Latest news with #ConcacafChampionsCup
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 3️⃣ key players behind Cruz Azul's title triumph
Blue cross and their football shone at the Olympic University Stadium and, to celebrate the title of the sky blues, we make a count of the three protagonists of the championship, although three are short... Vicente Sánchez The still coach of Cruz Azul led them to the seventh title of the Concacaf Champions Cup, in a semester of madness for La Máquina after the sudden departure of Martín Anselmi. The incredible thing is that the coach will not continue in command of the sky blues. Ignacio Rivera The captain opened the scoring against Vancouver Whitecaps and also, won his fourth title with the sky blue institution: Liga MX, Champion of Champions, Super Cup of Liga MX and today, the Champions Cup. Ángel Sepúlveda "El Cuate", "El Ángel del Gol"... Sepúlveda was key in tonight's duel, as he was crowned with the sky blues and with a double collaborated in the championship of Cruz Azul. He also became the top scorer of the tournament with nine goals. Advertisement This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 VICTOR CRUZ - AFP or licensors
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Cruz Azul dismantles MLS's Whitecaps to claim Concacaf Champions Cup title
Another continental final, another 5-0 scoreline. Cruz Azul demolished MLS's Vancouver Whitecaps by that five-goal margin in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Sunday night in Mexico City to emphatically and unequivocally claim the regional title. A day after that same scoreline made waves around the football world, when Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final, Cruz Azul sent a similar message in a dominant, message-sending performance. Advertisement Cruz Azul captain Ignacio Rivero opened the scoring in the eighth minute, which began the avalanche of goals. Lorenzo Faravelli scored the second 20 minutes later, before Ángel Sepúlveda added the third in the 37th minute. Former LAFC winger Mateusz Bogusz scored Cruz Azul's fourth right before halftime, and Sepúlveda capped the scoring – and his tournament golden boot – in the 50th minute with his ninth goal of the competition. Five of Cruz Azul's six shots on goal found the back of the net. Vancouver, conversely, didn't attempt a single shot – the first time a club has failed to do so in a Concacaf Champions Cup match since stats outfit Opta began tracking such data for MLS clubs in 2011-12. The win was Cruz Azul's seventh Concacaf title, which ties city rival Club América for the most in history. For Vancouver, it'll fly back to Canada humbled to say the least. The absence of central midfielder Sebastian Berhalter (who was suspended due to yellow card accumulation) robbed the MLS side of a hard-working player who could've added some fight in midfield. But Berhalter alone would not have been the game-changer that Vancouver needed. The Whitecaps were outclassed in all facets of the game and were never able to break free from the anxiety of playing in their first major continental final. On paper alone, Cruz Azul's obliteration of Vancouver was impressive. The 5-0 win is the most lopsided final victory in the modern history of the competition. Vancouver's loss was very nearly the worst ever suffered by an MLS club against a Liga MX opponent in continental club competition, within a goal of the Philadelphia Union's 6-0 defeat at the hands of Pachuca in the 2024 quarterfinals. Vancouver became the third straight MLS team to crash out in the tournament final, but the club — recent darlings of MLS — did so in particularly shocking fashion. Advertisement 'It's hard to say anything,' Whitecaps captain Ranko Veselinović said on the Fox broadcast after the match. '(Cruz Azul) won deservedly. They were a better team in every aspect. We were not ready for this game tonight. 'It's devastating to go out like this.' Here are a couple of more thoughts on as lopsided a final as you'll see: Vancouver was comprehensively dismantled by Cruz Azul in the first half, held without a shot while the hosts scored on all four of their attempts on goal. The Whitecaps have run roughshod over their fair share of opponents this season in MLS and continental play, but they looked lost on Sunday, lacking any real sense of urgency and struggling to string together any real spell of possession. Vancouver's performance on Sunday was almost beyond question the most embarrassing display ever put on by an MLS team in a Concacaf club final. The 5-0 result was just shy of the club's worst-ever loss in their USL and MLS era, a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Sporting KC in 2018. It was a shocking turn of form for Vancouver, which arrived at the final after comprehensively beating Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the semifinals. It also, however, felt deeply unsurprising to anybody who has watched this tournament, in all its varied forms, over the last several decades. A narrative has emerged in recent years that suggests that MLS is on the front foot, having finally turned a corner in terms of perception and performance. Yet the league's teams still struggle consistently when playing abroad, particularly in Mexico. Vancouver seemed to have as good a chance as any team has in recent years, besting not only Miami but Pumas and Monterrey, a pair of very respectable Liga MX sides, and advancing on the strength of away goals tiebreakers earned in Mexico. Advertisement In the end, though, it was the same old song: a raucous away crowd and a deeply unprepared MLS club undone by a team with a roster worth nearly twice as much as them. Vancouver has looked like title contenders all year, both in MLS and Concacaf. On Sunday, it may have gotten a brutal reality check and a reminder that it may not yet be ready for this stage. Vancouver is hardly the first MLS club to put in respectable performances against Liga MX clubs and then fall entirely flat in the final. Just last year, the Columbus Crew, among MLS's elite sides, looked great against Tigres and Monterrey and then laid an egg against Pachuca, though many of the club's players and staff were affected by a rash of food poisoning. A year prior, LAFC made its own attempt at glory but fell flat against León. The statistics remain brutal: in the 63-year history of the tournament, only three American clubs have ever won it. It will take much more than an MLS club winning the tournament every now and then to change this narrative. Cruz Azul had not played since May 18, eliminated in the Liga MX semifinals by eternal rival Club América. Clearly, Cruz Azul was looking to take out its frustrations on Vancouver, a side that it must've felt very confident in meeting. If Cruz Azul needed any additional motivation, it came on Saturday in Los Angeles. Sunday's match came just a day after Club América lost to LAFC in the play-in match for the Club World Cup. That match — a made-up one to gain admission into a tournament created from whole cloth — felt bigger and more relevant than Sunday's continental final. It didn't help that Vancouver failed to even put up a fight. The Canadian side was always going to be outmatched man-for-man against a legitimate Liga MX club like Cruz Azul, a club accustomed to playing on such a stage. But the expectation was that Vancouver would bring its blue-collar attitude to Mexico City and challenge the favored foe. Instead, Vancouver embarrassed itself on a big stage – while also humiliating MLS and disappointing the 800 or so traveling supporters in the process. Fans in Mexico must've been baffled that Vancouver had eliminated Pumas, Monterrey and Miami. It was a historic run worthy of all the attention that Vancouver had received, only to be undone in 90 horrifying minutes. There are few things that garner more satisfaction in Mexican football than thoroughly shaming an MLS club. Cruz Azul had no mercy in front of a partisan crowd at the Estadio Olímpico, and Cruz Azul manager Vicente Sánchez gave several starters their deserved curtain call in the 66th minute, another subtle jab at the visitor's fragile ego. Advertisement Crushing an MLS club doesn't erase Liga MX's disappointment at not sending its flagship club to the Club World Cup. Sunday's final, though — an absolute dismantling of what many consider to be MLS's best club right now — will probably go a long way toward making them forget that Saturday's match even happened.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
🎥 Faravelli blockbuster cements Cruz Azul's dominance in the CCC final
Mexican giants Cruz Azul have placed one hand on the Concacaf Champions Cup in Mexico City after jumping to a 4-0 lead. On a night where so much talk has surrounded the storyboard season from Jesper Sørensen and MLS Western Conference leaders Vancouver Whitecaps, La Máquina has sent a reminder of the quality that remains in Liga MX. Advertisement On the back of an impressive press under Vicente Sánchez, Cruz Azul has hit the Whitecaps with a pair of quick strikes, highlighted by a thunderous long-range hit from veteran midfielder Lorenzo Faravelli. After stripping Vancouver of possession in their third of the pitch, Faravelli unleased a hit that left Yohei Takaoka with no chance as the Japanese shot-stopper could only watch Faravelli's hit glance off the post and into the back of the net to make it two-nil on the night in the 28th minute. Earlier, club captain Ignacio Rivero raced ahead to give his side an early 1-0 lead in the eighth minute, with Cruz Azul once again winning possession high up the pitch before his pin-point finish. Advertisement Cruz Azul would go on to add a further two goals before the break thanks to hits from Angel Sepulveda and former LAFC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz. With that, Vancouver will need a miracle if they are to turn this around at Estadio Olímpico Universitario. 📸 Hector Vivas - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
🚨 Cruz Azul decimate Vancouver in one-sided Concacaf Champions Cup final
The ever-present debate surrounding whether MLS is finally ready to usurp Liga MX as the leading top-flight competition in North America was resoundingly answered as Cruz Azul crushed Vancouver Whitecaps in a 5-0 win to seal their Concacaf Champions Cup triumph. Scorers: Rivero 8', Faravelli 28', Sepulveda 37', 50', Bogusz 45' Advertisement Despite all the justifiable praise levied in the direction of Jesper Sørensen's outfit, the hundreds of traveling supporters who made the trip to Mexico City were left stunned long before the full-time whistle. La Máquina club captain Ignacio Rivero gifted the Mexican giants a dream start inside ten minutes after the Whitecaps were caught in possession in their defensive third, with the Uruguayan sliding his effort past Yohei Takaoka after Carlos Rotondi's interception found Rivero with time and space to finish. A thunderous hit from Lorenzo Faravelli doubled the lead on the night before the half-hour mark, with Cruz Azul once again pressing high up to strike Vancouver at the heart of the backline. Leading goal-getter Angel Sepulveda bagged his eighth of the competition in the 37th minute before MLS alumnus Mateusz Bogusz made it four-to-the-good on the stroke of half-time. Advertisement The floodgates remained open when Sepulveda headed home in the 50th minute to make it 5-0 after the Whitecaps gave possession away far too easily once again, giving the Mexican international his ninth of the tournament and 23rd across all competitions. Mercifully, Sánchez's troops failed to find a sixth before the end of full-time before the Cruz Azul manager dropped to his knees in tears on the whistle. Up next for Vancouver is a home clash as they host the Seattle Sounders at BC Place, while Cruz Azul heads off for summer break before returning to action in August. 📸 Hector Vivas - 2025 Getty Images
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
LAFC earns final FIFA Club World Cup spot with win over Club America
LAFC earns final FIFA Club World Cup spot with win over Club America Show Caption Hide Caption Relegation in MLS? Tyler Adams thinks it should be added USMNT and Premiere League player Tyler Adams thinks relegation would make the MLS as a whole more exciting and competitive for the players and fans. Sports Seriously LAFC has secured the last ticket to the big dance, rallying to defeat Club América, 2-1, in a FIFA Club World Cup playoff that required extra time at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Former LAFC attacker Brian Rodríguez had given América a 64th-minute lead from a VAR-assisted penalty kick, and the Liga MX powers seemed to have done just enough to claim a win that will be worth nearly $10 million at a minimum. However, Igor Jesus' 89th-minute header leveled the scored, saving LAFC, and in extra time Denis Bouanga — the club's most important player in recent years — added to his legend by firing home the winner in the 115th minute. The win sends LAFC into the Club World Cup, where they will join English giant Chelsea, Tunisian club Esperance Sportive de Tunis, and Flamengo, arguably the most well-supported club in Brazil. Why was there a Club World Cup playoff between LAFC and Club América? LAFC and Club América were in a playoff due to a convoluted series of events that could only happen when you get Concacaf and FIFA together to sort out a new tournament format. Initially, the last four winners of the Concacaf Champions Cup — Monterrey, the Seattle Sounders, Club León, and Pachuca — were set to take places in the Club World Cup. However, Club León and Pachuca share owners, something FIFA said cannot be permitted at the Club World Cup. FIFA eventually decided that León was disqualified, and announced a playoff between LAFC (the team León defeated in the 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup) and Club América (the top-ranked Concacaf team in FIFA's rankings for Club World Cup purposes). León, Pachuca, and Costa Rican club Alajuelense all appealed, with Alajuelense arguing that as Central America's top-ranked team, they should be admitted, but all were rejected. That leaves the final spot in Group D up for grabs, with Saturday's winner claiming the place. When is the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup? Group Stage : June 14-June 26 : June 14-June 26 Round of 16 : June 28-July 1 : June 28-July 1 Quarterfinals : July 4-5 : July 4-5 Semifinals : July 8-9 : July 8-9 Finals: July 13 What teams are in FIFA Club World Cup? There are 32 teams in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup that have been separated into eight groups of four for the round-robin group stage in June. Here's how the field breaks down Group A Al Ahly FC (Egypt) FC Porto (Portugal) SE Palmeiras (Brazil) Inter Miami (United States) Group B Paris Saint-Germain (France) Atlético de Madrid (Spain) Botafogo (Brazil) Seattle Sounders FC (United States) Group C FC Bayern München (Germany) Auckland City FC (New Zealand) CA Boca Juniors (Argentina) SL Benfica (Portugal) Group D Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia) CR Flamengo (Brazil) Chelsea FC (England) LAFC (United States) Group E CA River Plate (Argentina) Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) CF Monterrey (Mexico) Inter Milan (Italy) Group F Fluminense FC (Brazil) Borussia Dortmund (Germany) Ulsan HD (South Korea) Mamelodi Sundowns FC (South Africa) Group G Manchester City (England) Wydad AC (Morocco) Al Ain FC (United Arab Emirates) Juventus FC (Italy) Group H Real Madrid (Spain) Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) CF Pachuca (Mexico) FC Salzburg (Austria) How to watch FIFA World Cup 2025: TV, streaming options Every match during the 2025 FIFA World Cup will be live streamed for free on which is the exclusive global broadcaster of the event. FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match schedule GROUP STAGE Saturday, June 14 Group A: Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami, 8 p.m. ET (Miami) Sunday, June 15 Group C: Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City, 12 p.m. ET (Cincinnati) Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City, 12 p.m. ET (Cincinnati) Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid, 3 p.m. ET (Pasadena, California) Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético Madrid, 3 p.m. ET (Pasadena, California) Group A: SE Palmeiras vs. FC Porto, 6 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey) SE Palmeiras vs. FC Porto, 6 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey) Group B: Botafogo vs. Seattle Sounders, 10 p.m. ET (Seattle) Monday, June 16 Group D: Chelsea vs. LAFC, 3 p.m. ET (Atlanta) Chelsea vs. LAFC, 3 p.m. ET (Atlanta) Group C: Boca Juniors vs. Benfica, 6 p.m. ET (Miami) Boca Juniors vs. Benfica, 6 p.m. ET (Miami) Group D: Flamengo vs. Espérance de Tunis, 9 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) Tuesday, June 17 Group F: Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey) Fluminense vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey) Group E: River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle) River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle) Group F: Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns, 6 p.m. ET (Orlando, Florida) Ulsan HD vs. Mamelodi Sundowns, 6 p.m. ET (Orlando, Florida) Group E: Monterrey vs. Inter Milan, 9 p.m. ET (Pasadena, California) Wednesday, June 18 Group G: Manchester City vs. Wydad AC, 12 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) Manchester City vs. Wydad AC, 12 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) Group H: Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal, 3 p.m. ET (Miami) Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal, 3 p.m. ET (Miami) Group H: Pachuca vs. FC Salzburg, 6 p.m. ET (Cincinnati) Pachuca vs. FC Salzburg, 6 p.m. ET (Cincinnati) Group G: Al Ain vs. Juventus, 9 p.m. (Washington, D.C.) Thursday, June 19 Group A: Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly, 12 p.m. ET, (East Rutherford, New Jersey) Palmeiras vs. Al Ahly, 12 p.m. ET, (East Rutherford, New Jersey) Group A: Inter Miami vs. Porto, 3 p.m. ET, (Atlanta) Inter Miami vs. Porto, 3 p.m. ET, (Atlanta) Group B: Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid, 6 p.m. ET (Seattle) Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid, 6 p.m. ET (Seattle) Group B: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Botafogo, 9 p.m. ET (Pasadena, California) Friday, June 20 Group C: Benfica vs. Auckland City, 12 p.m. ET (Orlando, Florida) Benfica vs. Auckland City, 12 p.m. ET (Orlando, Florida) Group D: Flamengo vs. Chelsea, 2 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) Flamengo vs. Chelsea, 2 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) Group D : LAFC vs. Espérance de Tunis, 6 p.m. ET (Nashville, Tennessee) : LAFC vs. Espérance de Tunis, 6 p.m. ET (Nashville, Tennessee) Group C: Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors, 9 p.m. ET (Miami) Saturday, June 21 Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12 p.m. ET (Cincinnati) Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund, 12 p.m. ET (Cincinnati) Group E: Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle) Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle) Group F: Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD, 6 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey) Fluminense vs. Ulsan HD, 6 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey) Group E: River Plate vs. Monterrey, 9 p.m. ET (Pasadena, California) Sunday, June 22 Group G: Juventus vs. Wydad AC, 12 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) Juventus vs. Wydad AC, 12 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) Group H: Real Madrid vs. Pachuca, 3 p.m. ET (Charlotte, North Carolina) Real Madrid vs. Pachuca, 3 p.m. ET (Charlotte, North Carolina) Group H: FC Salzburg vs. Al Hilal, 6 p.m. ET (Washington, D.C.) FC Salzburg vs. Al Hilal, 6 p.m. ET (Washington, D.C.) Group G: Manchester City vs. Al Ain, 9 p.m. ET (Atlanta) Monday, June 23 Group B: Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo, 3 p.m. ET (Pasadena, California) Atlético Madrid vs. Botafogo, 3 p.m. ET (Pasadena, California) Group B : Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle) : Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 3 p.m. ET (Seattle) Group A: Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras, 9 p.m. ET (Miami) Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras, 9 p.m. ET (Miami) Group A: Porto vs. Al Ahly, 9 p.m. ET (East Rutherford, New Jersey) Tuesday, June 24 Group C: Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. ET (Charlotte) Benfica vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. ET (Charlotte) Group C: Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors, 3 p.m. ET (Nashville) Auckland City vs. Boca Juniors, 3 p.m. ET (Nashville) Group D: Espérance de Tunis vs. Chelsea, 9 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) Espérance de Tunis vs. Chelsea, 9 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) Group D: LAFC vs. Flamengo, 9 p.m. ET (Orlando) Wednesday, June 25 Group F: Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD, 3 p.m. ET (Cincinnati) Borussia Dortmund vs. Ulsan HD, 3 p.m. ET (Cincinnati) Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense, 3 p.m. ET (Miami) Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Fluminense, 3 p.m. ET (Miami) Group E: Inter Milan vs. River Plate, 9 p.m. ET (Seattle) Inter Milan vs. River Plate, 9 p.m. ET (Seattle) Group E: Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey, 9 p.m. ET (Pasadena) Thursday, June 26 Group G: Wydad AC vs. Al Ain, 3 p.m. ET (Washington) Wydad AC vs. Al Ain, 3 p.m. ET (Washington) Group G: Juventus vs. Manchester City, 3 p.m. ET (Orlando) Juventus vs. Manchester City, 3 p.m. ET (Orlando) Group H: Al Hilal vs. Pachuca, 9 p.m. ET (Nashville) Al Hilal vs. Pachuca, 9 p.m. ET (Nashville) Group H: FC Salzburg vs. Real Madrid, 9 p.m. ET (Philadelphia) FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 Saturday, June 28 Match 49: Winners of Group A vs. Group B runner-up (Philadelphia) Match 50: Winners of Group C vs. Group D runner-up (Charlotte) Sunday, June 29 Match 51: Winners of Group B vs. Group A runner-up (Atlanta) Match 52: Winners of Group D vs. Group C runner-up (Miami) Monday, June 30 Match 53: Winners of Group E vs. Group F runner-up (Charlotte) Match 54: Winners of Group G vs. Group H runner-up (Orlando) Tuesday, July 1 Match 55: Winners of Group F vs. Group E runner-up (Atlanta) Match 56: Winners of Group H vs. Group G runner-up (Miami) FIFA Club World Cup Quarterfinals Friday, July 4 Match 57: Winners of Match 49 vs. Winners of Match 50 (Philadelphia) Match 58: Winners of Match 53 vs. Winners of Match 54 (Orlando) Saturday, July 5 Match 59: Winners of Match 51 vs. Winners of Match 52 (Atlanta) Match 60: Winners of Match 55 vs. Winners of Match 56 (East Rutherford) FIFA Club World Cup Semifinals Tuesday, July 8 Match 61: Winners of Match 57 vs. Winners of Match 58 (East Rutherford) Wednesday, July 9 Match 62: Winners of Match 59 vs. Winners of Match 60 (East Rutherford) FIFA Club World Cup Final Sunday, July 13 Match 63: Winners of Match 61 vs. Winners of Match 62 (East Rutherford) The biggest stories, every morning. 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