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Cruz Azul edge Toluca for CCL title

Cruz Azul CCL Champs (Getty Imags)

By FRANCO PANIZO

Cruz Azul ended their 17-year drought without a major trophy on Wednesday, and they did so despite never beating Toluca in the CONCACAF Champions League finals series.

Cruz Azul hoisted the CONCACAF Champions League trophy on Wednesday night after a 1-1 road draw gave them the away-goals advantage over Toluca. The two sides played to a goal-less tie last week, and that allowed for Mariano Pavone’s opener in the second leg to prove as the difference in the series.

Pavone scored the decisive tally in the 41st minute, but Edgar Benitez gave Toluca some life with an equalizer in the 63rd. The hosts never found the go-ahead goal they needed, however, and that resulted in Cruz Azul becoming champions.

Pavone also celebrated becoming the tournament’s Golden Ball winner, while Toluca’s Raul Nava and Alfredo Talavara claimed the Golden Boot and Golden Glove awards, respectively.

With the title now secured, Cruz Azul can begin planning their December trip to Morocco for the FIFA Club World Cup.

Here are the match highlights:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJzB1jEXR3M]

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What do you think of Cruz Azul win the CCL title? Think the aways-goal rule should be extinct? How do you think the Mexican club will fare at the FIFA Club World Cup?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. It was a great match, shame so many MLS fans missed it. Toluca almost won the match in the final second on the final kick but inexplicably put it over the bar from 3 yards out.

    Cant wait to see the NY Cosmos in this in the near future. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Really hard to take MLS seriously when Mexican teams are so dominant in this competition. There should be an MLS team in the final at least every other year. It would be a lot of fun for fans in both countries.

    Reply
    • They should actually make it a cup tournament all MLS vs all LigaMX. That would grow into something.

      Ditch the central american/caribbean clubs, or allow one or two to round up the knockout brackets.

      Reply
      • That is just dumb, you cant have a federation champs league then keep 95% of the countries out of it.

      • central american clubs have knocked out both US and mexican clubs plenty in the past so to remove them and also the champions league is pretty stupid.

  3. Define “major” trophy? I’ll start caring about this competition when it is somewhat even. Meaningful rounds are played in MLS preaseason.

    Reply

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