m.83), Wilson Eisner; Jeppe Tverskov, Pedro Soma (David Vázquez, m.65), Aníbal Godoy (Onni Valakari, m.78); Marcus Ingvartsen (Allen Mighten, m.65), Amahl Pellegrino (Kieran Sargeant, m.78), Anders Dreyer.
– Coach: Mikey Varas.
– Goal: 1-0, m.47: Pedro Vite.
– Referee: Héctor Martínez, from Honduras. He admonished Duarte; Godoy and McVey. He expelled Duarte.
– Incidents: Second leg of the 1st. round of the Concacaf Champions Cup, held at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario in Mexico City.
