New York City FC 0, Tigres UANL 4 | Concacaf Champions League Recap

Ari Liljenwall

New York City FC couldn't overcome their 1-0 aggregate deficit in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal series on Tuesday at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, falling 4-0 to Tigres UANL to bring a close to their 2020 CCL campaign.

Star striker Andre-Pierre Gignac scored the opener for Tigres in the 30th minute, with Leandro Fernandez, Rafael Carioca and Javier Aquino adding insurance goals to pace the Liga MX giants through to the semifinals by a 5-0 aggregate scoreline.

NYCFC found themselves on the front foot for stretches after the match kicked off, outshooting Tigres 8-2 and holding the majority of the possession in the first half, but couldn't translate it into an opening goal.

That would prove crucial, as it was Gignac who found the opener on the half-hour mark, finishing off a pinpoint cross with a clinically taken header for a pivotal goal that extended the aggregate lead to 2-0.

Tigres then found the first dagger four minutes after second-half kickoff, as Fernandez scored one for the highlight reel with a cheekily taken backheel finish from close range. As the Cityzens frantically pressed for a goal to give them a glimmer of hope, Carioca put the series to bed for good with Tigres' third goal with a headed finish four minutes after the hour mark. Aquino then added the final goal of the evening in the 85th minute.

The result sends Tigres on to the semifinals, where they'll meet Honduran side Club Olimpia, who advanced in their semifinal matchup against the Montreal Impact earlier on Tuesday.

Goals

30' - TIG - André-Pierre Gignac | WATCH
49' - TIG - Leonardo Fernandez | WATCH
64' - TIG - Rafael Carioca | WATCH
85' - TIG - Javier Aquino | WATCH

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: It was always going to be a tough task for NYCFC going up against one of the premier teams in North America with limited time to train and already in a 1-0 hole. Still, head coach Ronny Deila will no doubt be disappointed his team didn't manage to capitalize on the momentum they accrued after kickoff before letting the contest get away from them in the second half. In the end, Tigres simply showed their quality with some ruthless efficiency and finishing. It's a tough ending to the tournament, but NYCFC remain one of the more formidable teams in MLS, and they'll set their sights on preparing for another run at the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2021.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH
: Fernandez's backheel finish was the culmination of a great, well-worked team goal and really put to bed any hopes NYCFC had of a dramatic comeback.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Gignac is one of the best players in Concacaf and he showed why with his powerful header on the opener, which put the Cityzens in a hole they wouldn't be able to climb out of.