Toronto FC vs. Tigres UANL
2018 CONCACAF Champions League – Quarterfinals, Leg 1
BMO Field - Toronto
8 pm ET – March 7, 2018
WATCH: UDN, univisiondeportes.com, go90.com; TSN2, TSN GO
As CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal clashes get, it doesn’t get much bigger than Toronto FC vs. Tigers UANL, a literal showdown of defending champions. One day after TFC completed its historic treble by beating Seattle Sounders FC in the 2017 MLS Cup final, Tigres captured the 2017 Liga MX Apertura crown.
Toronto FC, which dispatched the Colorado Rapids with relative ease in the Round of 16, suffered a 2-0 loss to Columbus Crew SC to open the MLS season. Tigres defeated Herediano of Costa Rica, 5-3, on aggregate, in the Round of 16 and currently sit in fourth place in the Clausura season of Liga MX.
- Vanney: We "have every opportunity" to beat Tigres
- How TFC have been scouting Gignac
- Warshaw: The 3 paths to CCL victory for MLS
- Vanney on playing stars: We needed to get in sync
- Champions League quarterfinals: Schedule set
Toronto FC
Toronto FC got away goals from Jonathan Osorio and Sebastian Giovinco in the opening leg in Commerce City and faced little resistance from the Colorado Rapids in a scoreless second leg in the Round of 16.
Columbus’ 2-0 win over Toronto FC at BMO Field was one of the shock results of MLS’s opening weekend and, to their credit, TFC wasn’t offering up excuses about having one eye on the CCL showdown. Perhaps the biggest concern for Toronto fans is the health of Victor Vazquez, who went off with what head coach Greg Vanney is calling a nerve issue in his lower back, after 53 minutes Saturday.
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: Michael Bradley
- Injury Report: QUESTIONABLE: M - Victor Vazquez (back spasms)
Projected Starting XI
(4-4-2, right to left, diamond midield)
GK: Alex Bono — Auro, Drew Moor, Chris Mavinga, Justin Morrow — Michael Bradley, Marky Delgado, Victor Vazquez, Jonathan Osorio — Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco
Tigres UANL
Like TFC, Tigres got a pair of pivotal away goals from Francisco Meza and Lucas Zelarayan in a first-leg draw against Herediano in Costa Rica, before former West Ham striker Enner Valencia struck for a second-half brace and Ismael Sosa added a 90th-minute insurance tally in a 3-1 home win
Tigres stretched their unbeaten streak to five domestic matches with a 2-0 win at Veracruz on Sunday. Zelarayan and Andre-Pierre Gignac struck in the first half for Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti’s side, which has competed in four of the last five Liga MX finals, winning three crowns.
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: Larry Vasquez, Rafael Carioca
- Injury Report: OUT: D - Jorge Ivan Estrada (foot); D - Luis Rodriguez (thigh); D - Francisco Meza (ACL)
Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3 right to left)
GK: Nahuel Guzman — Israel Jimenez, Hugo Ayala, Juninho, Jorge Torres Nilo — Rafael Carioca, Jesus Dueñas, Javier Aquino — Eduardo Vargas, Andre Pierre Gignac, Enner Valencia
All-Time Series
This is the first-ever meeting between Toronto FC and Tigres UANL
- CONCACAF Champions League history: Toronto - 4 appearances (2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13) 12 wins, 8 losses, 8 ties (37 goals) … Tigres - 3 appearances (2012/13, 2015/16, 2016/17) 15 wins, 5 losses, 9 ties (48 goals)
Referees
To be announced …
