Rondon, Rossi head up Champions Cup Quarterfinals Best XI

MIAMI — Four teams remain in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup after this week's quarterfinals.

The performances of Salomón Rondón, Diego Rossi, Luis Malagón, among others, helped their teams win their respective series in the quarterfinals, and for that reason, based on statistics, they were elected to the Best XI of the second leg matches of the quarterfinals.

Goalkeeper 

Luis Malagon, Club America – Malagon delivered a shutout in the first leg to help America leave Foxborough, Massachusetts with a 4-0 lead in the first leg over the New England Revolution. He went 154 minutes without a goal in the series and increased his saves tally to 18 overall in the campaign.

Defenders

Bryan Gonzalez, Pachuca – Gonzalez was key in the first leg against Herediano with his play through the left flank, supplying an assist to Rondon. He also scored in the second leg to help the Tuzos advance.

Yevhen Cheberko, Columbus Crew – The 26-year-old Ukrainian went full ninety in both legs, plus extra time, to help the Crew stay level against Tigres. He provided four clearances, including three in the second leg, and was effective with his passing including a 92.6% accuracy at the Estadio Universitario.

Jesus Gallardo, Monterrey – Gallardo stands out for his goal in the second leg against Inter Miami to all but seal the series on a very active night, helping the team build up plays through the left side of the field. He drew a foul from Jordi Alba, an action that left Inter Miami with 10 men in the second half of the final leg.

Midfielders

Darlington Nagbe, Columbus Crew—Tigres UANL tried their best to take the ball away from Nagbe, who suffered nine fouls throughout the series. He was also a key passer with 91% and 96%, respectively, in leg one and leg two.

Maximiliano Meza, Monterrey – Meza was decisive in the first leg by providing the tying goal and the match-winning assist in Monterrey’s comeback win at Inter Miami. He nearly added another goal in the second leg on another threatening night in attack.

Alejandro Zendejas, Club America – Zendejas scored in both legs for Club America to help extend the scoreline and contribute to nine total goals, the most for the club in a series against an MLS opponent.

Diego Valdes, Club America – Valdes came on as a substitute in the first leg at the New England Revolution to orchestrate a fourth goal and help America return to Mexico with a healthy lead. He put the series further out of reach by playing a hand in the first two goals of the second leg, scoring the first and assisting on the second.

Forwards

Diego Rossi, Columbus Crew – Diego Rossi scored both Columbus goals in the series against Tigres. In both instances, he tied the match to offset the contributions from Andre-Pierre Gignac. The Uruguayan also scored the opening kick for his team on penalties to help the Crew advance to its first semifinals.

Salomon Rondon, Pachuca – Rondon is on fire with four goals in the quarterfinals, including a hat-trick in the first leg against Herediano. Combined with a hat-trick in the previous round, the Venezuelan is the leading scorer in the tournament and shows no signs of slowing down.

Henry Martin, Club America—Martin was reliable for America, scoring a goal in each leg against the New England Revolution. He scored the opening goal of the series and assisted Zendejas in the first leg before scoring the third goal in the second leg.