Last week was quite a week fir soccer fans. Not only did we get to enjoy the first leg of the UEFA Champions League duel between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, and the battle between Real Madrid and Manchester City, but we also had the chance to sit back and savor the epic conclusion to the CONCACAF Champions League. The two remaining teams were arguably the top Liga MX teams right now, with Tuca Ferretti’s Tigres taking on Club America in Mexico City in the second leg of the final.
The first leg was a huge disappointment for Tuca and his team. They failed to showcase their quality as host in their first duel against Club America, losing 2-0 with America taking two vital away goals into the second leg. Striker Dario Benedetto proved decisive in that match, opening up the game with a header in the 49th minute, and when the match was at its end Osvaldo Martinez scored, silencing el Estadio Universitario.
The match was an intense one, as any final should be.
Tigres had everything to play for in the second leg. They knew what was in store for them: a high-flying team in Club America, who were playing host in the the ever-intimidating Estadio Azteca. The current Liga MX champions felt a comeback was coming. Tigres star Jurgen Damm believed they could do it.
“As a big team, America has to attack to make their fans happy. They can't sit back like they did in the last match," he said at a news conference Wednesday right before the match. "Being in the Azteca and being one of the best in Mexico, America has to go out to take control of the match. That benefits us because we'll have more space to attack."
Sadly for Tigres, they failed to spark a comeback and left Mexico City having lost 4-1 on aggregate against Ignacio Ambriz’s historic side. There was some truth to what Jurgen Damm said though. America did not sit back and once again scored multiple goals, letting in only one over the two legs.
Club America’s brilliance over the two legs was enough to see off Tigres and win consecutive CONCACAF Champions Leagues. They’ll be representing the region at the Club World Cup against the very best.
This was an historic win for Club America. Not only do they have the most domestic championship wins but now they also have the record for most CONCACAF titles won. The team continues to fly high.
