Sporting Kansas City showed no let up on Thursday in their second leg of the Concacaf Champions League round of 16 against Liga MX’s Toluca.
Gerso Fernandes’ first-half goal and Krisztian Nemeth’s second-half penalty handed Peter Vermes’ side a 2-0 win on Thursday and a 5-0 aggregate victory over Toluca.
With the victory, Sporting KC became the first Major League Soccer club to defeat a Mexican club in the CCL when the second leg of a series was played in Mexico.
Gerso opened the scoring in the eighth minute, as he hauled in a long cross-field pass from Roger Espinoza, cut in from the left side of the box and fired into the back of the net.
After Gerso’s goal, and throughout the game, Toluca fans began to Ole when Sporting KC passed the ball around, which was a sign of how poorly things are going at the Mexican club.
Nemeth finished off the game and series victory, as he converted from the spot in the 62nd minute.
The Hungarian forward earned the penalty a minute before, as he was brought down in the box by Albert Mora.
Sporting KC moves on to play Panamanian side Independiente, who defeated Toronto FC in the round of 16, in the quarterfinal round.
Sporting KC, Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls and Atlanta United are the four remaining MLS sides in the competition.
Nevertheless. Is this by any chance the first time there has been an MLS club in every bracket in the quarterfinals? More MLS teams still in the tournament than Liga MX or anywhere else?
Surely one or two of them can at least go through to the final? Maybe there might even be TV coverage on a standard channel, which is still a key part of raising the profile of soccer in the US.
Toluca is in 15th place and has earned just 1 pt in their last 6 Liga Mx matches.
I think SKC is a legit title contender this year! Of course injuries and form will come into play BUT if they can have this or improved form coming into the Cup…BEWARE!
Didn’t Seattle or Dallas win in Mexico few years ago in the CCL?
Mlssoccer.com reports that Sporting Kansas City was ” THE FIFTH ” american club to defeat a mexican team in Mexico. Looks like the guys in SBI didn’t make their home work. The other teams were: Pumas UNAM 0 FC Dallas 1 August 17/11 , Monterrey 0 Seattle Sounders 1 August 23/11 , Tijuana Xolos 0 NY Red Bulls 2 March 6/18 and Chivas Guadalajara 1 Toronto FC 2 April 25/18.
“when the second leg was played in Mexico”
Those were in the first leg. SKC is the first to win a second leg played in Mexico.
if SKC plays like this during the regular season…..a lot of MLS teams are in trouble!!!! Wow
Rather remarkable to beat a Mexican side 5-0 on aggregate, especially when the game in Mexico was at extreme altitude (8,750 feet). SKC looks extremely good, especially for being still in pre-season,.