The semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League are set, and it will feature all-Liga MX teams with Club América and Tigres scoring wins over Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake respectively. Tigres will face Querétaro and Club América will take on Santos Laguna in what should be some amazing soccer to be played.
The day’s first game was Club América hosting Seattle Sounders in the monumental Estadio Azteca. The game seemed to favor América as they dominated possession throughout the first half. It wasn’t until the dying moments of the second half where the goal came flooding .
Seattle managed to get on the board first at the 41 minute mark thanks to an own goal by Pablo Aguilar. A cross came from the right side trying to find Nelson Valdez, and as Valdez tried to get a head on it Pablo Aguilar somehow poked the ball past his own keeper for the 1-0 Sounders lead. Their lead was short lived as just minutes later Darwin Quintero managed to masterfully head in a goal in the 43rd minute. Just two minutes later, Oribe Peralta got a headed goal of his own to give América the lead they would not relinquish.
Goal AME No. 31 Darwin QUINTERO @darwinJR3 | @ClubAmerica @SoundersFC @scotiabankfc #SCCL https://t.co/N0YQqeyzm2
— CONCACAF (@CONCACAF) 3 de março de 2016
The dagger for Seattle came at the 50th minute when Andres “Rifle” Andrade notched a goal of his own, managing to beat Frei on the right side for the 3-1 advantage. Club América toyed with the team from Seattle as the Sounders looked gassed in the dying moments of the game. The final whistle finally blew and yet another victim was added to the many that have gone to the Azteca to battle Club América and failed. With that, there was only one more team needing to advance to make it a true Mexican fiesta.
The defending Liga MX champion Tigres made their way to Sandy, Utah to face Real Salt Lake in what was a well-contested match. The Mexican team came with a 2-0 advantage after their win in Monterrey. However, RSL really came out strong as Joao Plata gave the Tigres defense some difficulties with his blinding speed and pace.
That speed led to Plata’s goal in the 22nd minute that gave the Rocky Mountain team some hope. New addition Yuri Movsisyan was the one that made a fabulous run and an even nicer feed to find Plata in front of net for the goal. As the fans went berserk celebrating the goal, RSL really had a good chance to find an equalizer.
Real Salt Lake had great chances afterwards, like a Movsisyan blast that exploded off the crossbar. But none greater than when Juninho took down Juan Manuel Martinez in the penalty area and RSL was set to take the PK. Javier Morales was set to take the shot and his attempt was parried away by 6’3″ Nahuel Guzman, who kept the score at 2-1 in the aggregate.
Yellow Card RSL No. 11 Javier MORALES @javi_mo11 | @RealSaltLake @tigresoficial @scotiabankfc #SCCL https://t.co/JGK86odEzw
— CONCACAF (@CONCACAF) 3 de março de 2016
RSL battled hard but finally succumbed to their fate when Nick Rimando came off his line to contest a ball, but André-Pierre Gignac beat him to it and scored on a wide open net in the 91st minute for the final nail in the coffin for the Royals. With that, RSL bowed out and Tigres achieved the final semifinal spot to complete the all-Mexican CONCACAF Champions League semifinal.
