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Sweet revenge! Tigres rout Toronto in Campeones Cup

By Thomas Buckley

TORONTO, ON - September 19 The Tigres celebrate their victory after the cup presentation.The TFC (Toronto Football Club) lost to the Tigres UANL in the inaugural Campeones Cup 3-1 at the BMO Field in Toronto. The Cup pits the winner of the Liga MX (Mexican national league) against the winner of the MLS cup (Major League Soccer) of the United States and Canada. It is a one game, winner take all format.September 19, 2018 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - September 19 The Tigres celebrate their victory after the cup presentation.The TFC (Toronto Football Club) lost to the Tigres UANL in the inaugural Campeones Cup 3-1 at the BMO Field in Toronto. The Cup pits the winner of the Liga MX (Mexican national league) against the winner of the MLS cup (Major League Soccer) of the United States and Canada. It is a one game, winner take all format.September 19, 2018 (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /
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The Tigres’ Tuca Ferretti era finally has an international trophy after the Monterrey-based club defeated Toronto FC to claim the first-ever Campeones Cup on Wednesday night in Toronto with a 3-1 Tigres win.

Jesús Dueñas scored twice before an own goal by Toronto’s Eriq Zavaleta made the score 3-0 in minute 66. Lucas Janson converted a penalty kick for the hosts in minute 86.

After a shaky start, the Tigres settled into a possession game, occasionally probing but content to rely on safe backpasses to keep the ball away from Toronto. Tuca opted for a 3-4-3 formation and the back line of Hugo Ayala, Juninho and Jorge Torres Nilo yo-yoed the ball around as Toronto chased.

Up front, the Tigres seemed uninspired. Andre-Pierre Gignac rarely saw the ball, while Lucas Zelarayán and Edu Vargas took turns misfiring.

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In minute 36, Juninho moved forward past the center line then lofted a lead pass behind the defense that Dueñas raced on to from the left flank. The 29-year-old native of Zamora, Michoacán, trapped the pass, shielded defender Michael Bradley then fired a low blast past goalie Alex Bono at the near post.

Toronto suffered another blow just three minutes later when striker Sebastian Giovinco limped off with a muscle strain.

The Tigres started the second half with sloppy play, for a moment seeming to act like the game was well in hand. The forwards turned the ball over regularly, Chaka Rodríguez was intercepted and Toronto raced forward on a counterattack. The steady three-man defensive line cleaned up the mess and the double-pivot in front of them (Rafa Carioca and Guido Pizarro) were impeccable as well.

Just after the hour mark, Dueñas stepped up again. Toronto fullback Justin Morrow headed away a Tigres corner at the near post and the ball bounded out past the half-moon to an unmarked Dueñas who blasted a right-footer from 25 meters that zipped inside the left post.

Two minutes later, second-half sub Enner Valencia escaped down the left flank, cut back past two Toronto defenders and tried to pick out the onrushing Zelarayán who was unmarked above the penalty spot. Valencia’s pass was weak and, in trying to block it, Zavaleta sent the ball spinning crazily into his own net.

Dueñas was called for a hand ball 20 minutes later and Janson’s conversion prevented Tigres goalie Nahuel Guzmán from recording a shutout.

With the victory, the Tigres avenged their loss to Toronto in the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals earlier this year. Coach Tuca earned his first international title with the Tigres after they lost a Libertadores Cup final and two Concacaf Champions League finals since he took over in 2010.

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