Tigres beat LA Galaxy and is first team to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup semis
Teammates congratulate Nicolas Ibanez of Mexico's Tigres after he scored the opening goal against the United States' LA Galaxy during a CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg quarterfinal soccer match at Universitario stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Credit: AP/Jorge Mendoza
MONTERREY, México — Nicolas Ibañez and Uriel Antuna scored two goals in two minutes early in the first half and the UANL Tigres defeated the LA Galaxy 3-2 on Tuesday to become the first team to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinals.
Ibañez scored the first goal of the second-leg match in the ninth minute and Antuna followed with another in the 10th minute for the Mexican side. Romulo Zwarg added a goal in the 57th minute to secure the win.
The first leg of the series ended in a scoreless draw a week ago.
In the next round, Tigres will play the winner of the series between Mexican clubs America and Cruz Azul which has not been determined. In the other quarterfinal series, Los Angeles FC plays against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami while Pumas face the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Tigres, who won the CONCACAF Champions Cup title in 2020, secured their seventh win in 14 matches in the tournament. All of their wins came in Monterrey.
The Mexicans are winless on the road since the 2023 quarterfinals when they defeated Motagua in Honduras.
Joseph Paintsil scored in the 40th minute and Carlos Garces in the 60th for the Galaxy which was eliminated in the quarterfinals for the fourth time in their past five appeareances. LA has not qualified for the semifinals since the 2012-13 tournament.
Joseph Paintsil of the United States' LA Galaxy scores his side's first goal against Mexico's Tigres during a CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg quarterfinal soccer match at Universitario stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Credit: AP/Jorge Mendoza
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