Cruz Azul and Mexican national team goalkeeper Jesús Corona will miss both legs of the CONCACAF Champions League final and the first match of any possible Club World Cup appearance, as CONCACAF announced Wednesday that the veteran had been suspended for three games for his role in an altercation with Club Tijuana players following the two teams' semifinal second leg.
Corona was initially shown a red card for his involvement in a postgame altercation with Tijuana player Hernán Pellerano, meriting an automatic one-match suspension. In addition to the automatic ban, the 33-year-old was given an additional two-game suspension as "punishment for unsporting behavior, specifically in the use of provocative language and gesticulations employed with the motive of inciting an opponent," according to a CONCACAF release.
Cruz Azul doctor Alfonso Jiménez Vega was also handed a two-game ban for his role in the incident, while the team itself was also given an unspecified sanction for players refusing to attend postgame media availabilities. CONCACAF said in a release that disciplinary action against Club Tijuana is pending.
This is not the first time Corona has drawn attention for an on-field altercation. He head-butted a fan that had run onto the pitch following a 2011 Clausura semifinal encounter with Monarcas Morelia, leading to a six-game suspension and his exclusion from Mexico's squad for the 2011 Gold Cup and Copa América.
Cruz Azul host Toluca in the first leg of the CCL final on Tuesday night (8 pm ET, Fox Sports 2), with the return leg set for April 23 (8 pm ET, Fox Sports 2).
