MIAMI, Florida – The Final of the 2021 Liga MX Apertura Liguilla is now set, as 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League participant Club Leon will take on Atlas following the results of the semifinals over the weekend.
Facing a 2-1 deficit on aggregate against Tigres, Club Leon jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in Saturday’s second leg on a strong right-footed finish from Angel Mena in the 8’. But Tigres would respond and level things at 1-1 in the 16’ when Diego Reyes took advantage of a deflection and redirected in a shot to give Tigres a 3-2 aggregate lead.
Needing a goal to advance, Club Leon committed numbers forward and they would finally get their reward in dramatic fashion, with Mena scoring his second of the night in the 85’ by nodding home a header from a yard out to earn Club Leon the 2-1 win. As the team with the better regular season finish, Club Leon advanced to the Final after the 3-3 aggregate draw.
In the Final, Club Leon will face an Atlas side that are seeking their first domestic league crown since 1951. The Guadalajara-based club held a 1-0 lead on aggregate going into Sunday’s second leg at home against Pumas, but found themselves in trouble in the 76’ when Juan Ignacio Dinenno scored to hand the visitors from Mexico City a 1-0 lead, while evening the aggregate at 1-1.
Still, with the higher regular season finish, Atlas held the tiebreaker and managed to see out the final minutes to punch their ticket to their first final in 22 years.
On Sunday the Canadian Premier League staged their Final in which 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf League semifinalist and 2022 SCCL side Forge FC squared off against Pacific.
Forge were on the front foot and controlled the first half, but were unable to find a way past Pacific GK Callum Irving.
Pacific were able to withstand the Forge pressure and then managed to strike on one of their first scoring chances of the game, as Alessandro Hojabrpour spun in a header off a free kick in the 59’ to give his side a 1-0 lead that they held until the final whistle.
The 2021 MLS Cup is also set, with the Portland Timbers set to battle New York City FC in next Saturday’s winner-take-all Final after the semifinal results over the weekend.
The Timbers advanced to their third MLS Cup since 2015 thanks to a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake at home in the Western Conference final. Felipe Mora scored in the 5’ before Santiago Moreno doubled the lead in the 61’ to secure the Timbers’ place in the Final.
In the Eastern Conference, New York City FC will compete in their first MLS Cup after downing the Philadelphia Union 2-1 in Philadelphia. The visitors from the Big Apple found themselves down 1-0 in the 63’ after an Alexander Callens own goal, but they would respond with aplomb. Maxi Moralez scored in the 65’ to bring NYCFC level before Talles Magno found the late winner in the 88’.
In addition to being crowned champions of MLS, the winner will also receive the fourth and final United States place in the 2022 SCCL.
Portland have appeared in three previous editions of the SCCL, with their best finish being the quarterfinals of the 2021 tournament. NYCFC have appeared in one edition of the SCCL, finishing as a quarterfinalist in 2020.