Angel Sepulveda’s 82nd-minute penalty kick gave Cruz Azul a 1-0 win over Tigres UANL on Thursday in Mexico City and sent the hosts to the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Cruz Azul won the two-leg, total-goal series 2-1. Even with a scoreless draw on Thursday, Cruz Azul would have advanced based on the away-goals tiebreaker, having played to a 1-1 draw last week in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico.
The result makes Cruz Azul the host team for the single-game final on June 1 against the Vancouver Whitecaps, who finished a 5-1 aggregate semifinal win over Inter Miami on Wednesday.
The decisive moment on Thursday occurred when Tigres’ Marcelo Flores was called for a handball in the penalty area.
Sepulveda sent the ensuing penalty kick down the middle. Tigres goalie Nahuel Guzman got a hand on the ball but couldn’t keep it out of the net.
Guzman wound up making five saves, while Cruz Azul goalie Kevin Mier stopped two shots.
–Field Level Media
