"My obligation as Mexico head coach is to make the national team be respected."
Tata Martino's words echoed through the press conference room right before his first match against Chile. Mexico would go on to win that thrilling game 3-1, and he's since gone on to defeat Paraguay 4-2. But this summer, his team will be pushed to the limit.
Despite playing the second leg at home, top-seeded León couldn’t find a way past Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán while putting five shots on frame, and Tigres is now the Liga MX Clausura champions thanks to André-Pierre Gignac’s lone goal from the first leg.
It’s Tigres’ seventh Liga MX crown and fifth title this decade. For manager Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti, it’s a seventh league title overall, drawing him level with Ignacio Trelles for the most all time.
Last night, Tigres defeated León 1-0 in the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final thanks to a goal from André-Pierre “Mr. Playoffs” Gignac. It was a historic strike for the Frenchman, moving him level with Mexican legend Tomás Boy at the top of Tigres’ all-time goalscoring chart with 104.
They call Gignac “el Señor de las Liguillas” because of his 104 goals for Tigres, 21 have come in the playoffs, leading to Apertura titles in 2015, 2016 and 2018. Now Gignac is on the verge of a fourth Liga MX crown thanks to this effort in the 21st minute.
Carlos Vela is on fire in Major League Soccer. The El Tri star has done a great job building off an excellent start to his MLS career with Los Angeles FC. His first season ended with 14 goals out of 28 appearances. This year, he's picked up right where he left off, scoring 14 goals in just 14 appearances for LAFC.
Last night, the Liga MX Clausura playoffs began with quarterfinal first leg matchups between top-seed León and Óscar Pareja’s Tijuana, while second-seed Tigres traveled to Estadio Hidalgo to play Pachuca.
After setting a record when rattling off 12 straight victories to finish as superlíder, León expectedly took care of business in the first leg by posting three away goals on Xolos at Estadio Caliente.
The Liga MX Clausura playoffs are upon us. The dates and times are set for the quarterfinals, which begin this Wednesday and conclude on Sunday. León enters the liguilla as the top seed, but it’s rarely ever as straight forward as all that. The opening round also features appearances from Necaxa and Pachuca (making their first playoff appearances since the 2016 Apertura) and a rematch of last year’s final between Mexico City rivals Cruz Azul and Club America.
After advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2017 event, Mexico looks to advance even further at this summer’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland with a group of 21 players that’ve excelled at the youth level for El Tri.
A big talking point, much to the consternation of coach Diego Ramirez, is the fact that Monterrey has barred Jonathan Gonzalez from joining the side with the Liga MX playoffs looming.
PSV Eindhoven stumbled to a 3-3 draw with Vitesse to allow Ajax to go top of the Dutch Eredivisie table on goal difference, but things could’ve been worse if not for the dynamic play of Hirving “Chucky” Lozano.
With PSV trailing 1-0 shortly before halftime, the El Tri star burst through the Vitesse defense, drove into the box and was taken out by the goalkeeper to earn his side a penalty. The 23-year-old then duly converted by sending an effort low and to the keeper’s right.
A meeting between two clubs desperate to cement commendable seasons with a shot at silverware produced a classic FA Cup semifinal today at Wembley Stadium. Wolves went 2-0 up by the 62nd minute before Watford came storming back to force extra time with a goal in the 94th minute, and then Hornets hero Gerard Deulofeu scored his second in the 104th to book his side’s passage to the final, where Manchester City awaits.
The 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship, which doubles as qualification for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil, is fast approaching. Over the course of 16 days in Bradenton, Florida, 20 teams will battle for the four World Cup spots, and Mexico will look to win its fourth straight title at this level.
El Tri defeated the U.S. in the last final back in 2017. That match featured the likes of Jairo Torres and Roberto de la Rosa for Mexico while the U.S. called on Josh Sargent and Tim Weah.