MEXICO CITY (AP) — Striker Angel Sepulveda scored on a penalty kick late in the match and Cruz Azul defeated the UANL Tigres 1-0 on Thursday to progress to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final where they will play the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The 34-year-old Sepulveda converted in the 81st minute for the Mexico City team. He leads the tournament with seven goals and two assists.
“I was able to help to get the win today and to qualify for the final long-awaited final for us,” Sepulveda said. “We take pride in being back in the final, it is a big step, and we deserve to win it, we respect Vancouver, but we are going to try to win it.”
The first leg of the series eneded in a 1-1 draw.
The Whitecaps beat Lionel Messi's Inter Miami on the other side of the bracket.
Mexican teams have won nine of the last 10 finals of the tournament.
Cruz Azul beat Club America in the previous round to progress to the semifinals for the first time since 2022 and now is aiming to equal its crosstown rival as the club in the region with seven titles.
La Maquina is seeking its first regional crown since 2013-14 when it beat Tijuana.
The Monterrey-based Tigres had advanced over MLS LA Galaxy and were trying to capture their first CONCACAF title since 2020.
The match was evenly played until Marcelo Flores deflected the ball with his hand inside the area for a penalty kick that Sepulveda converted with a shot straight down the middle.
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The Associated Press
