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PUEBLA, MEXICO - APRIL 14: Rodolfo Rotondi of Cruz Azul reacts during the second leg quarter final match of the CONCACAF Champions Cup between Cruz Azul and Los Angeles Football Club at Cuauhtemoc Stadium on April 14, 2026 in Puebla, Mexico. (Photo by Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The semi-finals have been set as Toluca and Tigres are the last two Liga MX teams left in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Club América and Cruz Azul had the chance to make it a Liga MX only semis but both teams under-performed in the quarter-finals. Let’s take a look at how each of the games went.
Cruz Azul 1 vs 1 LAFC (1 – 4 Aggregate)
The Maquina had a big task ahead of themselves for the second leg of the quarter-finals after they went down by three goals in the first leg. This time they were playing at home, well more like Puebla’s home, so they had the home-field advantage that could get them into the semi-finals since most Liga MX teams perform well at home. The game started off well for Azul as they received a penalty in the 15th minute after Gabriel Fernandez was taken down in the box on a corner kick. The referee did not hesitate as he blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. The Black and Gold immediately protested the call and their hopes for a reversal were raised when the referee was called to the monitor. However that did not happen as he stood on his decision and called a penalty. Fernandez himself stepped up to take the penalty where he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and it looked like things were looking up for the Maquina. Unfortunately that was not true as this was the only goal they scored during the game. Even with 72% possession and 26 shots, they were unable to make a comeback. Cruz Azul lost the game and the chance to defend their title meanwhile LAFC has only one team standing in the way of making another final and possibly winning their first Concacaf Champions Cup.
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Club América 0 vs 1 Nashville (0 – 1 Aggregate)
This match between América and Nashville could have gone either way as the first leg was a scoreless draw. The Aguilas were playing at home and had a lot riding on this game seeing as André Jardine has yet to win a trophy in this tournament. While the Aguilas had the majority of the possession that did not matter as Nashville finished their chance when they had it. This chance came minutes into the second half after Hany Mukhtar made his way into the box unmarked and got on the end of a cross that he was able to get past the goalkeeper to open the score. While they went down a goal, the Aguilas had the opportunity to come back but they squandered every opportunity. The América team from just a few seasons ago could accomplish comebacks but this current team could not. The changes that Jardine made did not elicit the same fear they used to. While they tried, a comeback did not happen and once again Jardine will be left without a Concacaf Champions Cup and Club América flopped on the international stage.
LA Galaxy vs Toluca
Out of all the teams left in the competition, Toluca look the scariest. They dominated in the first leg against the Galaxy after winning 4-2 and the same thing happened in the second leg. Jesus Gallardo and Paulinho scored the three goals that secured their spot in the semi-finals all while keeping the Galaxy off the scoresheet. While their win was a big accomplishment it was not the most talked about moment of the game. All the attention went to Marcel Ruiz who made his return to the field after a month away after he partially tore his ACL. Ruiz elected to not get surgery in order to fight for a spot in the World Cup. He was subbed into the game in the 74th minute and it wasn’t noticeable that he suffered such a harsh injury. He looked out of rhythm and was playing with caution but he was able to complete the game without issue. The real test will be this weekend against Club América in league play. Whether or not people agree with Ruiz’s decision, it looks like the youngster made his return at the perfect time to help Toluca continue their battle for their third Concacaf Championship Cup.
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Tigres 1 vs 3 Seattle Sounders (3 – 3 Aggregate)
Tigres made their way into the second leg up two goals against Seattle, which everyone knows can be a very dangerous scoreline. Seattle started the comeback early as Cristian Roldan scored in the 10th minute. The goal was initially called back due to offside but a few minutes later VAR validated the goal and Seattle was up 1 – 0. The Sounders attempted to double their lead immediately but they were unable to and this gave Tigres the opportunity to equalize. This goal put the home side in a jam seeing as now they had to score three more goals and receive none as a tie would not be good enough to move forward. Seattle was able to score more goals but it was not enough to make it on to the next round. Tigres moved onto the semi-finals but not because they were the better team over two legs but because they did just enough to get by. Now Tigres will have the opportunity to win another Concacaf Champions Cup for club legend André-Pierre Gignac who will most likely retire after this season.
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