Liga MX

After a thrilling 3-2 Tigres win in Monterrey pulled the Liga MX club level with Toronto FC on aggregate in the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals, the defending MLS Cup champions advanced to the semifinals over the Liga MX Apertura Champions on away goals.

Toronto FC needed a lucky Tigres own goal, some Sebastian Giovinco magic (he scored a free kick, as per usual) and a little more luck to withstand a late Tigres rally in order to advance, but advance they did. 

The New York Red Bulls struck a blow for MLS pride in the early Concacaf Champions League match Tuesday when they beat Liga MX's Club Tijuana 3-1, 5-1 on aggregate, to advance to the semifinals.

The Red Bulls cut Tijuana with intricate movement in the final third, which is not a thing one normally associates with Major League Soccer. It's a brave new world.

While the U.S. president continues to fight for a wall between the countries, Mexico and the U.S. (plus Canada) continue to grow closer through soccer. A week after the joint 2026 World Cup bid reshuffled its leadership for a more united front between all three countries, Liga MX and MLS announced an unprecedented partnership on Tuesday, highlighted by the Campeones Cup, a new annual competition pitting the best team from each league against each other. 

Queretaro's 1-1 draw against Necaxa on Saturday featured an equalizing goal for Queretaro's Everaldo Stum that will probably win Liga MX's goal of the Clausura. If it doesn't, it will take something very, very special to beat the Brazilian forward's effort.

Ladies and gentlemen, Everaldo Stum:

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. 

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. 

Hey, this all turned out well for American soccer. Thanks to FC Dallas’ shitshow performance against Tauro FC, the MLS side got to avoid getting spanked by Club America in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, and look who’s now doing the spanking — it’s Angeleno Joe Corona! 

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.