Cruz Azul beats the UANL Tigres and will play Vancouver in the CONCACAF final
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.
___
AP soccer:
https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
16 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Serbian soccer club Partizan punished by UEFA for fans' Kosovo banner and offensive chants
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA fined Partizan Belgrade more than $100,000 on Wednesday and ordered part of the Serbian club's stadium closed at one European game for fans' racist and political statements. Fans displayed a 'Kosovo is Serbia' banner and chanted discriminatory and offensive slogans at two home games in Conference League qualifying rounds. The order to close a 10,000-seat section of Partizan's stadium will apply at the team's next home game in a European competition. Partizan faces possible elimination on Thursday in Edinburgh, trailing 2-0 from the first leg against Hibernian in the Conference League third qualifying round. The charges included 'racist and/or discriminatory behavior,' displaying an illicit banner and throwing objects, UEFA said. Serbia has never recognized the declaration of independence in 2008 by Kosovo, the neighboring former province which has been a member of UEFA and world soccer body FIFA since 2016.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chelsea completes the signing of Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax
LONDON (AP) — Club World Cup champion Chelsea has completed the signing of Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax in a deal worth a reported 37 million pounds ($49 million). The 19-year-old Hato, who has been capped six times by his country, has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge. He becomes the Blues' eighth signing of the summer transfer window. 'I'm very excited,' Hato, who can operate in central defense or at left back, told the Premier League club's website. 'I thought a lot about my future and wanted to take the next step in my career. Chelsea is the best place for me to do that so I'm very happy.' Hato joined Ajax's academy from hometown club Sparta Rotterdam in 2018 and signed his first professional contract aged 16 four years later. He scored four goals in 111 appearances for the Eredivisie team, with his international debut coming as a substitute in a 6-0 win against Gibraltar in November 2023. Chelsea starts its Premier League season on Aug. 17 at home to Crystal Palace. ___ AP soccer: The Associated Press
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Move over, Patriots: Gillette Stadium's groundskeepers are getting their own sponsorship
'They are our athletes,' said Eric Girouard, Brunt's CEO and founder, of the stadium's field crew. 'They're the people that we get excited about behind the scenes, that maybe don't get noticed, don't get recognized, but part of what we're excited about this year is we're going to start putting those guys on a pedestal and seeing where we can take it.' The Gillette field crew is responsible for maintenance and upkeep at the Foxborough stadium and other training facilities, Advertisement 'We want them to choose what they need to be safe and comfortable,' said Girouard. Girouard launched Brunt in 2020 with the aim of offering an alternative to legacy workwear brands — one eager to jump on new apparel tech and digital-savvy marketing. When Brunt began talks with the Kraft Group and the Patriots, Girouard said, he wanted to make sure that the company's buy-in meant more than just another name emblazoned below the jumbo-tron. Advertisement 'How do we be authentic? How do we tie it back to what we know and what we believe in?' said Girouard. 'Let's focus on the field crew, the people that actually get the field in condition and keep it in condition.' Girouard declined to share the financial terms of the sponsorship. Brunt, which has just under 100 employees, has raised more than $44 million, according to Besides giving the field crew a new wardrobe, the sponsorship will also include three tailgate events hosted by Brunt at home games through the end of the year. Girouard also said he plans to spotlight the groundskeepers on Brunt's social media platforms. 'We love that Brunt Workwear is a New England-based company, and from the first meeting with their team, felt that it would be a good fit,' said a Gillette Stadium spokesperson in a statement. 'The field crew had the opportunity to try out several products and was impressed with the quality and comfort of the whole line.' Though the deal covers only the upcoming season to see how it pans out, Girouard said, he hopes the partnership will continue. 'The goal is, we want to do this for multiple years, if not in perpetuity,' he said. Dana Gerber can be reached at
