Liga MX semifinals ended last Sunday, the 21st, with the second match between América and Guadalajara. Tigres and Chivas surprised everyone and advanced to the Liga MX finals.
In 4 days, from May 18th to 21st, Monterrey, Tigres, Guadalajara, and América were deciding the spots for the final. The favorites, first and second on the table, had the advantage of playing the second game of the series at home, but both were eliminated in front of their fans.
The aggregate score was quite tight: Tigres advanced after beating Monterrey 2-1 on the sum of the scores, while Chivas Guadalajara won 3-2 on aggregate, having both qualified only on the goals they scored away from home.
Chivas Guadalajara and Tigres will meet in the final.
Liga MX – Semifinal results:
- Tigres 1-1 Monterrey;
- Guadalajara 0-1 America;
- Monterrey 0-1 Tigres;
- America 1-3 Guadalajara
Liguilla Semifinals Roundup – Monterrey 1 – 2 Tigres
When:
Saturday, May 20 at 09:06 pm ET at BBVA Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Monterrey -116
Tigres +320
Draw Offs:
+265
Where Can I Watch it?
Fox Sports, Fanatiz, and TUDN
Tigres showed, once again, that they are one of the strongest teams in Mexican football. Overcoming Monterrey, which had qualified as top seed, Tigres showed the strength of its squad and the winning mentality of its players.
Even after the draw at home in the first match, the Felines showed that they did not fear their strong opponent and that they could surprise them even away from home.
Sebastian Córdova scored the goal that sealed Tigres’ qualification for the Liga MX final. Scared, Monterrey felt pressured and was unable to have the necessary calm to seek a tie. The situation was even more dramatic, because a minute before Tigres’ goal, Monterrey saw Gallardo’s goal disallowed by VAR.
After beating Puebla and Toluca, Tigres also beat Monterrey and placed itself as the big favorite to win the Liga MX. It remains to be seen whether the team will be able to play with this favoritism since it was not among the best ranked and had a very tense game against their local rivals.
Liguilla Semifinals Roundup – America 2 – 3 Chivas Guadalajara
When:
Sunday, May 21st – 8:00 pm ET at the Aztec Stadium
Moneyline odds:
Chivas +360
Club America -137
Draw offs:
+295
Where Can I Watch it?
Guadalajara had lost the first leg at home, 1-0, but recovered and beat the mighty América at Estadio Azteca. Ronaldo Cisneros opened the scoring at 19′ of the first half when the game was still lukewarm and the locals seemed to control the match.
Winning at halftime, Chivas started to play with the errors of its opponent, who had to change the strategy and launch the attack. The changes took effect and Diego Valdés tied the match at 57′. Six minutes later, however, the referee of the match receives a call from VAR and decides to send off Fidalgo, who had taken a yellow card originally.
Chivas grew from this expulsion and managed to convert the numerical advantage into goals within a few minutes: Alan Mozo scored the second goal for the visitors in the 76th minute, while Jesús Orozco scored the third in the 88th minute and sent the visitors through the standings.
The expulsion of a player who had given a beautiful assist hurt América, who didn’t know how to organize themselves with one player less. The atmosphere at the Azteca stadium was also of concern after the second goal was conceded, which reflected on the mood of the team on the field.
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