Canadian Premier League champion Cavalry FC has exited the CONCACAF Champions Cup however not earlier than giving Mexican heavyweight Pumas UNAM a scare.
Pumas wanted a pair of second-half objectives from substitute Guillermo Martinez for a 2-0 win Thursday, advancing 3-2 on combination after overturning a 2-1 loss within the opening leg of the first-round sequence.
Cavalry performed the second half a person down Thursday after winger Jay Herdman was despatched off in first-half stoppage time.
“We confronted an enormous tonight and we had been very shut,” mentioned Cavalry coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
Pumas will face Costa Rica’s LD Alajuelense within the spherical of 16.
Forge FC, the opposite CPL workforce on the match, was knocked out Tuesday – overwhelmed 5-0 on combination after a 3-0 loss at CF Monterrey, which is able to face both the Vancouver Whitecaps or Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa within the spherical of 16.
After a irritating first half, Pumas lastly pierced the Cavalry defence within the 53rd minute when Martinez, discovering area between two Cavalry defenders, headed house Ignacio Pussetto’s cross for a 1-0 lead and the sting on combination due to an away aim within the first leg.
The Mexican worldwide, who got here on to begin the second half, made it 2-0 within the 74th minute when his shot from exterior the penalty field, with the Cavalry defence backing away, beat goalkeeper Marco Carducci.
The Calgary aspect had a number of slim escapes earlier than heading to the dressing room at halftime with the rating knotted 0-0 on the evening.
Herdman was despatched off and a penalty awarded after video assessment, with Carducci diving to his left to save lots of the following penalty from Pussetto.
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After the sport, Wheeldon quipped Pumas had “an additional man. Possibly two.”
An earlier pink card to Cavalry midfielder Charlie Trafford was diminished to a yellow after video assessment.
“I feel he was determined to offer the pink card as a result of he had one overturned prior,” mentioned Wheeldon, referencing Costa Rican referee Juan Gabriel Calderon.
“It was at all times going to be robust towards that official.”
Cavalry introduced on St. Lucia worldwide ahead Caniggia Elva within the 66th minute in a bid to spark some offence.
Needing a aim to drive further time, Cavalry’s Ali Musse had an opportunity from a decent angle in stoppage time however Alex Padilla made the save. Carducci got here ahead for a last-minute free kick however for naught.
“We gave it our best and I can’t be extra happy with the best way our guys did,” mentioned Wheeldon. And we’re solely 5 weeks into our pre-season.”
Trafford was proven a pink card within the fifteenth minute after a collision with Jose Caicedo. With each gamers sliding to get the ball, Trafford acquired there first however linked with the Pumas participant’s legs together with his studs afterwards.
That drew a straight pink from Calderon. However the sanction was downgraded to a yellow on video assessment. Trafford, who had taken some knocks himself, got here off earlier than halftime.
The referee went to the pitchside monitor once more after Herdman caught Pablo Bennevendo on the leg together with his studs trying a clearance within the Calgary penalty field. Herdman acquired the ball however buckled Bennevendo’s leg within the course of, resulting in the penalty and pink card.
Herdman, the son of former Canada and Toronto FC coach John Herdman, had been one in all Cavalry’s finest gamers within the opening leg.
Pumas had its probabilities however lacked medical ending to begin. The house aspect had 77 per cent possession and outshot Cavalry 14-0 within the first half however solely managed one shot heading in the right direction, prompting some boos from the gang at Estadio Olímpico Universitario.
Cavalry’s opening-leg victory final Thursday at Starlight Stadium marked the first-ever win by a CPL aspect in CONCACAF Champions Cup play with Tobias Warschewski’s Eightieth-minute strike deciding the sport. And it got here in Cavalry’s first aggressive outing since Nov. 9 when it defeated Forge 2-1 within the CPL championship recreation.
Wheeldon went with an unchanged lineup in Mexico. Pumas made seven modifications however stored Canadian-Mexican teenager Santiago Lopez up entrance.
A twin citizen, the 19-year-old was a star for Canada on the CONCACAF U-20 Championship final summer season and performed for the Mexican under-18 workforce in two tournaments in 2023. He has but to declare his worldwide allegiance.
Lopez was born in Morelia, Mexico, and was 4 when his dad and mom — his late father was an economist who labored in banking — moved to Ontario for work earlier than returning to Mexico six years later. Lopez joined the youth academy of Pumas UNAM in 2019 when he had simply turned 14.
The Mexican aspect, which has gained the Champions Cup thrice (1980, ’82 and ’89) and completed runner-up twice (2005 and ’22), at present sits fifth within the Liga MX Clausura at 3-1-2 after ending fourth within the Apertura at 9-4-4.
Cavalry, which doesn’t kick off its CPL marketing campaign till April 5, misplaced 6-1 on combination to Orlando Metropolis final 12 months in its first journey to CONCACAF’s elite membership match.
The 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup winner earns a berth within the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Membership World Cup.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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