MIAMI, Florida – Liga MX side Tigres struck for a trio of second half goals to down the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 in the second leg of their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One series on Wednesday night at the Estadio Universitario in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico.
With the result, Tigres claim a 4-1 victory on aggregate and have advanced to the Round of 16 where they will face either Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC or Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer (MLS).
Each side had a pair of early looks at goal, beginning with Vancouver’s Mathias Laborda heading wide of goal off a corner kick, while Tigres first leg hero Andre-Pierre Gignac had a free kick sail just over the crossbar in the 11’.
The rest of the half saw Tigres largely control possession and create several chances, but the Whitecaps were showing their attacking teeth in transition and kept the Tigres defense alert, including on a second Laborda chance right before the break.
Tigres increased the pressure to start the second half, and minutes after a Juan Brunetta shot was tipped away by Vancouver GK Yohei Takaoka, Luis Quinones fired in from a few yards out after a header came off the crossbar for a 1-0 Tigres lead in the 51’.
It was up to Vancouver to try to find an equalizer and even the series, but Tigres veteran GK Nahuel Guzman and the rest of the Tigres defense would not be broken.
That allowed the Tigres attack to put the series on ice with a second goal in the 85’, as a deep cross was smacked into net on an Ozziel Herrera header for a 2-0 lead.
Tigres then tacked on a score in second half stoppage time, with Juan Pablo Vigon finishing a counterattack for the 3-0 final.
