Toluca eliminates LAFC from CONCACAF Champions Cup

It was the same situation, but the margin for error was much slimmer.

Just like the quarterfinal round, LAFC went to the second leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup series with the aggregate lead. However, unlike its matchup with Cruz Azul, where it dominated to a three-goal home win in the first leg, which in turn reduced some of the pressure on the second leg, LAFC was going into the second leg of its semifinal matchup against Deportivo Toluca on more precarious footing, as LAFC not only held a scant one-goal lead going into Toluca, but that goal that Toluca scored in Los Angeles last Wednesday could be the difference between going home or advancing to the final for both sides.

Sure enough, Toluca came out guns blazing, pressuring LAFC all throughout the first half, and its relentlessness eventually paid off in the second half, as Toluca scored four goals inside the final 45 minutes, and they rode its performance as well as the raucous atmosphere of Estadio Nemesio Díez to the 4-0 win.

Toluca got goals from Helinho, Everado Lopez, Nicolas Castro and Diego Barbosa to lead the effort. Toluca’s win combined with Tigres UNAL eliminating Nashville sets up an all Liga MX final, the first since 2021.

After a scoreless first half despite massive pressure, but nothing to show for its efforts, Toluca caught a break just two minutes into the second half. Helinho tried to beat Hollingshead to a loose ball, Helinho got to the ball first, took a knock, but it occurred inside the penalty area, awarding Toluca the penalty. Helinho converted the penalty in the 47th minute to level the aggregate score, but put themselves in the lead due to its road goal in Los Angeles last week.

Not content on simply riding out that road goal to get to the final, Toluca stayed on the offensive, and its pressure resulted in them taking the aggregate lead in the 58th minute. Marky Delgado intercepted a pass from Mauricia Isais, then tried to dribble out of its side of the field, but his last touch was a little too heavy, and Lopez scooped up the loose ball. Lopez needed just that initial touch to get himself into shooting position, and he one-timed a left-footed volley from about 28 yards out and LAFC keeper Hugo Lloris could only watch and hope the ball missed the back post, as the shot was out of his range , but unfortunately, the shot snuck into the back net for a spectacular goal that gave Toluca the aggregate lead.

Toluca held the lead throughout the remainder of the half, though they had to withstand several uncomfortable moments from LAFC that could’ve resulted in the match going into overtime. Toluca virtually locked up the match in the the 92 minute, as Pavel Perez dribbled pas the LAFC defense into the penalty area, Perez then played a ball into the six-yard box and Castro slotted in the point-blank shot to make a 3-0 match lead and 4-2 aggregate lead. Barbosa put the icing on the cake in the 94th minute, as Perez stole a ball near the halfway line, dribbled all the wall into the penalty area, played a ball to Barbosa, who finished the match with a goal to put the icing on the cake.

Despite Toluca’s dominance on offense, LAFC did have some chances themselves, especially knowing a road goal of their own would have kept them alive in the series. LAFC  had a golden opportunity eight minutes into the match, as Son Heung-Min sprung Bouanga foward, Bouanga touched into the penalty area and fired the right-footed shot, keeper Luis Garcia came off his line and made the save, but Tillman had trailed the play, and the ball fell to him with a point-blank shot at a wide open net,  but Tillman somehow sent the ball over goal and out of play.