Toronto FC just finished the best Concacaf Champions League run in MLS history. They didn't win, but they came as close to winning the thing as possible. A lot of blame will fall at the feet of Michael Bradley, both because his miss was so bad aesthetically and because of the USMNT's recent failings.
The Chivas vs Toronto CONCACAF Champions League final has divided soccer aficionados in Mexico. Of course every Guadalajara fan is all in for their team, and even some other Mexican soccer enthusiasts have expressed their solidarity with them.
However, not everyone in Mexico is longing for a Chivas victory.
That did not go as planned for Toronto FC. Having just knocked mighty Club America out of the Concacaf Champions League, the reigning MLS champions surely figured to have an easier time of it against Chivas Guadalajara in the final. Chivas are having a terrible season domestically, but for some reason have been kryptonite for MLS clubs in the CCL.
They were again, handing Sebastian Giovinco and friends a 2-1 defeat in Toronto and taking a solid lead back to Mexico for the second leg.
Rodolfo Pizarro opened the scoring just a few minutes in the game.
An extremely strong contingent of Guadalajara supporters inside Red Bull Arena watched their side hang on for the narrowest of victories on Tuesday night, Chivas doing just enough to retain their 1-0 first leg advantage over New York in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals despite being outshot 20-1 in the second.
You can take the USMNT out of the World Cup, but you can’t take the World Cup out of the USMNT ... or something. We might not be creating any new memories in Russia, but at least we’ve got some historical moments that're always worth revisiting. I’m talking about the 2002 World Cup team.
The team’s run to the quarterfinals of that competition was no fluke — they didn’t Portugal Euro 2016 themselves into the history books.
An early goal from Mallory Pugh, followed by an Alex Morgan brace and Carli Lloyd’s 99th USWNT goal led to a 4-1 U.S. friendly victory over Mexico Thursday night in Jacksonville, Florida. Katie Johnson pulled one back for El Tri with a nice chip, but the U.S. showed why they’re the overwhelming favorites at next October’s CONCACAF Women’s Championship.
Mallory Pugh scored the opening goal for the USWNT against Mexico on Thursday night, continuing her scorching start to 2018. The 19-year-old’s strike was her fourth of the year for the U.S., including a January brace against Denmark and last month’s goal against France in the SheBelieves Cup.
Captain Alex Morgan took possession in Mexico’s attacking third and played Megan Rapinoe into the box. Rapinoe used the outside of her right boot to flick the ball beyond the onrushing keeper and towards the streaking Pugh.
The Highlands Ranch native did the rest.
Chivas beat the New York Red Bulls 1-0 on Wednesday in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League semifinals. The Goats were the only Liga MX team (out of three, Club America didn't play an MLS side because LOL FC Dallas) to beat an MLS side in the quarterfinals, and it appears they still want blood.
Chivas's Isaac Brizuela was awarded the Rocket League Goal of the Game award, which is the award you get if you score the only goal in the game.
Toronto FC continued its impressive run in the Concacaf Champions League, handing Club América a 3-1 defeat at BMO Field on Tuesday. Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore both scored for the MLS champions, who also got a goal from an unlikely source. There were few positives for Club America vs Toronto, but Andrés Ibargüen gave the Liga MX side an away goal to take back to Estadio Azteca for the second leg on April 10.
Chivas defeated the Seattle Sounders 3-0 at the Estadio Akron Wednesday night in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal, comfortably overturning a 1-0 first leg deficit by the 55th minute. Oswaldo Alanis, Eduardo Lopez and Jose Godinez scored the goals to complete the semifinal bracket: it’s Chivas vs. the New York Red Bulls on one side and Club America vs. Toronto FC on the other.