MIAMI, Florida – The 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League will continue next week with a very intriguing quarterfinal match-up between Cruz Azul of Liga MX against Toronto FC of Major League Soccer.
Cruz Azul are very familiar with playing against teams from MLS and overall have a 6W-1D-4L record against the league, with 23 goals scored and 13 conceded.
La Maquina first faced an MLS rival in the very first edition of the SCCL in 2008-09, defeating DC United 1-0 on two occasions in the group stage.
A year later in the 2009-10 tournament, Cruz Azul collected another pair of clean sheet victories, downing the Columbus Crew 5-0 at home and 2-0 away in the group stage.
The 2010-11 group stage saw Cruz Azul play four matches against MLS teams, beginning with their first defeat to an MLS side in a 2-1 loss at Toronto FC.
A week later they would take on Real Salt Lake in what would become one of the most memorable SCCL matches in history, as they rallied from a late 3-1 deficit to claim a 5-4 victory thanks to SCCL all-time leading scorer Javier Orozco’s four goals.
Cruz Azul’s only draw against an MLS opponent came late in the group stage in a 0-0 final against Toronto FC at home, followed by the group finale in which they fell 3-1 to Real Salt Lake.
The next meeting against an MLS side would have to wait until the 2013-14 quarterfinals in which they faced Sporting Kansas City. Following a 1-0 defeat away in the first leg, Cruz Azul put on a sizzling display at home in the second leg in a 5-1 win.
It would be another six-and-a-half years before Cruz Azul’s next crack at MLS, this time in the single game quarterfinal in the 2020 SCCL that ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Los Angeles FC.
Nevertheless, with an all-time winning record against MLS opposition, Cruz Azul will fancy their chances in their quarterfinal with Toronto FC.
