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Cruz Azul joins two Liga MX teams in CCL quarters

By Thomas Buckley

Rafael Baca is mobbed by Cruz Azul teammates after scoring for the Liga MX side in their Concacaf Champions League match against Forge FC. (Photo by Mauricio Salas/Jam Media/Getty Images)
Rafael Baca is mobbed by Cruz Azul teammates after scoring for the Liga MX side in their Concacaf Champions League match against Forge FC. (Photo by Mauricio Salas/Jam Media/Getty Images) /
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Pachuca’s Luis Chávez (left) gestures to the crowd after scoring the first goal for the Tuzos against Mazatlán FC in a Liga MX Matchday 7 contest. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /

Cruz Azul brushed aside Canada’s Forge FC Thursday night, placing three Liga MX teams in the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals.

The Cementeros scored three times before halftime, coasting to a 4-1 aggregate win over the Canadian Premier League side to set up a clash with another Canadian club, CF Montreal.

“La Máquina” is joined by fellow Liga MX members UNAM and León in the final eight. The other five quarterfinalists are MLS teams Seattle Sounders, New England Revolution and NYCFC, plus Guatemala’s Comunicaciones and the afore-mentioned CF Montreal.

CCL favorites Cruz Azul will have the chance to avenge Montreal’s knock-out of Liga MX mate Santos Laguna, while León faces the Sounders and the Pumas take on the Revolution. NYCFC-Comunicaciones is the other quarterfinals match-up.

Liga MX weekend

Pachuca kicked off Matchday 7 in Liga MX with a resounding 3-1 victory over Mazatlán FC to temporarily move atop the Liga MX standings. The Tuzos have 16 points (5-1-1), 2 more than Puebla who visit the Chivas on Saturday.

Luis Chávez opened the scoring in minute 26 and league-scoring leader Nico Ibáñez doubled the lead just before the half. The visitors cut the lead in half a few seconds later, but the Tuzos were not challenged in the second half. Erick Sánchez fed a perfect through-ball to Avilés Hurtado for the clincher in minute 70.

In Thursday’s nightcap, visiting Toluca overcame an early Querétaro goal with a stoppage-time equalizer when Leo Fernández fired home from 22 meters in minute 90+5. The result left Toluca in the top 8 pending other M7 results (and the Diablos have a game in hand), while the Gallos Blancos sit in 11th place for now.

Friday provides Liga MX fans with a triple-header as Necaxa hosts León, the Tigres visit FC Juárez and Tijuana welcomes reigning Liga MX champs Atlas to Estadio Caliente.

Next. 3 takeaways from Barça win over Napoli. dark

Saturday features another three-game package starting with a desperate Monterrey club hosting struggling Atlético de San Luis, the afore-mentioned Chivas-Puebla contest and the Game of the Week, the “Clásico Capitalino.” The 137th regular-season meeting between Mexico City rivals UNAM and América takes place at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario.

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