Liga MX

Eighteen years. That’s how long it’s been since the L.A. Galaxy defeated Honduran side CD Olimpia 3-2 in the final of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup, becoming only the second and, to date, final MLS side to win the region’s continental championship. 

When D.C. United won the tournament in 1998 with the likes of Roy Lassiter, Jeff Agoos, Eddie Pope and Marco Etcheverry running circles around León and Toluca, there wasn’t the reward of a FIFA Club World Cup. 

Clint Dempsey (of course it was Clint Dempsey) scored the only goal in a 1-0 Seattle Sounders victory over Chivas Guadalajara in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League that capped a remarkable two-day stretch that saw the three remaining MLS clubs all beat their Liga MX opponents. That, for those who don't normally follow the CONCACAF Champions League, is noteworthy and even remarkable.

Anyway, here's the goal:

Jonathan Osorio had one of the worst misses you can imagine. He atoned for it with one of the sweetest finishes imaginable to lead Toronto FC to a 2-1 comeback win over Tigres UANL on Wednesday in Toronto. The second leg of Tigres vs. Toronto in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals will be Tuesday back in Mexico.

Tigres took a lead in the 52nd minute through Eduardo Vargas but the Reds nearly responded immediately, only for Osorio to sky his wide-open shot from six yards out. It was a shocking miss and one that could haunt a player for the rest of the match.

The New York Red Bulls took a giant step towards the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals with a rare MLS victory in Mexico on Tuesday night, downing Club Tijuana at Estadio Caliente 2-0 in their quarterfinal first leg matchup.

The Metros will need to take care of business at Red Bull Arena on March 13, but they played the first leg to perfection. Bradley Wright-Phillips, the club’s all-time leading scorer, scored a brace and USMNT goalkeeper Luis Robles recorded 13 saves, and the MLS side now returns to Harrison with two vital away goals and a precious clean sheet. 

Leon's shiny new (used) American import, Landon Donovan, celebrated his 36th birthday on Sunday, and his Leon teammates celebrated it with him by shoving cake into his face during training. 

Y al final de nuestro entrenamiento, @landondonovan y Burbano fueron festejados así... pic.twitter.com/8CzSlRqBiC

The legend of Monarcas Morelia’s Raul Ruidiaz continues to grow after the Peruvian international scored his second Liga MX golazo in the space of a week last night. Morelia defeated bottom-of-the-table Atlas 2-1 on Friday with Ruidiaz scoring the game-winner in the 45th minute.

Rodrigo Millar had given Morelia the early lead, but Atlas responded from the spot through Daniel Arreola. However, on the stroke of halftime, a spectacular 15-yard scissor kick from Ruidiaz restored Morelia’s advantage.  

We now know the entire field for the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, and after confirming a matchup between MLS best Toronto FC and Liga MX champions Tigres, we now have confirmation of another tasty encounter between the leagues — MLS runners-up the Seattle Sounders and 2017 Clausura champions (but now tanking) Guadalajara.    

Over the course of the last few years, Tigres UANL have established themselves as Liga MX’s premier side. While they’ve captured three-straight Apertura titles, they’ve also suffered the heartbreak of back-to-back defeats in CONCACAF Champions League finals, losing to America in 2016 and Pachuca in 2017. They’ll be desperate to represent the region at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the UAE.

Brace yourselves. It's that time of the season again in Liga MX. 

The planet stops spinning for a week. There is nothing anybody cares about other than 'El Super Clásico'.

There are goals and then there are GOLAZOS.

Solo goals, scissor kicks, team goals, you name it. There are innumerable ways to score. Pragmatists will say it doesn't matter how stunning or beautiful a goal is, even own goals count the same as the jewels only Messi could craft.

And yet, there is a certain violent charm to bangers.