The game’s turning point came when VAR adjudged Tigres substitute Marcelo Flores to have handled the ball in the box.
Cruz Azul secured their place in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final with a gritty 1-0 win over Tigres UANL on Thursday night. The result helped Cruz Azul clinch a 2-1 aggregate victory across the two-legged semifinal. The decisive moment of the match came in the 82nd minute when Angel Sepulveda converted a penalty to seal the hosts’ progression to the June 1 final, where they will face Canada’s Vancouver Whitecaps.
Tigres started on the front foot and had a goal ruled out for offside in a dominant opening spell, but Cruz Azul eventually grew into the contest. Despite several key chances, including two close-range efforts from captain Ignacio Rivero and a tame shot from Sepulveda, the breakthrough proved elusive for much of the night. Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman kept the game scoreless with some exceptional saves.
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The game’s turning point came when VAR adjudged Tigres substitute Marcelo Flores to have handled the ball in the box. Sepulveda stepped up and coolly slotted the penalty down the middle. Guzman got a hand to it, but couldn’t keep it out. Tigres launched some late attacks in search of an equalizer, but it was too little too late.
With the result, Cruz Azul will now host the final, marking their return to the title-deciding game for the first time in over a decade. Their clash with Vancouver Whitecaps will also extend Liga MX’s astonishing run of 21 consecutive seasons featuring a Mexican club in the continental final.
Notably, the winner of the one-off final will not only claim the trophy but also secure qualification for both the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
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