In a pulsating playoff encounter, Pumas UNAM held their nerve to edge out Pachuca 5-3 on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes in the Liga MX Clausura Play-In round. The university students weathered an attacking onslaught from the home side to force the game into a shootout, which they ultimately won to secure a quarterfinal berth.
The game was a cagey affair from the outset, with both teams knowing a single mistake could prove costly in their quest to advance.
The stage is set for yet another epic battle between the two giants of CONCACAF. Mexico booked their spot in the Concacaf Nations League final with a clinical 3-0 victory over Panama on Thursday night in Arlington, Texas. They will now face their biggest rivals, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), in Sunday’s heavyweight championship clash at AT&T Stadium.
In front of almost 50,000 fans heavily favoring El Tri, Mexico got off to a fast start when Edson Alvarez opened the scoring in the 40th minute.
The stage was set for a pulsating clash between two Mexican giants as Club America hosted Chivas in the second leg of their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 tie at the iconic Estadio Azteca. With a commanding 3-0 aggregate lead from the first leg, Las Aguilas knew they had a cushion, but the visitors from Guadalajara were determined to mount an epic comeback.
The early exchanges were electric, with Chivas firing a warning shot in the 6th minute as Fernando Gonzalez’s thunderous strike rattled the crossbar.
The Philadelphia Union have tasted Concacaf Champions Cup glory before, and they’ll be hungry to replicate that success as they visit CF Pachuca on Tuesday for the decisive second leg of their round of 16 tie.
The two teams battled to a gritty 0-0 stalemate in the first leg in Philadelphia last week. While the Union failed to find the breakthrough, their defensive resilience was remarkable as they became the first team to shut out the free-scoring Pachuca side since November 2023.
