SOCCER: CONCACAF Champions Cup - Tigres top Nashville SC, advance to final

Juan Brunetta’s 68th-minute strike proved decisive as Tigres UANL secured a 1-0 victory over Nashville SC on Tuesday night at Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico, advancing to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final with a 2-0 aggregate win.

The result completed a dominant semifinal performance for Tigres, who also won the first leg 1-0 in Nashville on April 28. They will now face the winner of the other semifinal between Toluca and Los Angeles FC. LAFC claimed a 2-1 home win on April 29, with the second leg set for Wednesday at Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca.

The final is scheduled for May 30 and will be played as a single match.

Tigres will be making their fifth appearance in the tournament final. The club previously lifted the trophy in 2020 and finished as runner-up in 2016, 2017, and 2019.

The breakthrough goal came after a quick sequence down the left flank. Brunetta linked up with Ángel Correa on a fast throw-in near the sideline. Correa beat Nashville defender Jeisson Palacios with his first touch before driving into the penalty area and laying the ball back to Brunetta.

Brunetta, 28, feinted a shot to wrong-foot a defender, took a touch to create space, and then fired a finish over Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake.

Tigres controlled the match statistically, outshooting Nashville 9-6 and producing both of the game’s shots on target.

Schwake finished with one save, while Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán secured the clean sheet without facing a shot on target.

— Field Level Media / Reuters