CAMPEONES CLASH
Mexican champion Tigres too tough for TFC
Jesus Duenas scored twice to help Tigres UANL defeat Toronto FC 3-1 Wednesday night as the Mexican and MLS champions faced off in the inaugural Campeones Cup.
The result was a measure of revenge for the Mexicans, ousted by Toronto in March in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals on the away goals rule. For TFC, it was another misstep in a season gone wrong.
At stake Wednesday was a trophy and $340,000 (U.S.). Each team picked up $240,000 for playing, with $100,000 going to the winner. Lucas Janson scored a consolation goal for Toronto in the 86th minute via the penalty spot after Duenas, hit in the arm by a cross from Brazil’s Auro, was called for a handball. Toronto finished strong but the outcome was already decided.
Toronto started well but Tigres got into their rhythm midway through the first half.
Duenas put Tigres ahead in the 36th minute after Brazil’s Juninho floated a fine ball over the Toronto defence. Duenas left Eriq Zavaleta and Gregory van der Wiel in his wake and, ignoring a chasing Michael Bradley, beat goalkeeper Alex Bono to the near side with a left-footed shot.
There was more bad news for the home side when Giovinco exited in the 40th minute with calf cramps.
Duenas doubled the advantage in the 64th minute, lashing home a right-footed shot on a clearance from a corner. Two minutes later, substitute Enner Valencia beat Nick Hagglund down the flank and his cross went in off Zavaleta.
Toronto has conceded10 goals in its past four games.
The teams will now return their attentions to league action. Toronto plays at the New York Red Bulls on Saturday while Tigres faces city rival Monterrey on Sunday.
Both teams have struggled of late.
Tigres (4-3-2) are currently seventh in the Mexican standings although they are unbeaten in four (2-0-2). Toronto (8-16-4) has struggled to keep its head above regularseason water and stands 19th overall in MLS (ninth in the East), nine points out of the playoffs.
Toronto perhaps realizing its playoff chances are bleak — the analytical FiveThirtyEight website gives TFC only a four per cent chance of qualifying for the post-season — fielded a strong lineup with nine of the 11 starters used against Tigres in CONCACAF Champions League play getting the call again. Defenders Drew Moor and Chris Mavinga missed out through injury while playmaker Victor Vazquez, as he did in the Tigres series, started on the bench.
Bradley, for the second game in a row, dropped back to an- chor a back three.
Tigres kept Mexican winger Jurgen Damm (who spent two months in Toronto as a child) and Ecuador’s Valencia on the bench to start. Coach Ricardo (Tuca) Ferretti complained before the match that it would be fairer to have a two-legged final than just make his team fly north.
Wednesday’s game was not part of the season ticket-holders’ package so drew a small announced crowd of 14,823 to BMO Field with the top half of the East stand closed off.
TFC was after its fifth trophy in15 months, following the 2017 and 2018 Canadian Championships, 2017 Supporters’ Shield and 2017 MLS Cup.