Pachuca aims to continue its unbeaten streak against Herediano

MIAMI – CF Pachuca hosts CS Herediano in the second leg of their 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series on Wednesday at the Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico.

Pachuca won the first leg, 5-0, in the club’s first CCC victory on Costa Rican soil. Salomon Rondon led the way with his second hat-trick of the tournament, accompanied by goals from Alexei Dominguez and Alan Bautista.

For the third time in a quarterfinal series, Pachuca won the first leg. The Tuzos advanced to the next round in the two previous occasions and would go on to win the tournament.

Rondon leads the Golden Boot race with six goals in the 2024 edition. For 19-year-old Dominguez and 21-year-old Bautista, their goals in the previous encounter marked their first and second, respectively.

Oussama Idrissi provided three assists in the win at Herediano. The Morocco national team forward leads his teammates with four assists and 14 shots throughout the tournament.

Five-time winners of the competition, Pachuca is undefeated in this year’s edition (2W-1D-0L) and is the only team yet to concede a goal. Guillermo Almada’s team has also features one of the hottest offenses with 11 goals in its last two matches.

Pachuca is also unbeaten in 8 home games in the CCC. The club’s last defeat at the Hidalgo was in 2001.

Herediano has not lost, however, in its two CCC encounters as the visitor. The Red and Yellow defeated Mexican side Toluca 3-2 to advance on away goals in Round One and tied 1-1 at SV Robinhood in the Round of 16.

Mexican forward Adrian Garza leads Herediano with two goals and Costa Rica men’s national team midfielder Orlando Galo leads in assists with two. Allan Cruz, with two shots, and Yeltsin Tejeda, with 42 passes, led the way for Herediano in the first leg against Pachuca.

Since the tournament changed formats for the 2008/09 edition, a matchup featuring a Costa Rican and Mexican side has occurred 47 times. Liga MX clubs lead with 26 wins with 12 draws.

Match Officials CF Pachuca (MEX) vs CS Herediano (CRC)

REF:    OSHANE NATION (Jamaica)

AR1:     CALEB WALES (Trinidad and Tobago)

AR2:     OJAY DUHANEY (Jamaica)

4TH:     VICTOR RIVAS (USA)

VAR:    DANEON PARCHMENT (Jamaica)

VAR1:  TATIANA GUZMAN (Nicaragua)