Action from the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League final, first leg match between host Tigres (yellow jersey) and Club America on April 20, 2016, in San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico. (Photo: Mexsport)
SAN NICOLAS DE LOS GARZA, Mexico -- Club America took a giant step toward defending its Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League title, recording a 2-0 victory over Tigres in the first leg of the 2015-16 final at the Estadio Universitario on Wednesday night.
Dario Benedetto scored in the 49th minute and Osvaldo Martinez added an insurance tally three minutes into stoppage time for the Aguilas, who increased their SCCL unbeaten streak to 12 matches (8-4-0).
The two-goal margin put Club America into the drivers' seat for the second leg on April 27.
Benedetto, who notched his first SCCL goal since registering a hat-trick in last year’s final (a 4-2 second-leg win over the host Impact de Montreal), scored against the run of play. He headed in a Martinez left-wing cross at the far post in the 49th minute for his ninth career SCCL tally.
Martinez connected off a counterattack, beating goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman from 25-yards out for his first goal of the competition.
Club America thought it had also scored in the 57th minute. Guzman raced to the midfield line and barreled into Oribe Peralta. Andres Andrade picked up possession on the left to slot the ball into an empty net from 36-yards out, only to see his left-footed effort be disallowed for offside.
Tigres enjoyed significant stretches of possession in the opening half, but missed on several opportunities.
France international Andre-Pierre Gignac powered a 24-yard free kick right to Gonzalez in the eighth minute. Three minutes later, Anselmo Vendrechovski (Juninho) launched a 27-yard free kick just over the bar.
Javier Aquino penetrated into the area in the 33rd minute, sending his nine-yard attempt over the crossbar. After Gignac drilled a shot from the top left of the penalty area wide right a minute later, Guido Pizarro’s header off a corner kick went straight at Gonzalez in the 39th minute.
In the seven previous finals, only Cruz Azul in 2009/10 won the first leg and lost the series. It posted a 2-1 victory at home against Pachuca in the opener, before dropping a 1-0 decision in the second leg and falling short on the away-goals rule.
