Mexico took hold of the Hex with a controversial 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. Mexico had opportunities to add to their total, but the Soca Warriors will be aggrieved to have had a first half goal incorrectly chalked off for offside.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez equalled Jared Borgetti’s all-time goalscoring record for Mexico by scoring his 46th goal in his 89th match. Coincidentally, that’s the exact same record as Borgetti.
| #UDEliminatorias: GOOOOOOL. Al 7', 'Chicharito' abre el marcador para México. https://t.co/h92Y13ly9L pic.twitter.com/PpK3ty8Jxn
I don't know what else you were expecting. Xolos manager Miguel Herrera, who is liable to do anything at any moment, could be in hot water because of a video that surfaced showing Herrera appearing to insult and try to fight a fan who was in the stands.
This is not the sort of thing you should do normally, but it's especially the sort of thing you shouldn't do if you got canned from your last job for punching a journalist.
For the United States, injuries to DeAndre Yedlin and Fabian Johnson have severely limited the team’s strength in the wide areas. Meanwhile, Mexico must do without Marco Fabian, Jesus Corona, Giovani dos Santos, Hirving Lozano and Javier Aquino — as well as the continued absence of Paul Aguilar.
But their squad for upcoming qualifiers against Costa Rica and Trinidad and Tobago in the Hex demonstrates their embarrassment of riches when compared to the rest of the region.
Whatever happens in the return leg, this CONCACAF Champions League first leg between FC Dallas and Pachuca is now the benchmark for all MLS clubs. This competition doesn’t favor MLS sides (Dallas are only just beginning their work for the 2017 season), and there’s still obviously a large gap between almost all MLS and Liga MX clubs, but this was the best team in MLS, backed by the best academy, unfortunate to only win 2-1 on the night.
Tigres moved one step closer to their first-ever CONCACAF Champions League title by defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 in the first leg of the semifinals. An own goal from ‘Caps defender Kendall Waston and a half-volley from Chilean international Eduardo Vargas will have Tigres confident of seeing things through ahead of the return leg in Vancouver.
Vancouver surprised everyone by making it this far in the competition, and their only hope was to give themselves a chance at BC Place by defending resolutely in the first leg.
Chicharito lost a Super Bowl bet. We've all been there. We've all had to do some silly stunt or say something outlandish in a public place or, in the case of the Bayer Leverkusen striker, shave our head.
In the 82nd minute of Bayer Leverkusen's Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen, the fourth official indicated a Bayer subtitution: Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez was coming off to be replaced by Stefan Kiessling. With the scores level at 1-1 and Werder defending a corner, you can forgive defender Niklas Moisander for sticking to his task of man marking Chicharito like it was a God-given assignment.
Miguel Layun is primarily a fullback and defensive midfielder, but that doesn't stop him from ripping off free kicks like this one in Porto's 7-0 victory over CD Nacional de Madeira.
Señor golazo de Layún con el Porto!!!! #PowerMexicano #PortoxESPN pic.twitter.com/Hwaz8w0n4Y
After last year’s all-Liga MX semifinal round in the CONCACAF Champions League, we’ve been given some welcome variety in this year’s edition with two MLS sides reaching the semis for the first time since 2012-13.
FC Dallas, the 2016 MLS Supporters’ Shield and US Open Cup winners, will play Pachuca, champions of the 2016 Liga MX Clausura. In the other tie, the Vancouver Whitecaps, victors over the New York Red Bulls in the quarterfinals, will play Tigres, the side that won the Liga MX Apertura championship in December.